2021 Ford Ranger Raptor

Living with the Ford Ranger Raptor

Review by Jacob Lerklint

The current generation Ford Ranger Raptor has been with us since 2018 and is on its way out, being replaced by an all new model for 2023. I have never driven a Ford Ranger, let alone the Raptor version, so it was time to try it out to see what it is all about.

We all know about the F150 Raptor and its capabilities, but we don’t get the F150 in Europe unless you import one yourself. The Ford Ranger is quite a bit smaller and on paper doesn’t look nearly as interesting as the F150. Instead of the 450hp Ecoboost V6 in the F150 we get a 213hp 2.0 liter Diesel engine, yikes. It might be turbocharged and produce 500nm of torque, but weighing almost 2.3 tonnes it won’t blow your socks off in terms of acceleration. The 0-100kmh comes in at around nine seconds. But that is not what the Ford Ranger Raptor is about. It is about off-road capabilities and in that area the Raptor impresses. The Ford Ranger Raptor is built in Australia of all places and compared to a regular Ford Ranger the Raptor has pretty much an all new frame with front and rear Fox racing suspension.

The Raptor’s front and rear tracks are each a massive 150mm wider, and the vehicle sits 51mm taller. 63mm-diameter Fox Racing dampers increase front travel by 32 percent and rear travel by 18 percent. The dampers are position sensitive, meaning they’re relatively soft during the initial travel, firming up towards the far end of the compression stroke. This makes for a reasonable degree of comfort when you’re driving around normally, but plenty of control when the going gets rough. The setup also means you’re less likely to bottom out. The Raptor also gets new aluminium control arms and an entirely bespoke rear suspension setup. Like a lot of pickups, the Ranger has an old-school leaf-sprung, live axle rear suspension layout, but the Raptor gets a coil-sprung arrangement with a Watt’s Linkage which makes for near-straight suspension travel.

It sounds promising, right? Out on the road, the Raptor impresses with the lack of road noise from inside the cabin. I have to say the Ranger Raptor might be one of the most quiet cars I have tested so far. On a regular road, the Ranger feels big; you barely fit inside the lanes. I can’t imagine what the bigger brother F150 feels to drive on a small European road. The width and the 33 inch tires do give the Ranger Raptor quite the road presence. The Raptor only comes in a double cab form and you sit comfortably in all the seats.

Technology wise, the Ford Sync3 eight inch infotainment system works fine, nothing special, but it does the job and you get android auto and Apple car play. The Raptor gets some nicer seats and all around a better interior than the regular Ranger. It feels purpose built and nothing is wrong with that. At the end of the day it still is just a pickup truck.

Off-road, the place where the Ranger Raptors feels most at home, I took it through some rough terrain and the Raptor didn’t complain once, with six different driving modes and locking differentials there is nothing it can’t get through. Lock it in 2WD and turn off the traction control and you can have the rear come loose pretty easily. As impressive as the Ranger Raptor is the elephant in the room is still there, the powertrain. The 10 speed gearbox is decent on the road but off-road you'll just leave it in second or third gear anyway but the biggest issue is the 2.0 liter four-cylinder Ecoblue bi-turbo Diesel engine, the lack of power and emotion from the four cylinder engine makes you wish you had the V6 ecoboost from the F150. The fuel economy is also outrageously bad considering it is a Diesel engine.

The current Ford Ranger Raptor impresses in the world of pickups in terms of off-road and on road capabilities and I can see it being a good second hand purchase but I’d suggest you wait for the 2023 Ranger Raptor as it will finally come with the V6 petrol engine that it deserved.