WATCH: Wait is over: High-flying new Ford Ranger Raptor priced

Dramatically unveiled last year, Ford Motor Company South Africa has confirmed official price and specification details of the second generation Ranger Raptor.

Watch the new Ford Ranger Raptor in action

Billed by the Blue Oval as the bakkie that “rewrites the rulebook for off-road performance”, the Raptor arrives on South African soil sporting not only the powered-up twin-turbo 3.0 EcoBoost V6 petrol engine, but the full array of off-road hardware showcased last year.

The look

Styled along the lines of the new Ranger, and bearing a closer resemblance to the F-150 Raptor than ever before, the Ranger Raptor has, however, been extensively updated aesthetically to separate itself from its sibling.

Besides the now signature block letter F-O-R-D grille, Raptor decals and riding on 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich K02 all-terrain tyres, a 2.3-inch steel bash plate resides underneath the front bumper with thick cladding starring around the wheel arches.

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In addition to the Matrix LED headlights from the Ranger Wildtrak as standard, the now cast aluminium side-steps have been integrated into the doors sills and a step into the rear bumper.

Inside and beyond

Inside, differences from the Wildtrak are prevalent and while the twelve-inch SYNC4 touchscreen infotainment system and 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster have been retained, specific graphics and readout have been programmed in, the former also supporting the Ford PassApp and both type-A and C USB ports.

Adding to the unique interior touches is a ten-speaker 660-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system, new sport seats Dearborn claims has been inspired by those of the F-22 Raptor fighter jet, cast magnesium gear shift paddles and a new leather material for the steering wheel.

Raptor embroidery work on the seat rounds the interior off, together with Code Orange 12 o’clock marking on the steering wheel and accents on the wheel itself, on the seats, around the air vents and electronic e-shifter.

In addition to those already mentioned, standard specification on what becomes the new flagship Ranger model amounts to interior ambient lighting, electric front seats, wireless smartphone charger, embedded satellite navigation, heated and folding electric mirrors, plus the following:

• overhead auxiliary switch console;
• one-touch all around electric windows;
• dual-zone climate control with rear vents;
• keyless entry;
• tyre pressure monitor;
• push-button start;
• Adaptive Cruise Control;
• Park Assist;
• Blind Spot Monitoring with Trailer Coverage;
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Automatic Braking;
• Lane Keep Assist;
• Road Edge Detection;
• Evasive Steer Assist;
• Autonomous Emergency Braking;
• Roll Over Mitigation
• Load Adaptive Control;
• Forward Collision Warning;
• Hill Start Assist;
• Hill Descent Control;
• front and rear parking sensors;
• reverse camera;
• 360-degree surround-view camera system

Roughened-up underneath

As mentioned, a big attraction of the Raptor is the reinforced chassis and latest Fox Racing dampers designed not only to cope with the terrain, but also the EcoBoost underneath the bonnet.

Tipping the scales at a heady 2 460 kg and able to haul 667 kg, the Raptor’s chassis uptakes comprise a redesigned Watt’s rear linkage, the upper and lower control arms made-out of lightweight aluminium and completely new front and rear shock absorber towers, plus reinforced mounts for the loadbox and spare wheel.

Just as extensive are the Fox dampers themselves, which features Live Valve damping and not just position sensitive checking as on the old Ranger Raptor.

Filled with oil containing Teflon, and able to better scan the terrain then before, the suspension is said to reduce friction by 50% compared to the original Raptor’s setup, while also adjusting to real life driving conditions.

In a departure from the previous model, the now pair of diff-locks are electronic and the part-time four-wheel-drive system replaced by a permanent system similar to the Ranger Wildtrak V6.

For the revised Terrain Management system, which now adjust the throttle, gearbox, steering, traction control and display within the instrument cluster and on the infotainment system, seven modes feature; Slippery, Normal, Sport, Sand, Mud/Ruts, Rock Crawl and the much loved Baja.

As a means of complimenting the new engine, the Raptor’s exhaust system has been specially tuned with a pair of valves embedded to create a unique noise based on four settings; Quiet, Normal, Sport and Baja.

Power of petrol six

Of course, the biggest highlight is the aforementioned EcoBoost V6 that replaces the locally built 2.0-litre Panther bi-turbodiesel outright.

While detuned for Europe to 212kW/490Nm, the full 292kW/583Nm tune has been availed for South Africa, an increase of 135kW/63Nm over the oil-burner.

A completely reworked version of the General Motors co-developed ten-speed automatic send the amount of twist to all four corners. Claimed fuel consumption is 11.5 L/100 km with no performance figures being announced.

On the off-road front, the Ranger Raptor’s specifications are as follows:

• Ground clearance: 272 mm;
• Wading depth: 850 mm;
• Breakover angle: 24-degrees;
• Approach angle: 32-degrees;
• Departure angle: 27-degrees (25-degrees without a tow bar)

Price

No longer assembled at Ford’s Silverton Plant outside Pretoria but sourced from Rayong Plant in Thailand where the Everest also originates, a total of eight colours can be selected; Arctic White; Conquer Grey, Code Orange, Absolute Black Metallic, Meteor Grey Metallic, Aluminium Metallic, Sedona Orange Metallic and Blue Lighting Metallic.

Included in the R1 094 900 asking price is a four-year/120 000 km warranty with a service plan up to eight-years/165 000 km being optional.