Another Baby Raptor is born: Rowdy Ranger version coming to U.S. in 2023

Posted by Talbot Payne on March 7, 2022

The Raptor nest now has two Baby Raptors.

Ford continues to expand its off-road performance lineup in the United States, with a Raptor version of the Ranger pickup coming in 2023 to go with the Bronco Raptor. Like Papa F-150 Raptor and sibling Bronco, Ranger Raptor will be powered by a ferocious, twin-turbo V-6 sitting on an armored chassis and Fox shocks — while the interior gains Ford’s state-of-the-art SYNC 4 technology so owners can wirelessly navigate to the outback on Apple CarPay or Android Auto.

Baby Raptor. The 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor pickup joins the F-150 Raptor and Bronco Raptor with high-powered, twin-turbo V-6 engines, all-terrain tires, Fox shocks and explosive off-road capability.

Ranger Raptor has been sold overseas since 2019 with a less capable, 2.0-liter turbo-diesel engine. In a Tweet, Ford CEO and chief motorhead Jim Farley confirmed the long-rumored “Ranger & Ranger Raptor are both coming to the U.S. next year” after the truck made its European debut late last month.

In addition to its meatier mill, the ’23 Ranger Raptor will sit on a new Ranger architecture with upgraded tech. The Raptor tops the Ranger Tremor as Ford’s most-capable off-road midsize truck. While the Tremor competes against the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and Chevy Colorado ZR2, the Ranger Raptor will be aimed at the Jeep Gladiator Mojave, though the Raptor promises peerless power in segment.

Since its introduction as the first super truck in the full-size segment, the F-150 Raptor has been joined by the Ram 1500 TRX and GMC Hummer EV super trucks.

Ford had previously resisted bringing the Ranger Raptor to the U.S. market for fear of cannibalizing sales of the hugely popular F-150 Raptor, but with Ford’s transition to an all-SUV and truck brand (save the Mustang coupe and convertible), the gloves have come off with the Raptor sub-brand now gracing both the Bronco and Ranger models.

Ranger Raptor features a front bash plate for when the going gets rough.

You’ll know it by Raptor’s signature “F-O-R-D” letters branded across the front grille, amber highlights, flared fenders, and twin tow hooks front and rear.

While Ford won’t have all the details sorted — pricing, tires, fuel economy, etc. — until closer to the Ranger Raptor’s launch next year, its specs are formidable. The numbers provided here are for the European models (first to arrive late this summer), but are likely similar to what we’ll see on this side of the pond.

The 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V-6 spits out 392 horsepower and 430 pound-feet feet of torque. To reduce turbo lag, the elves at Ford Performance developed a a race-bred anti-lag system (first developed on the twin-turbo V6-powered Ford GT supercar) that keeps the turbochargers spinning up after the driver backs off the throttle — enabling quicker acceleration.

The engine is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and will feature four exhaust modes: Quiet, Normal, Sport and — for those wide-open runs across Holly Oaks ORV Park — Baja.

“The 3.0-liter engine brings a different dynamic to the Ranger Raptor that will satisfy even the most hardcore performance enthusiast,” said chief performance engineer Dave Burn. “The acceleration and raw performance of the new powertrain leave you grinning from ear-to-ear.”

High speed, off-road runs are assisted by a hardened chassis, four-wheel-drive, refined suspension, and live-valve Fox shocks. The suspension offers seven selectable drive modes: Normal, Sport, Slippery, Rock crawl, Sand, Mud/Ruts and Baja.

The truck comes with 4WD and locking front and rear differentials. It likely will be offered only with a crew cab.

The latter optimizes the Baby Raptor’s system for all-terrain attacks utilizing everything in its toolbox from transmission calibration to brake sensitivity to traction control.

“While Ranger Raptor was inspired by desert racers, it’s also a supremely capable overlanding vehicle,” Burn said.

For extreme rock crawling, Ranger Raptor gains locking differentials front and rear (the Ranger Tremor only has a rear locker) and Trail Control — a sort of low-speed, foot-free cruise control up to 20 mph.

The beast is armored with three bash plates underneath to protect the front radiator, steering arms, engine and 4WD transfer case from off-road abuse.

Ranger Raptor shows off 33-inch all-terrain tires for off-road adventuring.

Muscular fender flares cover 17-inch wheels wrapped in big all‑terrain tires. While Ford does not specify tire make yet, European photos indicate 33-inch BFGoodrich K02 all-terrain knobbies. The body ripples with functional air vents to feed the beast under the hood. Out back, the bed is tattooed with the “Raptor” logo.

The current-gen Ranger was sped to the U.S. market in 2019 to take advantage of a surge in interest for midsize trucks. The vehicles was panned by critics for its dated interior and the new Ranger and Baby Raptor promise significant upgrades. Chief among them is Raptor’s 12-inch console screen and wireless smartphone connectivity — mirroring Papa F-150 and Bronco.

Raptor also gets a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster and upgraded dash design. Raptor-exclusive Code Orange accents decorate the instrument panel and seat trim. A leather-heated steering wheel and paddle shifters complete the sporty look.

The interior features significant upgrades such as a 12-inch console screen and digital instrument display.

“We knew that customers would expect improved performance with the next-gen Ranger Raptor, but I’m not sure they’re really expecting the enormous leap we’ve made. It’s a seriously fun truck to drive and I think the raw performance is going to blow them away,” Burn said.

Ranger Raptor is due to arrive in Europe in late summer with U.S. sales sometime in 2023.

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