Since the new generation Ford Ranger landed on our shores a few years ago we’ve looked around with jealousy to see this Ranger Raptor offered globally with large fenders, swollen fenders, a lot of space clearance on the ground, as well as a twin turbocharged Diesel engine that has a smoky 369 pounds of torque. If you’re hoping for the particular Ranger Raptor We‘re sorry to say it’s not here, and hasn‘t ever been. But we have good news for you The next one is. In 2023, the Ford Ranger Raptor isn’t only more powerful than the previous model It’s also coming to America. Wait until you receive some of its specifications.

First, that 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 diesel engine is gone. In its place is the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 that was which is being redesigned to Ford Performance. In Europe it can produce the equivalent of 284 horsepower as well as 362 pounds of twist. That’s impressive, no doubt. But beware of the ponies the Australian version produces an impressive 392 horsepower and the equivalent of 430 lbs. This is the likely version that we’ll see in the United States, although Ford isn’t revealing U.S. specs just yet. This engine with a performance rating comes with an anti-lag system that is similar to the one found in the European-spec Focus ST. Power is transferred through Ford’s standard 10-speed auto and an all-time four-wheel drive system that includes a two-speed transfer system.

The off-road equipment is remarkable. The required front as well as rear differential lockers are available and there’s an array of customizable different terrain modes, such as Baja mode that allows for speedy desert destruction. In addition, the chassis has been strengthened in all the usual ways to withstand the extreme tensions on the suspension caused by for instance, hitting the rock with a moderate size at 60 mph in the playa. This implies that suspension mountings are strengthened, as are some areas of the frame are around the bed and spare tire are reinforced as have been strengthened as well. The entire frame reinforcements in the photo below and they’re identical to the ones on the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor, which has the same frame.

The suspension is comprised of hefty aluminum control arms at the front, as well as an actual axle that has a Watt’s linkage at the back. Ford went back to Fox to purchase 2.5-inch Live Valve internal bypass shock absorbers to handle wheel oscillation penalties. (Interestingly they have a smaller diameter than that of the 3.1-inch units that are in the Bronco Raptor.) Ford states that the Teflon-infused oil in these new shocks decreases friction and the heat that causes performance loss by 50 percent. Ford also promises better road comfort than previous models. The Bottom-Out Control feature offers more force for damping in the final quarter of the travel of the shock to avoid back-slapping slaps that cause spine-rearranging on bump stops.

There’s some significant armor underneath the hood of this truck. 2.3mm steel plates guard weak points beneath at the top of the truck. They extend out from the bumper to give the truck an attractive underbite. The steering, the radiator engine sump, the engine, and differential are all covered.

The most important thing is that the new Ranger Raptor keeps the attractive, Maverick-inspired look and style of its “regular” next-gen Ranger and adds a huge amount of excitement. Be aware that the next-gen Ranger was not originally made specifically for the American market, but was developed to fit the needs of an international-market truck. It’s clear. The latest Ranger is truly a global vehicle, that was designed specifically with U.S. in mind from the start. We believe that the model’s new Ranger Raptor shows that there was a lot of thought that was put into making sure it appeals to buyers from each side of the ocean, people with very different notions about what an ideal pickup is supposed to be. The features you’d expect to see to see are present, including big fenders with the black arched extensions to them, an e-gutter that has the “FORD” logo you could look up from space, a hood, the fender blisters, as well as an aggressive rear end, with two exhausts that are tucked away in a neat way. The side rails and loop on the bed appear to us like more of a European-style aspect, but maybe they’ll be available to us also.

The interior is a lot more contemporary than our Ranger and, evidently, it is very similar to the world-class Ranger we first saw earlier in the year, sporting the usual Raptor accessories: bright Code Orange accents, a sporting steering wheel and bolstered sports seats.

This is the perfect time to inform people that you’re viewing this ROW version, and specifically it’s the U.K. model. Be prepared for the possibility that there are minor differences in the American-market model–head and taillamps, as well as bumpers, can differ for different regions. However, it’s an intimate glimpse of what’s to come which has been verified by Ford, an American-market Ford Ranger Raptor that was designed from scratch with our needs in our minds. It‘s something that you should be excited about.