This week, Ford Motor Company officially launched the Ford Ranger Raptor in Australia and the internet flooded with snapshots of this mighty, dual-cab pickup tearing up the Outback. Australian website Car Advice was one of the first media outlets to upload a video review of the new right-hand-drive vehicle in action, and many of Ford fans stateside were excited to see this truck in action.
This is the all-new Ford Ranger Raptor and everyone is losing their minds over it! — Paul Maric, CarAdvice
“This is the all-new Ford Ranger Raptor, and everyone is losing their minds over it,” Paul Maric, Senior Road Tester at CarAdvice, said. “I can tell you it is awesome!”
If Ford finally decides to announce that it will be offering a left-hand version of this performance truck, how much of the down-under version that we are witnessing in this video will carry over to an North American counterpart?
The Ranger Raptors that debuted in Australia arrived with the popular 10-speed automatic transmission. We are already witnessing the 10r80’s success in the current F-150 Raptor and 2018+ Mustang. Although the new 2019 Ford Edge ST will be arriving with an eight-speed transmission, because of the off-road prowess that the Ranger Raptor is displaying, it makes sense for Ford to retain the 10-speed should this truck eventually leap into other markets.
However, it is highly unlikely that a US variant of the Raptor Ranger would be motivated by the 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine under the hood of its global counterparts. With the F-150 Raptor already deploying the 3.5-liter V-6, it’s unlikely to power the smaller truck. So that leaves either a completely new powerplant or a highly tuned, off-road worthy 2.3-liter EcoBoost similar to the Focus RS and EcoBoost Mustang engines. With the different drive modes and a couple of simple tweaks, we could easily see the RS engine translate rather well into the Raptor Ranger.
After watching the videos of the Ranger Raptor suspension soaking up the unpredictable environment that is down under, it’s a safe bet that this is one area that Ford engineers will not change. Almost every review praises the Fox 2.5 shock absorbers and new rear coilover suspension system. When combined with the Ranger Raptor’s larger 17-inch wheel and off-road tire package this setup allows the smaller Raptor an impressive 283mm of ground clearance.
It’s all conjecture at this point, but what’s your impression of the latest truck in the Raptor line? And, which options do you think would translate well if and when a Raptor Ranger arrives in North America? Feel free to let us know in the comments below.