The new Ford Ranger Raptor will start at $74,990 in Australia before on-road costs, Ford has announced, setting its starting MSRP about $13,200 higher than that of the Ranger Wildtrak. The high-performance off-road pickup truck was officially announced for several overseas markets in September, 2017 before its reveal in February. It takes after the bigger, more powerful Ford F-150 Raptor sold in the North American market, with similarly rugged styling, four-wheel drive, internal-bypass Fox Racing Shox, and a boatload of ground clearance and suspension travel.
The Ford Ranger Raptor’s $75k starting price makes it about $6,500 more than the Volkswagen Amarok V6 Ultimate in Australia, CarAdvice notes, but given the off-road credentials of its F-150-based sibling, it just might be worth it. In stock form, that truck ran – and finished – the notoriously brutal SCORE Baja 1000 on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula.
However, where that truck is powered by a twin-turbocharged, 3.5-liter petrol V6 with 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque, the Ford Ranger Raptor will make do with a 2.0-liter bi-turbo diesel, rated at 210 horsepower and 370 lb-ft. Like the F-150 Raptor, though, it too will receive a 10-speed automatic transmission, giving it plenty enough ratios to keep the engine in its power band. The front suspension has an SLA (“Short Long Arms”) design, while the rear features a solid rear axle with a Watt’s link setup.
There’s been some debate as to whether the Ford Ranger Raptor will make its way to the North American market, although if it does, it will most likely use one of Ford’s EcoBoost petrol engines for power; our money’s on the 2.7-liter V6. Should it launch, its US price tag oughtn’t be anywhere near the $74,990 Australian buyers are facing; the F-150 Raptor starts at $50,115, and we suspect that very few buyers would pay significantly more for less truck.
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