Ford is finally bringing its Ranger Raptor to North America. Years after Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley promised that the new-generation Ranger would have a Raptor variant sold in the U.S. and Canada, the automaker confirmed the news with a reveal of its latest product.
The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor is an upgraded, off-road capable version of the Ranger midsize pickup truck. It's chock full of race-proven specialty equipment and gear.
Ranger Raptor follows in the Raptor family footsteps of the F-150 Raptor, F-150 Raptor R and Bronco Raptor, both of which are designed for off-road trials from rock crawling to dune jumping. It's the most powerful and high-performance Ranger ever.
"Ranger customers want to mix work and play and Ranger Raptor gives them the opportunity to do just that with high-speed, off-road fun," Gretchen Sauer, Ranger marketing manager told Newsweek.
Ford's new truck features Ranger's boxed frame, with reinforced rails, front shock towers, rear shock brackets and suspension mounting points.
Ranger Raptor is already sold globally, but it has been tuned differently for North American customers. "With the North American version the tuning focus was on re-optimizing for local market terrain (Borrego, Johnson Valley, broken concrete road surfaces, etc.), while maintaining the already high levels of capability and driver connectedness," Christopher Dean, Ford vehicle dynamics senior engineer told Newsweek.
"Aspects of the North American [vehicle] damper development were subsequently rolled into the Baja 1000 stock class race truck, and proven out in Baja. Software controls were also re-optimized, with unique calibrations developed for the vehicle dynamics module (controls the dampers), and EPAS (steering) systems," he said.
Its exterior has different features than a traditional Ranger. It includes LED headlights flanked by C-clamp signature lighting, with a similar set of lights at the rear. F-O-R-D lettering centers the grille, sitting above the steel bumper, which has frame-mounted front and rear tow hooks.
Fender flares feature functional vents and the truck's front high-strength steel bash plate and various component shields are designed to keep the underbody's components damage-free.
Ranger Raptor comes equipped with a turbocharged 3.0-liter (EcoBoost) V6 engine that is paired with an 10-speed automatic transmission and delivers 405 horsepower (hp) and 430 pound-feet (lb-ft) of torque. That's the most power available in any midsize truck in America.
It features four-wheel drive and an electronically controlled on-demand two-speed transfer case. Front- and rear-locking differentials are standard.
That power gets the Ranger Raptor over the obstacles while its suspension controls how the body of the model makes it there. Suspension components include Fox 2.5-inch Live Valve Internal Bypass shocks that are designed to reduce heat buildup, making them suited for extended use without fading rebound performance.
The damping performance of those shocks changes depending on drive mode. The Ranger Raptor has seven drive modes: Normal, Tow/Haul, Sport, Slippery, Off-Road, Rock Crawl and Baja.
Those modes also feature honed in engine, transmission, antilock brake system, traction control, steering and throttle response calibrations.
Drivers can change the sound of the exhaust system by selecting one of four modes: Quiet, Normal, Sport and Baja. "Exhaust valve tuning is set per mode, however each of the modes can be custom tuned to the customers preference. Example - if the customer is in normal drive mode, but wants sports exhaust, they can set that via the steering wheel button. They can then save their favorite setting via the Mymode button (also on the steering wheel)," Justin Capicchiano, Ford Performance and Special Vehicle Programs manager told Newsweek.
The truck also gets Trail Control programming, which allows technology to take over throttle and braking duties while the vehicle navigates tough terrain, allowing the driver to concentrate on steering, and offering back-up acceleration and stopping control.
Ford Performance also put its stamp on the interior of the truck, with the brand's unique front seats installed and signature Code Orange color accents throughout the cabin. Six overhead upfitted switches on the overhead console are designed to make installing off-road hardware easier.
Ford's new Ranger Raptor faces some stiff competition from General Motors and Toyota products. Others, like Honda and Nissan, have off-road-y offerings but don't have models with the same caliber prowess Ranger Raptor promises.
It directly competes with the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, a four-wheel drive mid-size truck that is powered by a turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine and delivers 310 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque for use. It also has an eight-speed automatic transmission, 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels wrapped in 33-inch tires, DSSV Multimatic suspension dampers, a 3-inch lift, off-road fascia and fender flares. It starts at $48,295.
Toyota's new take on the most off-road capable Tacoma will come in a TRD Pro version for the 2024 model year. When it comes to market in the spring, Tacoma TRD Pro will be powered by the company's i-Force Max power plant, a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder hybrid engine that makes 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. It is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The rig rides on 18-inch wheels surrounded by 33-inch tires. Like the Ranger Raptor, it has 2.5-inch Fox Internal Bypass Shocks and a locking rear differential. It also has an aluminum front skid plate and steel bumper.
Pricing for the Ford and Toyota models has yet to be released, but analysts expect the Ranger Raptor to be immediately competitive.
"The past few years have been exciting for the midsize pickup segment, with big redesigns of every player in it. Nissan revamped the Frontier with a lovely powertrain combo and capable-as-ever Pro-4X model, Honda upgraded its Ridgeline TrailSport, GM impressively spiced up its GMC Canyon and Chevy Colorado duo with dedicated high-performance models of their own promising trail-ready cred," Robby DeGraff, product and consumer insights analyst at AutoPacific told Newsweek.
"Ford has undoubtedly been a leader (if not the leader) in off-road focused products for decades now. Their products are proven and the trim approach is really smart, offering varying degrees of adventure to meet a consumer's tastes," he said.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull leads the Autos team at Newsweek. She has written extensively about the auto industry for U.S. News & ... Read more
