Video: 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor takes on Goodwood

UPDATE, June 24: Ranger Raptor takes on the Goodwood hillclimb

Ford of Europe has shown off the upcoming Ranger Raptor in public for the first time, letting its high-performance dual-cab loose at the Goodwood hillclimb.

Having been revealed earlier this year in February, the next-generation Ford Ranger Raptor is the first of its breed to be powered by a petrol engine, with Ford's 3.0-litre, twin-turbo V6 'EcoBoost' now shoehorned under the bonnet.

Producing 292kW and 583Nm, the latest Ranger Raptor boasts serious performance credentials for a nearly two-tonne ute, with the first examples of the popular model expected to arrive on Australian shores next month.

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February 22: Ford Ranger Raptor revealed

Ford has pulled the covers off its all-new Ranger Raptor, but before it did, we got a sneak peek at it in their Melbourne Design Centre which you can see in the video.

No on-sale date or pricing has been revealed as yet, but what we can tell you is that the next Raptor has a 3.0-litre V6 petrol ‘EcoBoost’ engine which makes 292kW of power at 5650rpm and 583Nm of torque at 3500rpm. This engine is taken from Ford’s North American line-up where it powers several SUVs including the Explorer.

“The 3.0-litre brings a different dynamic to the Ranger Raptor that will satisfy even the most hard-core performance enthusiast,” says Dave Burn, Ford Performance chief program engineer for Ranger Raptor.

“The acceleration and raw performance of the new powertrain leaves you grinning from ear-to-ear.”

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For Aussie owners, it brings the powertrain performance the current Raptor has always lacked from its four-cylinder diesel engine, with power to match and make the most of Raptor’s exceptional chassis.

Like Ford’s ‘Lion’ V6 diesel engine which we will also see in the new Ranger and in the past in the Ford Territory as well as multiple Land Rover models, the petrol mill uses a compacted graphite iron (CGI) block which is claimed to be up to 75 per cent stiffer and stronger than regular iron castings.

This was big news back when the Discovery 3 debuted in 2004 and it’s still relevant today.

As in the 2022 Ford Ranger, the V6 engine will be backed by a 10-speed automatic transmission and a two-speed transfer case.

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Hardcore Hardware

Big news for Raptor drivers who like to get off road is the fitment of driver selectable locking differentials to both the front and rear axles – a first for Ranger in Australia. This will give the new Raptor improved low-speed ‘crawling’ performance to rival its high-speed abilities.

Those high-speed blasts are again supported by Fox Racing shock absorbers at each wheel. These units are a step up from the Fox shocks used on the previous Raptor in that they are electronically adaptive to the driving and terrain conditions.

The Fox 2.5-inch Live Valve Internal Bypass shock absorbers use cutting-edge control technology offering position-sensitive damping capability. Not only do they adapt to the driving conditions but also have specific mapping to suit the various selectable drive modes in the vehicle.

Another feature of them is Fox’s race-proven Bottom-Out Control which applies maximum damping force in the last 25 per cent of shock travel for situations like when landing after jumps, to maintain the best control.

They can also sense when the shock is fully extended as a result of the wheels leaving the ground and prepare the dampers for the hit back to terra firma, and can stiffen the rear dampers to prevent Raptor from squatting under hard acceleration, further improving vehicle stability.

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Like the current model, new Raptor’s rear suspension is an adaptation of the Ford Everest’s coil spring and Watt’s link design to provide superior control and ride quality compared to what could be achieved by the regular Ranger’s leaf spring rear-end design.

The Fox shocks are similar to those used on the current generation of F-150 Raptor and recently previewed Bronco Raptor but these USA-only vehicles use the bigger 3.0-inch units to control the bigger and heavier 35- and 37-inch tyres available on those rigs. Ford says the 2.5-inch dampers are perfectly suited to the lighter 33-inch BFG KO2s fitted to the Ranger Raptor.

Speaking of American vehicles, a major reason the new Ranger Raptor has been bestowed with the petrol engine is that it is set to be launched in the USA where it will join the rest of the Ranger line-up there.

The USA is a petrol market and a diesel was never going to rate a mention over there. Not that we expect to be complaining about the performance of the EcoBoost V6 when we get behind the wheel here in Australia.

What will be interesting is the Raptor’s touring range in Australian conditions. The Raptor is heavier than regular Ranger models and with its available performance always on tap under the right foot, the V6 petrol Raptor could be hampered by its consumption.

New Raptor is said to be 30 to 80kg heavier than the current model, depending on the spec for different international markets.

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Multi-modes

New Raptor’s drive modes now have seven driver selectable settings; three for on-road use and four for off road. These optimise the engine, transmission, steering and shock absorber calibrations to suit the selected conditions and include Baja mode for the best high-speed off-road performance.

“While Ranger Raptor was inspired by desert racing, it’s also a supremely capable overlanding vehicle. Out of the box we’ve created an off-road vehicle that you don’t need to modify to get you where you need to go and back again safely,” said Burn.

Raptor’s V6 engine breathes through a full-length dual-exhaust system and it too has four modes to adjust the sound level and tone to suit the driver. Keep it quiet for creeping away from camp and open it up fully for the Baja-mode blasts.

“We really wanted the Baja mode to be the ultimate expression of the off-road high-speed capability,” said Burn.

Obviously new Raptor adopts all the features of the 2022 Ranger with its bold new front-end styling, wider wheel track and user-focused cargo tub. No word yet on what the payload capacity of that tub might be, or the towing capacity, but these were areas that the Raptor was compromised on in the past.

The interior features the large 12.4-inch centre screen of the premium models in the new Ranger line-up, and the new 12-inch gauge screen. Front seats that were inspired by those used by fighter pilots have tall backs and side bolsters to support the driver and passenger, and even the rear seat of the Raptor gets exclusive added bolsters to cradle its passengers.

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More to come

While the new Raptor is promising so much more in terms of performance and features, we still don’t know when it will arrive to market.

New Ranger is on schedule to launch around June/July and we expect the Raptor won’t be too far behind the regular models.

As mentioned, also yet to be revealed are the payload and towing capacities, fuel tank size and fuel consumption.

We also have no indication of price from Ford but considering the current model is in the mid-$80K range and the new one is promising so much more, we expect the price will climb even higher.

Will we see the first $100,000 mid-size 4x4 ute in the Ranger Raptor? Time will tell and only a test drive can show us if it’s worth the money.