2022 Ford Ranger Raptor – five sports car-like features you wouldn’t expect in a pickup truck!
All-new Ford Ranger Raptor 2022 recently arrived in Malaysia with a price tag of RM259,888, complete with a five-year/160,000km manufacturer’s warranty. While that may seem like a lot to pay for a pickup truck, the new Ranger Raptor is much more than that.
If the words ‘Ranger Raptor’ weren’t written on the spec sheet or brochure, it could easily mislead you about a new purebred Ford performance car. Heck, it might as well be because here are a few of the cool, sports car-like features you’d never expect a pickup truck to have.
Racing-style turbo anti-lag system – instant torque!
Aside from the big news that the production Ranger is the most powerful ever with 397 hp and 583 Nm of torque from the new 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, the Raptor is also equipped with a transmission. 10-speed automatic. But that’s not all, as a new driving mode has been introduced and its name alone causes excitement – Baja.
Pick it up and everything from the engine and transmission, to the suspension goes into the sportiest setting but there’s so much more to it. In Baja Mode, the turbochargers will continue to spin for an additional three seconds after the driver has pressed the gas. If the driver is back on the accelerator during that time, the Raptor can generate instant torque for more responsive acceleration – just like a race car!
Active Valve Exhaust System – Quiet Mode for Neighborhood Friendly, Baja Mode for Maximum Volume
If you’re reading this, chances are you can identify and appreciate the roar of a V6 engine, so it would be a crime not to let the twin turbochargers in the Raptor sing. Ford understands this well and has, therefore, fitted an active valve-exhaust system on the new Raptor, featuring an X-tube and electronically controlled valves to provide different emissions notes.
It may look discreet, but the noise it makes is anything but. You even get different modes for the exhaust – Quiet, Normal, Sport and Baja – with Baja being the loudest. These modes can be selected via a dedicated button on the steering wheel. Yes, we are still talking about a pickup truck.
Fox adaptive dampers – soft for added comfort or stiff for more control at the push of a button
Fox dampers are not uncommon for the Raptor because previous generation model were equipped with them. With the new Raptor, however, comes a more advanced Fox adaptive suspension with new 2.5-inch Live Valve internal shock absorbers. They are filled with Teflon blend oil to reduce friction by more than 50% for a smoother ride.
There are even sensors to monitor driver input and road conditions 500 times a second to adjust the damping ratio accordingly, for the best possible ride in all driving conditions. . Ford says this is the most sophisticated damper ever fitted on the Ranger.
Bottom-up control system – leave the squat at the gym
Part of what makes the Fox damper the most sophisticated ever on the Ranger is the Bottom-Up Control system it has. As the name suggests, the race-proven system essentially prevents the rear end of the car from squatting during hard acceleration. The fact that this is fitted to the Ranger Raptor itself speaks volumes about the performance offered here, doesn’t it?
The system works by stiffening the rear shock absorbers during the last 25% of travel. Less squat in the back, more control in the front, more power on the road. You see where we’re going with the Raptor, don’t you?
Trail control system – have you ever heard of cruise control for terrain? Now you have.
As aptly emphasized by Ford, the Ranger Raptor may be inspired by desert racers but it is also ‘outstanding at slow-moving things’. It may not be a ‘sports-like’ feature, but it’s too unique to need mention. The Trail Control system is essentially the same as the cruise control system, but for the terrain.
Simply select the Trail Control icon on the 12-inch infotainment touchscreen positioned alongside the Tesla style, and the system is activated and can operate at speeds of up to 32 km/h. The driver can set the speed from the steering wheel just like you would with a conventional cruise control system. The driver is only required to drive while acceleration and braking are managed by the vehicle. This feature also works for downhill sections.
All that said, there’s just too much about the Raptor that we can convey with words but from what has been mentioned, do you think the Ranger Raptor is more of a sports car than a pickup? ?
