Dirt-focused pickup with an aggressive-looking nose is being teased by Ford before hitting Thai showrooms next year.
The standard Ranger already looks cool!
Very true, which also explains why the Ford Ranger is selling well in Thailand and why it now has more than 10% market share of the pickup market. The use of the WildTrak treatment has also boosted the Ranger's desirability, However, Ford is apparently not resting on its laurels.
The American brand is preparing to introduce a new variant next year for Thailand and other markets in Asia-Pacific called Ranger Raptor. Developed in Australia and seen here with camouflage tackling the Outback in Down Under, the Ranger Raptor has been designed with the grit in mind.
Ford hasn’t gone into detail but only says that the Ranger Raptor will be unique in its class with a robust appearance relating to off-road ability. The Raptor name is also used in the US on Ford’s bigger F-150 pickup.
Could it feature a tougher suspension setup?
In theory, the Ranger Raptor should be getting some tweaks. Some media reports in the US are suggesting bigger control arms, as such. Although the rear suspension could also be reworked, Ford needs to maintain the leaf spring setup in Thailand because archaic rules in the country stipulate that pickups must have it.
The engine for the Ranger Raptor has yet to be disclosed, but it’s unlikely to get the 450hp 3.5-litre petrol-turbo V6 of the F-150 Raptor. Instead, expect the existing 200hp 3.2-litre diesel-turbo inline-five to be used in the Ranger Raptor. Whether the oil-burner could be tweaked for more low-end grunt remains to be seen.
Some other media outlets in Australia have suggested that the 10-speed automatic seen in America’s fiery pickup may be used in place of the six-speeder currently applied to the Ranger and Everest SUV derivative.
Are Thais really into off-roading?
If you consider off-roading as a hobby, then the number of enthusiasts may not be much, if still existent. But just by having macho 4x4 looks is good enough for many pickup enthusiasts in Thailand. In short, off-road looks sell, even on the sealed tarmac.
The case might be a little different in markets like Australia where many people still need pickups to tackle the vast unpaved terrain there. Also, spiced-up pickups for recreation and competition is quite common.
At the moment, the Ranger is being manufactured in Thailand and mostly exported to other countries in this region.
