The performance-oriented Ranger Raptor touches ground in a very neat manner. Should you really care?
What’s new?
Ford has become the first brand in Thailand to build a performance-oriented version of a pickup. Called Ranger Raptor, the double-cab is based on the regular Ranger featuring modifications made to the exterior, interior and chassis.
Notable changes on the skin include a more pronounced black grille, blown wheel arches and more rugged-looking bumpers and side steps.
The interior, meanwhile, sees sporty seats tailored with some suede and blue stitching, racy instrument panel and steering wheel with paddle-shifters.
Chassis upgrades consist of a stronger frame, coil spring rear suspension, all-round ventilated disc brakes, Fox dampers, BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres measuring 285/70 R17 and a raft of electronics aiding off-road ability.
Bar the unchanged wheelbase length, these alterations make the Ranger Raptor longer, wider, taller and heavier than the regular Ranger. The drivetrain, however, is the same: 213hp 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel, 10-speed automatic and four-wheel drive.
Priced at 1.699 million baht, the Ranger Raptor is around half-a-million baht dearer than the Ranger Wildtrak. Is the price premium of the Ranger Raptor worthy?
What’s cool?
From nearly all angles, the Ranger Raptor looks bold, masculine and truly purpose-built. The same goes for the interior details such as the perforated leather on the steering and gear knob.
Ford is making noises about how well the Ranger Raptor performs off-road. They seem to be right after taming this pumped-up pickup at a closed dirt track. The increase ground clearance and optimised approach, ramp and departure angles all contribute to a confidence-inspiring drive. Also, the ride is supple and the electrically assisted steering is intuitive at most times.
There’s the so-called Baja mode that adjusts the chassis electronics in the most optimum manner. And when the Ranger Raptor becomes airborne after a rapid traverse over a sharp articulation, it goes on to land in such a smooth manner. There’s virtually no body movement and the rebound effect of the bespoke dampers is commendable.
On the sealed tarmac – the place potential buyers are mostly going to use the Ranger Raptor in Thailand – the road manners are surprisingly good. The all-terrain tyres are generally quiet at all times.
In fact, overall noise insulation is great inside when cruising, even when you put the diesel engine to work. Speaking of that, the weight penalty the Ranger Raptor carries doesn’t really blunt its performance in the real world.
The decision to install paddle-shifters for the 10-speed auto is a good thing in terms of usage which is something that should be extended to the regular Ranger.
What’s not?
While the design is mostly cool to look at, the Ranger Raptor looks a little out of proportion when viewed straight in the front or rear. It reminded some testers of the Tata Xenon. The stickers on the boot and rear fenders look comical, as well.
Although the wider tracks and more car-like rear suspension pay dividends in terms of stability, the primary ride can occasionally feel soft over undulating tarmac.
Performance isn’t an issue in real-world driving, but the details on paper say so: the Ranger Raptor has a higher CO2 level and fuel consumption than in the normal Ranger, plus a small dent in acceleration.
Lastly, there’s that hefty price premium (explained in the sidebar below) which practically represents an increase of one-third of what the Ranger Wildtrak asks for. Since the Ranger Raptor is already a pricey buy, it would have been great if it had more power (yep, Ford can do it) so that it can be a genuine range-topping pickup
Buy or bye?
When it comes to off-road pedigree, no other pickup comes close to the Ranger Raptor. You can feel how all that extra engineering went into making it (developed by Ford Performance unit) very capable in the mud.
But whether you’re going to really get those wheels dirty is another thing. Most might suggest that 10/10 buyers will use the Ranger Raptor purely on the sealed tarmac, although this would certainly not be the case for the Australian Outback.
Objectively speaking, the Ranger Wildtrak already suffices with the same drivetrain and sufficient, if not equaling, visual aesthetics and off-road ability – all at a considerably lower price.
The Ranger Raptor isn’t about sensibility and probably wouldn’t be a first or second car in your garage. It’s all about emotions, a rich man’s toy, to put it bluntly.
TALKING POINT
There’s a reason why the Ford’s new dressed-up pickup commands a considerable half-a-million baht price premium over the Ranger Wildtrak.
It’s not just the upgraded parts that have upped the price of the Ranger Raptor to 1.699 million baht, but it’s also due to reasons of excise tax.
Like in the Everest SUV, the Ranger Raptor features the so-called Watts Linkage and coil-spring rear suspension. By Thai pickup rules, double-cabs fitted with rear leaf-spring suspension can enjoy a 10% rate if their CO2 outputs don’t exceed 200g/km (which is the case for regular Ranger).
However, the Ranger Raptor can’t attract that rate due to its more sophisticated suspension. And with more than 200g/km of that black soot at the tip of its exhaust pipe, the Ranger Raptor has to settle for the 17% rate applied on “other pickups” as defined by the Excise Department.
Which is why there might some debate regarding this issue. Stipulating what kind of technologies pickups should bear is kind of a hindrance to engineering. Car manufacturers usually evaluate customers’ needs and behavior during vehicle development.
It’s quite a known fact that users of double-cab pickups usually don’t carry big loads, unlike the single- and standard-cab whose leaf springs help cope with load.
Because of this, other types of suspension can offer more car-like road manners (read: better handling and driving safety), hence the Ranger Raptor’s matrix. In fact, the four-door Nissan Navara NP300 (and Mercedes-Benz X-Class and Renault Alaskan siblings) are sold in other markets with multi-link rear suspension.
It’s a bit ironic that this particular pickup reg is still being used, especially in a country that’s home to the world’s largest one-tonne pickup market. It’s like punishing makers with new technologies made to benefit consumers.
