The Beast Released – New Ford Ranger Raptor revealed

The next generation of Ford’s high-performance work ute that will never be used as a work ute has been revealed – featuring bold design, a rugged yet luxurious interior and a 3.0 litre V6 twin turbo engine.

Capable of 583Nm of torque and 292kW of power this is a genuine beast.

It’s the Mustang for tradies.

If you do want some off-roading, it’s all capable – with an electronically controlled on-demand two speed transfer case, along with front and rear locking differentials.

“We’ve really focused on delivering a genuine performance truck with the Next-Gen Ranger Raptor,” said Dave Burn, Ford Performance Chief Program Engineer for Ranger Raptor. “It’s significantly faster, looks incredible, is packed with new features, and is the strongest Built Ford Tough Ranger we’ve ever made.”

To show off what you’ve got under the hood, there’s four engine sounds you can select, with the press of a button – Quiet, Normal, Sport and Baja.

Baja is the most aggressive, both volume and exhaust note are big, and intended for off-road use only. In the same way that launch control isn’t intended for use at Traffic lights I guess:)

There are also a total of seven drive modes, for every situation.

On-road 

• Normal – designed for comfort, fuel efficiency and drivability;
• Sport – more responsive for spirited on-road driving; and
• Slippery – for more confident driving on slippery or uneven surfaces.

Off-road

• Rock Crawl – provides optimal traction and momentum on loose surfaces;
• Sand – for use in soft sand and deep snow conditions, optimising power delivery and transmission shifts;
• Mud/Ruts – for maximum grip off-road during launch and maintaining vehicle momentum; and
• Baja² – tuned for high-speed off-road performance with all systems set for maximum attack.

And if you know what’s coming on that bush track, perhaps you’ll choose “trail control” which is like cruise control for off-roading. Set a speed below 32km/h and the Raptor does it all – you just steer.

But let’s be honest, it’s as much about the looks as anything else

“Everything designed for the Next-Generation Raptor is there for a reason,” said Dave Dewitt, Ranger Raptor Exterior Design Manager. “We’re communicating what Raptor can do just by the way it looks.”

Inside, it’s all digital, a 12.4 inch instrument cluster, and 12 inch centre touch screen with Ford Sync 4.

It’s going to be popular, so if you’re “doing very well” see your Ford dealer about getting in line.