2022 Ford Ranger Raptor: The ultimate pick-up predator?

The debut of the first Ford Ranger Raptor in September 2018 represented the interesting return of a trend that many local carmakers have long rendered extinct.

It helped bring back the "factory special," which are regular models that have been souped up straight out of the assembly line or showroom. The Raptor revived the spirit of cars like the old Honda Civic SIR, which offered sensational performance that made it truly distinct from its more hum-drum siblings.

Ford's top-of-the-line pick-up truck also bucked the trend of creating a "performance" variant by just slapping on a body kit, some decals and calling it a day. The Ford Ranger Raptor is equipped with the best gear for its purpose: to conquer whatever unpaved road may come its way.

That's why it has Fox shock absorbers, underplating, 17-inch wheels with off-road tires, and, its piece de resistance, a 2.0-liter twin-turbo diesel mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

With the launch of the next-generation Ranger and Everest last July 2022, everybody's asking: When is the new Raptor coming out in the Philippines? And what is it like?

Pisan, the Editor-in-Chief of AutoFun Thailand, got his hands on one, and here are some of his impressions.

Subtle intimidation

Even with the graphics kit and the gigantic FORD logo on the grill, the Raptor looks very similar to the rest of the Ranger line-up.

Matrix LED headlights form a crescent shape around the aforementioned grill, with the silver front underplate making sure that important engine and transmission components are safe from whatever Mother Nature can throw at them.

Down the side, a large character line breaks up the slab-sidedness of the doors, while the black cladding around the wheel arches shows how form follows function for this off-roader. The giant RAPTOR decal on the bed makes it very clear that this is no ordinary Ranger.

At the back, huge taillights with blacked-out trim and a pert rear bumper don't really give much away.

But it's when you look more closely at the Ranger Raptor that you find out why it's truly special. There are things like the giant twin bulges on the hood, the fender vents, and the larger wheel arches to accommodate the huge 17-inch wheels with all-terrain tires.

Big, big power

One particularly interesting detail is the twin exhaust pipes jammed right under the bumper. These are connected to one of the biggest bombshells in the compact pick-up market.

Pop the hood of the next-generation Ranger Raptor and you will find that the old twin-turbo diesel is gone.

In its place, a 3.0-liter, twin-cam, 24-valve V6 gasoline engine assisted by a pair of turbochargers. The Raptor now makes a staggering 397 PS and 583 Nm, which are 177 PS and 83 Nm more than the old model.

This new powerplant offers plenty of punch in all parts of the rev range. And it can deliver around 8 km/L in the city and 10 km/L on the highway, which are numbers that will definitely plummet if you have too much fun. 

Underneath, you get Fox shock absorbers, which now feature adaptive damping that can adjust up to 500 times a second. The next-generation Ford Ranger Raptor also gets uprated disc brakes, beefier stabilizer bars and differential locks.

In the rough stuff, the new dampers keep the Raptor stable even at higher speeds on uneven terrain. And the seven driving modes adjust everything automatically to ensure that you can keep going no matter how tough it gets.

Comfortable drive despite huge size

The new Ranger Raptor shares its interior with the rest of the Ranger line-up.

This means you get an enormous 12-inch vertical touchscreen that displays the 360-degree camera and controls the infotainment system, which comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The gauge cluster, meanwhile, is a 12.4-inch display.

The Raptor comes standard with a 10-speaker B&O sound system and orange accents around the air-conditioning vents. The leather steering wheel comes with an orange stripe at the top, which is useful for seeing the steering angle without taking your eyes off the road, and the orange RAPTOR emblem stitched at the bottom.

As before, the next-generation Ranger Raptor gets special leather sports seats with bigger bolsters compared to the regular Rangers. These are firm yet comfortable, while helping provide excellent visibility all around.

A Raptor through and through

The name "raptor" has been used for a wide variety of predatory creatures.

In the Cretaceous Period, they were giant bipeds that were known for their bird-like appearance and huge claws. They were also very efficient carnivores, with some feasting on their prey by holding them down.

This legacy carries on with modern-day raptors, also known as birds of prey, such as the peregrine falcon and the golden eagle.

The Ranger Raptor may not be capable of flight, but much like the carnivores it is named after, it will likely make mincemeat of non-factory special pick-ups.

Are you looking forward to the upcoming Ford Ranger Raptor?