New Ford Ranger Raptor V6 pickup starts from £57,340

• 74bhp more than old model
• Off-road suspension with four driving modes
• Available to order now from £57,340

The much-anticipated Ford Ranger Raptor is now on sale, with prices starting from £57,340. The Raptor sits as a high performance, off-road-oriented version of the standard Ford Ranger pickup truck and boasts a number of mechanical and visual upgrades over the standard model. This includes a larger, more powerful engine, a model-specific grille and tuned, off-road suspension.

The Raptor is the first version of Ford’s latest Ranger pickup to go on sale in the UK. With first deliveries expected to arrive in late Summer, the Raptor occupies its own niche in the market, with its closest competitor being the Toyota Hilux GR Sport - though this has significantly less power than the Ford. 

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Ford has positioned the Raptor at the top-end of the Ranger lineup, with all versions coming equipped with a vast 12-inch SYNC 4 infotainment system, alongside a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster. Other standard equipment includes heavily-bolstered sport seats and a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

There is also an array of cosmetic optional extras that enable buyers to further enhance the look of their new truck. As seen in these images, the Raptor debuts an exclusive paint colour called Code Orange; this will set you back £720. For £600, buyers can opt for a decal pack which adds off-road-inspired graphics to the side of the car. Finally, the eponymous, £1,860 ‘Raptor Pack’ includes a large roll bar behind the cab to improve sturdiness and an electrically retractable tonneau cover for the load bay.

Providing power for the new Ranger Raptor is its 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine. Unlike the diesel units offered in the standard truck, the Raptor’s V6 engine runs on petrol and produces 284bhp - a whopping 74bhp more than the outgoing model. This is paired with the same 10-speed automatic gearbox as is offered in the standard Ranger, and uses similar anti-turbo lag technology to that seen in the Ford GT supercar. Perhaps the only thing that these two cars have in common other than their badge, this innovation can boost throttle response by keeping the turbos constantly spinning and thus feeding more air into the engine.

The mechanical changes don’t stop there as the new Ranger Raptor boasts Fox off-road suspension as well as a reinforced undertray and components to keep things in-tact when traversing the most treacherous terrain. The new ‘Trail Control’ system acts like an off-road version of cruise control and will accelerate and brake the Ranger as necessary on muddy tracks at speeds of up-to 20mph. 

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In addition to the usual ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Slippery’ settings, drivers can configure their Raptor in four distinct off-road driving modes: ‘Rock crawl’, ‘Sand’, ‘Mud/Ruts’ or ‘Baja’. The latter is reserved for high-speed off-roading and places the Ranger Raptor’s new valved exhaust in its loudest setting.

Ford has also given the new Raptor a truckload (pun intended) of styling upgrades. Ranger Raptor models get an enlarged black grille, emblazoned with FORD lettering and exclusive 17-inch alloy wheels with specialised off-road tyres. To fit such huge tyres, Ford has had to widen the Ranger using flared wheel-arch cladding which further adds to the truck’s aggressive stance.

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