Ford Ranger Raptor cost Australia

Ford Ranger Raptor cost Australia
Ford’s Ranger Raptor is priced at $75,990. Inspired by US desert racers, this is the little brother to the F-150 Raptor sold in North America.

Compared with the standard top-spec Ranger Wildtrak, it gets a bold new grille, tucked front and rear bumpers for better off-road clearance, a wider track, bulging front and rear fenders, magnesium side steps, race-bred Fox shocks and 18-inch alloys shod with gnarly 285/70 BF Goodrich K02 tyres, arguably the best in the business. Not just a jacked-up Ranger, the chassis is unique to this model. It’s effectively a stretched Everest platform, so the rear end has coil suspension rather than leaf springs, and discs rather than drums. The cabin has been given a lift courtesy of Raptor logos stitched into the suede and leather sports seats, a chunky leather steering wheel with magnesium paddle shifters, blue stitching on the dash and unique instruments and scuff plates.

Ranger Raptor is powered exclusively by a 2.0-liter twin-turbo diesel four-cylinder with 157kW of power and 500Nm of torque. Paired with a 10-speed auto, you could be forgiven for thinking this engine ought to do the job. The trouble is the Raptor weighs in at 2404kg, about 150-200kg more than the regular Ranger, which blunts performance. With a 0-100km/h time of 10.5 seconds, it’s about half a second quicker than a Ranger Wildtrak with a 3.2 and six-speed auto, about a second slower than a Holden Colorado and at least 2.5 seconds slower than the VW Amarok TDV6. It might not sound like much but it’s an eternity in performance terms. These aren’t just manufacturer claims, they’re from our precision timing equipment.

It has enough grunt to comfortably keep with the flow of traffic but it’s not the complete performance package it purports to be. Even overtaking on long stretches of the road requires pause for thought and a lot of clear air. A towing capacity of 2500kg in a market where most utes can haul 3500kg may reduce the appeal for some, as might the 758kg payload. The Fox shocks have been carefully tuned to provide the best blend of on- and off-road performance.
In sweeping corners, you can feel the weight subtly shift front to rear as if it was a stadium truck, always sure-footed and composed. The knobby tires shouldn’t work on the road, but they do. It’s an engineering marvel and also remarkable that Ford has put such a sophisticated set-up into a showroom vehicle.

The tires and the engine are surprisingly quiet on the highway. A sound synthesizer pumps some artificial engine growl into the cabin when you’re on the throttle. I’m not normally a fan of such trickery but this is a fair execution. Comprehensive driver assists safety tech now includes autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, speed sign recognition and cruise control with a speed limiter. The Raptor shines off-road, whether it’s ironing out corrugations or clambering over obstacles with relative ease, thanks to its excellent approach (32.5°), departure (24°) and ramp over (24°) angles, plus 283mm of ground clearance and 850mm fording depth. Unfortunately few owners will exploit the Raptor’s true potential. Then again, few Ferrari drivers take their cars to a race track.
By Joshua Dowling

THINGS WE LIKE
Looks the business
Sensational off-road ability thanks to top-spec suspension and tires
Refined drivetrain
Reasonable on-road dynamics
The comfortable, spacious cabin

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE
Not enough grunt for a 2.4-tonne truck
Reduced towing and payload
Misses out on Ranger Wildtrak's adaptive cruise control
Big bucks for a ute

SPEX
Made in Thailand
2.0-litre twin turbodiesel/10-speed automatic/4x4
157kW of power at 3750rpm/500Nm of torque from 1750-2000rpm
0-100km/h in 10.5 seconds
7.5L/100km highway; 9.4L/100km city; Co2 emissions are 212gkm; the fuel tank is 80 liters
Max towing weight: 2500kg
Warranty: Five years/unlimited km
Standard: Six airbags, stability control, trailer sway control, lane keep assist, rear parking sensors, camera, SYNC3 infotainment, navigation, Bluetooth, traffic sign recognition, auto start/stop, full-size spare, leather/suede upholstery
Redbook future values: 3yr: 58%; 5yr: 45%
From: AUSTRALIAN 4WD, SUV & UTE BUYER’S GUIDE