Ford revealed its next-generation Ranger midsize truck late last year. The pickup is suitably aggressive and its interior looks better than ever, thanks to an improved design and lots of tech. But some hard-core enthusiasts will want more than the standard model offers, which is why the Blue Oval has been cooking up a high-performance Raptor version of the Ranger, which is set to debut on Tuesday.
Like other Raptor models, including the F-150 and Bronco, this truck promises to offer excellent off-road performance. Naturally, the automaker isn’t sharing any specifics just yet, though it did say in a press release that “the next-gen Ranger Raptor has been engineered with smarter technology controlling tougher hardware to create the most advanced Ranger ever.” I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty promising.
What can you glean about the new Ranger Raptor from this photo?
FordTo date, this ground-pounding rig has remained a delectable bit of forbidden fruit, unavailable in the US, though that may change with the new model. If reports are correct, the upcoming Ranger Raptor could go on sale in ‘Murica, possibly with a 2.7-liter, twin-turbo V6 pumping out around 325 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. That would be a huge upgrade over the 2.3-liter, EcoBoost four-cylinder currently found under the hood.
The new Ranger Raptor should make its world premiere on Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 8 a.m. Central European Time on Ford’s European YouTube channel. Crunching the numbers, that should be Monday night at 11 p.m. PT (2 a.m. ET). If you’re itching to see this new, high-performance pickup, you’d better be a night owl. Conveniently, you can watch the event as it happens by playing the video embedded above.
