Ford Ranger Raptor: 5 Things we love

The Ford Ranger Raptor was first unveiled in Thailand in 2018, and what’s even better, it’s exclusive to this region of the world. It reached Malaysia the same year, and sits at the top of the Ranger line-up in all the markets it’s sold in. Similar to its elder brother, the F-150 Raptor, the Ranger Raptor has been tuned for extreme off-road use. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t have some good, old-fashioned fun with it on the tarmac as well. It’s only (and thankfully) available in one trim, though you can get it in one of two colors, and wears a sticker price of RM 199,888. So, without further ado, let’s list the 5 things that we all surely love about this manic truck.

1. Exterior styling

Obviously, one of the most highlighting points of the Ford Ranger Raptor is its exterior styling. While it’s basically a Ranger, it’s one that has been pumped with enough steroids to drive a Killer Whale insane - it’s simply fantastic! The intimidating front fascia of the Ranger Raptor features a butch-looking bonnet, and a completely redesigned grille with a matte black finish and large ‘FORD’ lettering. The grille is accompanied by semi-rectangular flush headlamps with their subtle yet striking LED DRLs. Then there’s the heavy-duty bumper which gets integrated LED fog lamps, and is underlined by a tough bash plate and a couple of tow hooks.

The meanness continues onto the side profile of the Ranger Raptor as well. Here you’ll find the enlarged wheel arches, flared fenders with vents, 17-inch black rims with humongous 33-inch BFGoodrich tyres, aluminium running boards, and body decal along the rear doors and back fenders. The back of the truck has some more decal on the tailgate, alongside the vertically-stacked tail lights and an off-road ready rear bumper with an integrated steel bar that sports dual recovery hooks capable of towing nearly 4 tonnes. If you drive around in a Ranger Raptor, you’re bound to turn heads no matter where you go. It’s a beast of a truck, this thing.

2. Pleasant interior

For the outlay of cash that’s expected you’d certainly not want to clamber onboard to discover it looks like a cave. However, there’s nothing to worry about on that front as Ford has spruced up the Ranger’s interior enough to set it apart from its lesser siblings. The most distinguishable updates in the interior include the sporty Alcantara-leather seats with their extended side bolsters, blue stitching along the dashboard, gear lever, handbrake, seats, doors and armrests, embellished with ‘Raptor’ logos on the seat headrests, red ‘dead-centre’ marking and magnesium shift paddles on the steering wheel, and a revised instrument cluster.

Standard kit includes automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, power-operated wing mirrors with puddle lamps, keyless-entry & go, power-adjustable driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control, cooled console, cruise control, and an 8-inch head unit with Ford’s SYNC3, along with navigation and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Ranger Raptor’s build quality and fit-and-finish are good, while comfort levels are satisfactory, too. The latter is also aided by active noise cancellation, which brings down some of the ambient clatter.

3. Off-road performance

With its 283 mm of ground clearance, front & rear skid plates, all-terrain tyres, Fox Racing Shox dampers, e-locking rear differential, selectable 4WD system with ‘Baja’ mode and hill-descent control, not much can stop a Ford Ranger Raptor off the beaten path. It also boasts up to 850 mm of maximum wading depth. Then there’s the 32.5-degree approach angle and 24-degree departure and ramp over angles, respectively. The specialised bumpers on the Raptor provide added protection, whilst the Watt’s Linkage limits the 2.5-tonne truck’s excessive body movement.

4. Capable engine

The Ranger Raptor is powered by a bi-turbo, 2.0-litre four-cylinder oil-burner that develops 210 hp and 500 Nm of torque. It’s mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission that can be controlled with the steering-mounted paddles. Despite its off-road friendly tuning, the Ranger Raptor’s engine performs well in the urban area but isn’t set-up for speed. It takes over 10 seconds to hit 100 kmph, running out of steam at 170 kmph. Fuel economy is also quite poor, averaging only around 11 kmpl. However, none of that truly matters - this powertrain is meant of effortless off-road endurance and pulling power. And it’s bloody brilliant at that.

5. Ride quality

It might not seem like it, but the Ranger Raptor rides surprisingly well for a dune basher. The thick rubber along with the expensive FOX hardware means there’s enough give, while body roll is also well contained. The Ranger Raptor demolishes any (and all) road imperfections, a feat that only gets better the harder you push it. How marvellous is that?