Next-gen Ford Ranger Raptor spotted in Thailand
Ford may be just about ready to debut the all-new Ranger Raptor
A few days ago, pictures of what appeared to be the next-generation Ranger Raptor being tested on US roads made their way to the internet. Despite having a camo livery, it’s quite clear that this is no ordinary Ranger. It gets a beefier exterior, a special front grille, a taller ride height, chunky all-terrain tires, and dual exhausts at the back.
With the pick-up losing more camouflage, it looks like Ford is just about ready to unveil the all-new Ranger Raptor. As if by coincidence, another new batch of photos of the high-performance pick-up truck was recently posted over at Instagram.
Unlike the pictures we saw earlier this week, this one was recently spotted much closer to home in Thailand. It has what looks to be a new camo livery, along with big ‘Raptor’ decals on the rear quarters. It also features promotional messages on the tailgate and doors that read ‘#pushingthelimit’. This somewhat confirms that Ford is not only busy testing the new Ranger Raptor, but they might also be gearing up to reveal it very soon.
Other notable features seen on the Ranger Raptor prototype include the dual exhausts, the chunky all-terrain tires wrapped in black alloy wheels, a new pair of LED taillights, and what could be bi-LED headlights at the front.
Details about its powertrain are still a mystery. However, given that Ford released a teaser video of what sounded like a more powerful engine, the next-gen Ranger Raptor could come with a twin-turbo V6. That means the high-performance pick-up truck might get a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 derived from the F-150 or a 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 borrowed from the Explorer ST. The former makes 310 PS with 542 Nm of torque, while the latter generates 405 PS and 562 Nm of torque.
Should the V6 become the Raptor’s new engine, does this mean the 2.0-liter EcoBlue bi-turbo diesel will be discontinued? It’s a possibility, but Ford might also offer the twin-turbo diesel alongside the new V6 EcoBoost engines, depending on the market.
With Ford Thailand already busy with the next-gen Ranger Raptor, we won’t be surprised if they will have a press release out regarding the upcoming pick-up truck. We’re hoping that they will be able to reveal it next month or maybe even in March.
