2019 Ford Ranger Raptor

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By Perry Mack, photos courtesy Ford

Now we know why the 2019 Ford Ranger, presented to us just two weeks ago, appeared with a single, some say disappointing, powertrain option. Ford of Australia just released teaser images and video of the new Ranger Raptor, which will be unveiled in Bangkok Thailand Feb 7, 2018. This must have been Ford’s plan all along, show a basic Ranger to North America for now, and let us salivate over a high performance off-road model for a couple years before releasing it to compete with Chevy’s Colorado ZR2 and the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro.

Although unconfirmed, word on the street says there’s a 2.7L EcoBoost V-6 producing 325 hp and upwards of 400 lb-ft under the hood, which should easily out-perform the inline four-cylinder 2.3L gas turbo direct injection Ecoboost we’ll get in the regular Ranger. And given what the 2.7L Ecoboost can do under the hood of an F-150, imagine the performance under a lighter truck with the frame, suspension and steering to support it.

I doubt we’ll see the 3.5L Ecoboost under the hood but the 2.0-liter EcoBlue four-cylinder diesel is an obvious choice.

We also suspect our version will be ‘North Americanized’ with steel bumpers, as in the North American standard Ranger. Watch the Aussie video closely and you can see the plastic front fascia tremble in fear at every rut, bump and jump.

This truck will be a huge hit when it hits North American shores, and although Ford hasn’t confirmed if, or when it will - 2020 is a good bet. The Raptor label is the most well-known badge in off-road trucks. Creating a Ranger Raptor is pure genius and the stuff truck dreams are made of.

Check out the YouTube Video below.

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