Ford Ranger Raptor sinks its claws into South Africa

Whereas its bigger brother, the F-150 Raptor, has become something of a cult icon in the United States, local buyers have had to watch in dismay as the most off-road focused version of the world’s best-selling new vehicle became an instant success with its off-road prowess.

That however changed some three years ago when images started appearing online of Ford testing a mystery Ranger in Australia, which sparked immediate speculation and rumours of a junior Raptor, reports and claims that ultimately become a reality last year.

Now, after nearly a year since confirming local availability and production at its Silverton Plant near Pretoria, the Raptor has finally spread its wings and touched down on local shores in the only way Ford South Africa thought possible; an off-road assault on the infamous Goerapan salt flats near Upington in the Northern Cape.

The proper Raptor look

While its senior sibling has become the inspiration for many buyers equipping their Rangers with the often over-the-top Raptor kits, the official variant is much more than a collection of stick-on decals and black trim pieces.

Standing 51 mm taller than the standard Ranger with the front and rear tracks having been widened by 150 mm, Ford has also equipped the Raptor with 17-inch all-terrain wheels made specifically for it by BF Goodrich, as well as an F-150 inspired front facia made up of a chunky grille with FORD lettering, a new front bumper, textured side steps and a heavy duty 2.3-inch steel bash plate. In all, the additions have resulted in what is likely to be the most eye-catching, aggressive and purposely styled bakkie South Africans have ever seen.

Subtly restyled interior

The stark contrast to the exterior is the interior where Ford has applied minimal yet easy-to-spot touches compared to the Wildtrak. Highlighted by sports seats finished in ‘technical suede’ with Raptor embossed seatbacks and blue stitching carried over to the facia, a new Raptor badged steering wheel with red 12 o’clock and lightweight magnesium gear shift paddles, as well as Ford Performance branded door sills round off the changes. Although small compared to the exterior, the comfort levels felt enhanced over the Wildtrak thanks in part to those seats, while the overall build quality felt robust and solid despite the odd scratchy surface, which, in truth, mattered little when the time arrived to experience what the Raptor was meant to do.

Mastering the rough stuff

As part of the Raptor treatment, the standard leaf-spring suspension setup at the rear has been replaced by a new coil-over layout with an integrated Watt’s rear linkage, while the frame has been redesigned and made from high-strength alloy steel. The most noteworthy aspect though is the position sensitive damping shock absorbers made specifically for it by off-road specialists Fox Racing.

There’s also twin-piston ventilated front brake callipers and new aluminium control arms. In short, this translates to a ground clearance of 283 mm, departure and breakover angles of 24 degrees, a wading depth of 850 mm and approach angle of 32.5 degrees. Add these figures up, and the result was simply astonishing. Along with Ford’s Terrain Management system that comes with six modes; Normal, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud/Sand, Rock, Baja and Sport, the Raptor made light work of the heavy sand off-road track laid out, the only hiccup being the overzealous use of the throttle by its driver.

Power punch!

Speaking of power, the Raptor’s most controversial aspect is also the most impressive. Extensively scrutinised for finding its way underneath the bonnet at all, the Port Elizabeth-built 157 kW/500 N.m 2.0-litre bi-turbodiesel engine in combination with the 10-speed automatic gearbox made for smooth rather than explosive progress on the road, but came alive off-road. With ample low-down grunt, seamless shifts and an admittedly sound enhanced exhaust note, the drivetrain rates as one of the Raptor’s standouts, which came to the fore on the high-speed section with Baja mode selected.

Off-roading is home

Tuned to maximise speed with minimal electronic interference when going off-road, the speed out on the pans made for astonishing reading as did the damping and comfort of the suspension, while the steering offered good levels of feedback. A further feature of Baja is the level of control even with the traction control switched off. With 4H engaged, it is possible to make the Raptor dance i.e. power slide, as it inspires confidence while still retaining a fair modicum of control. As a final encore, the Raptor also had to live up to its moniker as a bird-of-prey by flying and landing without crashing. The most strenuous task for the suspension, hitting a series of crests at 120 km/h saw the Raptor becoming airborne with the landing and rebound showing no ill effects or strain.

Conclusion

It seldom occurs that a vehicle lives up to the hype surrounding it before officially being revealed, yet the hysteria that has encapsulated the Ford Ranger Raptor has been warranted without much disappointment. Put simply, it, in this writer’s opinion, rates as the most capable bakkie on the market today in that it strikes the bulls-eye of being an everyday double cab and an off-road monster.

The crunch factor though is pricing which at R786 400, not only makes it cheaper than the admittedly more powerful Volkswagen Amarok V6 TDI Extreme (R829 200) and Mercedes- Benz X350d Power (R973 100) but brings below the crucial R800 000 mark. Regardless whether you opt for the Frozen White, Absolute Black, Conquer Grey, Colorado Red or Ford Performance Blue hues, the Ranger Raptor has earned its wings to soar high above its rivals.