Test Review: New Ford Ranger Raptor is tough as nails

We drive the new 2019 Ford Ranger Raptor in South Africa.

Not some aftermarket kit, is it?

Nope. Built locally in Pretoria on an assembly line that runs parallel to the new-gen Ranger, Ford’s 2019 Ranger Raptor isn’t merely one of the dressed-up Wildtrak’s you see affixed with different alloys and blacked out grille. This one features race-bred componentry running through a toughened chassis, but more on that in a bit.

Like a European F-150?

This comparison only serves to highlight the Raptor’s digression from the script. Unlike the American F-150 Raptor, the only one available to us is powered by the same 157kW, 500Nm bi-turbo diesel that is responsible for reasonable progress in the 2019 Wildtrak.  But the rest of the suspension and chassis stiffening, plus the myriad driving modes all follow Ranger Raptor form and function.

Looks great

Doesn’t it just? The higher, wider stance on 33-inch bobbly BF Goodrich tyres give it a meaner presence and it’s a theme that it manages to sustain once you get inside. Before doing that however we’d suggest kneeling down (not far, mind) to admire the handiwork of the Foxx suspension as well as the thicker bash plates.

If you’ve ever watched baja (bahaa) racing you’ll instantly know the provenance that Foxx suspension brings to the landscape of off road driving, and it’s essentially these four corners that define the Ranger Raptor. Adapted from the F150 into a shorter diameter, they give the Raptor 30 per cent more travel (fronts) and 18 per cent at the rears but are far less compromised on the road than you’d ever believe. A media launch in Upington proved they’re as tough as nails, yet surprisingly comfy and good at mitigating all the roll that should be apparent with the modifications.

Seems like a lot of suspension for not much engine?

Yep, the suspension easily outstrips the engine, which is all well and fine in a Wildtrak, but in the context of a Raptor Ranger feels a bit flavourless. In the right environment it’s still a good laugh, but the chassis is so well engineered that 500Nm can’t really exploit all of the underlying magic. That and the noise…all a bit characterless for Ford’s hoonitruck. The 10-speed gearbox is another gripe, particularly off-road in the dunes where it gets rather fond of a particular gear and refuses to change.  Best to stick it in manual mode when confronted by a long sandy climb.

It’s therefore heavily reliant on the modes to conjure up that extra something. Each of the six available promises a menagerie of shift points, rpm and traction algorithms, with baja seemingly delivering the optimised balance between rear-bias and grip. On a dry pan in Upington the Ranger Raptor drifts better than a Focus RS.

Can I still use it like a bakkie?

Soon as you eschew leaf springs for coil spring and watts link (as in Raptor) you’re going to sacrifice the very essence of a bakkie’s commercial rhetoric. So in spite of the Ranger Raptor’s toughened stance, payload versus a normal Ranger, is around 200 kilos less. Maximum towing capacity of 2500kg is also down by a ton. In general these are still fine numbers, for towing a race car etc, but it’s no freight train. Does come fitted with disc brakes at the rear which is always a nice safety provision when towing.

Verdict and price

Were it not for bakkies like the X350d and Amarok V6, we might have begrudged the Ranger Raptor as expensive, yet against this backdrop, R786 400 now seems like decent value. Local manufacture also means that for once, South Africans pay less than what those Europeans will. But the engine never truly sparkles, and unless you’re on the right terrain the bits you’re paying for will seem more a compromise than a secret weapon. We’d fix this immediately with the Mustang 5.0 V8 – after all the gearbox is the same. Andrew Leopold

• 2.0 4cyl bi-turbo
• 157kW, 500Nm
• 10spd auto
• 10.5 secs
• 8.9l/100km
• 233 g/km