The next-gen Ford Ranger may emerge sometime in the next year.
After first seeing it in the wild last month, we’re seeing another example of the next-generation Ford Ranger out in the wild. It gets better than that for off-road enthusiasts, though, as this could be the Ford Ranger Raptor. The current truck is (thankfully) getting the mid-range Tremor package, but this will be the first time we’ll see the full-on off-road beast here in the U.S. It’s about time too, as more competition to the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, Chevy Colorado ZR2 and Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is always welcome.
Right off the bat, you can tell the new Ranger apart by its signature LED headlights. The C-shaped design is one of the hallmarks of the new F-150, and its little brother is clearly following suit. More than that, though, this truck sports the iconic “FORD” script on the grille. From the factory, at least, that’s a clear sign of a Raptor in the wild. More than that, this truck sports some solid ground clearance, underbody protection and beefy BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tires.
Now, the real mystery is what Ford is hiding under the hood here. Stock, the current Ford Ranger houses a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine with 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. We expect Ford to up its game for the Raptor — likely to the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 that’s also available in the Bronco. In that application, the engine manages 310 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. It wouldn’t necessarily put the Ranger on another planet, but Ford could corner the market (at least for now) on midsize truck performance if they went that route.
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