2020 Ford Ranger Raptor vs 2021 Toyota Hilux Conquest - Which One Is Better?

Introduction

The Ford Ranger Raptor, developed by Ford Performance, is a wild pickup truck designed for high-speed off-road work. The Ranger Raptor was first released in the Philippines in Sep. 21th 2018, together with the refreshed Ranger. As any Raptor should be, it is one of the most recognizable pickup trucks, with four large letters, F-O-R-D,  spelled on its grille. The Ranger Raptor is definitely a performance vehicle.

The Toyota Hilux Conquest is also built for off-road purpose, but slightly different from the Ranger Raptor. It is basically a simple and reliable truck, just like any other Toyota, but fitted with all manner of off-road gears, making it a hardcore one.

Both trucks are the mainstream picks in the market of performance off-roaders. Now we put these two biggest competitors together to see which one can win. Let’s start!

Exterior

To begin with, the Ranger Raptor might be described by many as “iconic”, thanks to its wide-body stance, bulging fenders, large skid plates, and most importantly, the exaggerated grille with FORD typography.

Another part that makes the Ranger Raptor so different is the black alloy wheels, fitted with all-terrain tyres of a huge size - 285/70 R17, which means the diameter of its wheels goes up to 33 inches. Combined with exclusively designed off-road bumpers, the Ranger Raptor has an approach angle of 32.5°, a departure angle of 24°, and a ground clearance of 283 mm.

Fitted with 18-inch alloy wheels, a roll bar, a restyled grille, bumpers, and fenders, the Hilux Conquest also has a rugged look. A “Conquest” typography at both rear sides further distinguished it from a normal Hilux. Although the Hilux Conquest doesn’t come with scary all-terrain tires, the ground clearance of the vehicle still reached 279 mm.

Here is some basic dimensions of the two vehicles:

Both two vehicles look rugged and hardcore from the outside, so it would be really hard to choose a winner. But from the figures, the Ranger Raptor might be more off-road-ready, for its higher ground clearance and longer wheelbase.

Interior

Ford Ranger Raptor Interior

The Ranger Raptor is equipped with plenty of user-friendly technologies brought by the SYNC 3 infotainment system. The unique body-contoured Raptor seats, including headrests, can provide better body grip when driving off-road.

Toyota Hilux Conquest Interior

Unlike the Ranger Raptor with a specially designed interior, the Hilux Conquest’s interior is almost the same at each trim level. The main theme of its interior is “Command in Comfort”, classical Toyota style. Despite all the power and hardcore equipment that come with this vehicle, the goal of its interior design is to make sure the driver and passengers can always ride in comfort.

In short, if you are looking for a sporty look from both inside and outside, then the Ranger Raptor must be competent enough. 

Engine and Performance

The Ranger Raptor is powered by a 2.0L bi-turbo diesel engine, while the Hilux Conquest offers two engine options: 2.4L turbo diesel and 2.8L turbo diesel. 

The following table shows some basic specs of performance of both vehicles:

From the figures, both two engine options of the Hilux Conquest are typically heavy-duty ones, with less horsepower but can keep providing plenty of torque at a wide range of rpm. 

The Ranger Raptor is offering a powerful engine with 10-Speed automatic transmission, which means the Raptor might be the faster one, but the Conquest can handle much heavier jobs.

Moreover, the Ranger Raptor comes with 4x4 by standard, while the Hilux Conquest comes with 4x2 or 4x4, depending on variants. So, when it comes to off-road performance, the 2.8L 4x4 Hilux Conquest might be the winner, for its wider range of maximum torque. 

Pricing

Here is the price list of all the variants of both two vehicles:

Without a doubt, the Toyota Hilux Conquest is the winner on pricing.

Conclusion

In terms of what a pickup should be like, we are picking the Hilux over the Ranger, for its better heavy-duty performance and more reasonable price. But if you have a budget of ₱2 Million, and you are looking for a beast with a lot of performance and fancy looks, then the Ford is a perfect choice. If you consider that a pickup truck should be cheap and tough, then the Hilux shall be the winner.