ford's ranger raptor pickup truck has faced the world’s toughest conditions

ford’s ‘ranger raptor’ off-road, performance pick-up truck, emerged from behind its camouflage during an reveal event in thailand. the pick-up features distinctive design cues inside and out that are functionally driven. at the front, a new grille takes styling cues from the world’s first high performance off road truck, the ‘F150’ raptor. the iconic block lettering proudly positioned within the grille design is unmistakable when emerging from a dust cloud.

using composite materials, the ford ‘ranger raptor’s’ front fenders not only look tough, but resist dents and dings associated with off-road usage. the flared shape of the fenders are required for the long travel suspension and oversized tires. vehicle stance is noticeably bigger from every angle, standing at 1873 mm tall, 2180 mm wide and 5398 mm long, with wider front and rear tracks at 1710 mm. the exterior color palette includes ‘lightning’ blue, ‘race’ red, ‘shadow’ black, ‘frozen’ white, plus as a unique hue for the ‘ranger raptor’, ‘conquer’ grey. contrasting ‘dyno’ grey accents help to accentuate the vehicle’s tough look even further.

the step boards were designed specifically to prevent rock spray from hitting the rear of the truck and the holes have been designed to drain sand, mud and snow. the tough high-strength aluminum alloy die-cast main step board is designed for durability, undergoing testing which includes a load of 100 kg being applied 84,000 times to simulate over 10 years in the field. a two-stage coating process involves the main step board firstly being powder-coated, before then having a robust grit-paint applied which results in a tough appearance that is highly durable.

at the rear, a modified rear bumper comes with an integrated tow bar and two recovery hooks rated at 3.8 tonnes. updated styling to the rear includes flush sensor bezels and specially packaged and styled tow connectors. providing an abundance of space, the 1560 mm x 1743 mm tray has been designed with the weekend explorer in mind, while the 2500 kg towing capacity also accounts for dirt bikes or jet-skis, as well as traditional work needs during the week.

when getting behind the wheel, drivers will notice detailed cockpit differences everywhere they look, including blue stitching and leather accents. the cluster has aggressive styling, encompassing a host of driver assist features. the steering wheel is distinctively different with lightweight magnesium paddle shifters for precision off-road shifting when it is really needed. ford performance DNA has played a significant role in the purposeful styling, including the ‘on-center’ marker – a red stripe at the top-middle of the wheel to let you know where the centre is when operating the vehicle at high speed. the steering wheel is finished off with the raptor logo debossed into the spoke bezel.