Monday, 30 April 2018 08:45

Raptor will make you a stand-out

Written by 
Ford Ranger Raptor. Ford Ranger Raptor.

The Ford Ranger ute has been remarkably successful since its launch, but until now, wanabee Ranger owners who wanted to stand out were largely limited to the Wildtrak models or some localised customisation.

That will change with the spring arrival of the recently announced Ford Ranger Raptor, which the company says will reflect the use of utes as going far beyond the workhorse to a multi-use lifestyle vehicle.

Destined to be the hero model of the Ranger offering in New Zealand, the Raptor builds on the qualities of the American F Series Raptor, but with local development in the You Yangs Proving Grounds in Australia.

First impressions of the truck point to its off-road aspirations -- aggressive stance, bold FORD lettering up front, HID headlights, daytime running lights and beefy, composite bumpers front and rear. Each corner is set on a 33-inch diameter BF Goodrich All-Terrain tyre, and each flank has extra heavy-duty Ranger Raptor specific running boards.

Power is provided by a new generation, 2.0L, bi-turbo diesel pushing out 157kW and 500Nm torque, mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. 

The powertrain also has Ford’s Terrain Management System (TMS) that offers six modes to deal with a variety of terrain, including low and high rear wheel drive and a locking rear differential. The TMS also introduces the Baja Mode for ultimate off-road performance.

That off-road ability is what the Raptor is about, given its long suspension travel with Fox Shox dampers, aluminium control arms, HD skid plates and underbody protection. 

The overall layout sees wider front and rear track widths, a greater ride height, increased approach and departure angles and the ability to ford up to 850mm of water.

At the business end, a 1560 x 1745mm rear tray has plenty of space for work and play, and 2500kg towing capacity should be useful for both. Two recovery hooks at the rear rated to 3.8 tonnes and a pair at the front rated to 4.5 tonnes should take care of getting extracted or extracting others from unplanned adventures.

In the cabin, car-like luxury is seen in technical suede seat coverings accentuated with leather and dramatised with blue stitching. 

Notable safety features include Ford Stability Control incorporating a roll mitigation function, electronic stability control for difficult cornering or braking, trailer sway control, hill start assist, hill descent control, load adaptive control and a rear-view camera.

Expect to see the Raptor hit New Zealand shores in the thirdter 2018, with a starting price of $84,990+ orc.

More like this

Mako goes after Raptor

With Ford holding the reins of the ute market since about 2014, it was always going to be a case of when – not if – Toyota NZ would deliver a model to compete.

Raptor for fun, not work

The Ford Ranger Raptor is not the truck you buy for heavy work; payload and towing capacity are significantly less than a standard Ranger or any other working-clothes ute. But that's not the point.

Ranger soon on the prowl

Having dominated the ute market for the last three years, Ford NZ says it will launch its 2019 Ranger in October.

Featured

Sheep drench resistance costly

Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

National

Govt urged to reduce ETS units

The Climate Change Commission wants the new Government to reduce NZ Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction volumes as son as…

Dairy sheep, goat woes mount

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand…

Machinery & Products

All-terrain fert spreading mode

Effluent specialists the Samson Group have developed a new double unloading system to help optimise uphill and downhill organic fertiliser…

Can-Am showcases range

Based on industry data collected by the Motor Industry Association, Can-Am is the number one side-by-side manufacturer in New Zealand.

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Papal visit

OPINION: European farmers are going to extreme lengths to have their message heard.

Thai egg tarts

OPINION: The hustle and bustle of one of Bangkok's most popular fast food outlets may feel a world away from…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter