Ford Ranger Raptor crowned 4x4 of the Year

The Ford Ranger Raptor has pipped its stablemate – the Ranger XLT – by eight votes, to clinch the 4x4OTY crown.

By not trying to be all things to all men, as all other dual-cabs try to be, the Raptor has come up with a winning formula based on a supple, well-controlled and sophisticated suspension. On any back road – the rougher the better – or any 4x4 track it works brilliantly and helps to make the Raptor an enormously fun-to-drive, competent and capable recreational 4x4 dual-cab.

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It’s also proof that in the automotive world it’s always better to have more ‘chassis’ than ‘engine’. And while it’s not built for off-road racing, if there was a proper ‘production class’ (where you can only change tyres and brake linings beyond the mandatory safety mods) in something like the Finke Desert Race it would infinitely be better than any other showroom-stock 4x4.

More than anything else it’s a bold step into the world of task-specific factory customs, which is hopefully something we will see more of.

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For complete 4x4OTY coverage and to learn why the Raptor was the best 4x4 of a great bunch, pick up a copy of 4X4 Australia’s February issue, in stores January 31.