5 Ways The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor Was Built Tough To Have Fun

Ford reinvented the Ranger Raptor for the second generation, giving the double-cab performance truck a level of power and performance that the first generation, which never made it stateside, simply lacked. Having spent a fun-filled day with the 2024 Ranger Raptor in Utah, which included rock climbing and a jump ramp, we got a taste of what the truck is like to live with for an extended period of time in the UK, where trucks are about as common as wagons are in the US.

Buyers across the pond can choose between a 2.0-liter EcoBlue turbocharged diesel engine (that never made it to the USA) and the same 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 that’s offered in North America. However, while in most markets, like the US and Australia, it comes with 400 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque, in the UK it’s been detuned to 288 hp and 361 lb-ft, thanks to those pesky European-market emissions regulations.

As a result, 0 to 62 mph takes 7.9 seconds, which is almost two seconds slower than its American counterpart. Top speed sits at 111 mph versus 114 mph in the US. This is a substantial drop and would be more strongly felt on US roads, but given its size (it’s 79 inches wide including the door mirrors) in relation to the average British road, it feels like a proper truck with consummate performance. The F-150 Raptor is on sale in the UK as a left-hand-drive model, and it looks like a monster truck on Britain’s narrow B-roads and dual-lane carriageways by comparison.

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You might assume that Europe doesn’t have much of an appetite for trucks, especially high-performance ones, but Ford of Europe sold over 8,000 first-generation Ranger Raptors, which is an impressive number for a niche product. While not the most practical work truck on the market, Ford has done a fantastic job of making the Ranger Raptor a truck you can live with on a daily basis and have fun in a range of driving environments.

5

Reinforced Body-on-Frame Construction

The name Raptor was a placeholder used by the original engineers working on the F-150 Raptor in the early 2000s. Names like Terminator and Condor were considered when bringing the car to market, but Ford rightly decided that Raptor was the superior name. Thus proving that instead of spending millions on a marketing company to come up with a name, just ask your engineering team.

These are the same guys that decided to reinforce both the frame and the body of the Raptor to a very high level in order to stop the usual shuddering you’d get from this sort of setup.

The UK has plenty of green lanes and off-road places you can go and have some fun if that’s what you’re into. The Raptor is a great truck for that. But most of the time you will live with it on the road. So that’s actually key to owning this car and Ford has done a spectacular job of making it a very, very compliant road car.

Dampers and Suspension

To ensure the new Ranger Raptor was off-road capable, while being accurate, engaging and a pleasure to drive on the road, Ford fitted long travel suspension and some amazingly clever dampers. These effectively monitor the road up to 500 times a second, and decide on the fly whether they should be softened or hardened. In extreme situations, for example, if you’re flying over a jump, as we hope you all will, the dampers receive a signal that the wheels are airborne and prepare the truck for a smooth landing by instantly applying extra compression pressure to the end of their travel.

It has Fox 2.5-inch live valve internal bypass shock absorbers, adjustable for normal, sport, and off-road modes that, along with the long-travel springs, do a fantastic job of soaking up bumps whether going full throttle off-road, or keeping within London’s irritating 20-mph speed limit.

4

On-Road Driving Is A Pleasure

As both the Raptor’s body and frame have been reinforced, it’s stiffer and a lot more sorted than a Ranger. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better truck out there for driving on the road. It has SUV-like handling; the steering is well-weighted, very linear, and precise. Ride over a bump or pothole, and you just don’t feel it that much at all, not like you would in a regular Ranger or standard truck.

The 33-inch all-terrain Goodrich tires, while producing loads of grip off-road, are not as grippy on the tarmac. So you can’t really push it to the limit on fast and winding country roads. Instead, you’ve got to slow your way into a corner and then accelerate your way out. The sound through the dual exhausts is nicely judged too, getting louder and throatier as you chase the redline where 90% of power is still available.

The V6 comes mated to Ford’s ubiquitous ten-speed gearbox. In normal mode, it sometimes feels like there are too many gears, especially when it has to drop 5 gears to complete an overtake on the highway, which can take a little while. But in Sport Mode, it does a much better job of predicting what gear to be in.

Alternatively, click one of the paddles behind the wheel to shift from automatic to manual mode and take total control of what gear you’re in. With that, you’re then essentially driving 6-speed, with the higher gears utilized when cruising at high speed on the highway. It’s also a lot more fun to drive in manual, which this truck is all about.

At night, the Matrix LED headlamps with predictive curve light do an amazing job. Whenever there’s an empty dark road, the high beam will kick in, shining a high beam down the road, and at road signs before you even see them. As soon as a car comes in the opposite direction, it almost ‘winks,’ closing some of the lights off so as not to blind the driver.

3

Multiple Driving Modes Set Up The Truck Perfectly

The Ranger Raptor comes with front and rear locking differentials and switchable 4-wheel drive systems. Getting the exact right setup for different driving situations manually would be tricky, which is why Ford has simplified it with a few easy-to-select drive modes.

There are seven drive modes to choose from, which you can select through the Rotary drive mode selector. You have Normal, Sport, Slippery, Rock Crawl, Mud/Ruts, Sand, and Baja. So if you happen to be going off-road and encounter mud, slippery surfaces, and sand, all in one day, you simply change the selector and the truck will instantly change its setup to best tackle the particular situation.

We recently drove the Defender 90 and while the Raptor is very capable off-road as we discovered in Utah, it can’t quite match the British SUV on approach, break over, and departure angles. But not many vehicles can.

If you drive in Baja mode, the valves open up on the exhaust, it primes the suspension for some hard off-roading, and it sharpens up the gearbox for quicker shifts. To maximize your fun, put it in rear-wheel drive and enjoy getting the back end out. However, use four-wheel drive when launching from a standstill on a slippery surface, as you’ll struggle for traction. In fact, if you’re worried about losing control of the Raptor, just keep it in four-wheel drive all the time.

2

A Fully Loaded Interior With Many Luxuries

With 10.7 inches of ground clearance, you have to take a big step up into the Ranger Raptor’s cabin, using the grab handle to swing into leather and Alcantara seats. You’re sat higher than a normal Ranger, and you’re actually sat higher than even something like a Range Rover. The ten-way adjustable electric seats and an adjustable steering wheel ensure you get the perfect driving position.

Ford has maxed out the cabin, with no optional extras available. Colored inserts and contrasting stitching elevate the interior of the Raptor compared to the stock Ranger, which is quite similar otherwise. You wouldn’t call it luxurious, but it certainly feels like a premium product with soft-touch materials.

There’s privacy glass in the back, a ten speaker, B&O sound system, a 12-inch dashboard touchscreen which is now becoming a bit more standard after debuting on the Mustang Mach E, and a 12.4-inch configurable digital tool instrument cluster.

Climate control is mercifully all handled through controllers and buttons instead of the touchscreen. It has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, remote start, a wireless charge pad that’s nicely located, easy to access, and is nicely gripped, so it holds the phone in place.

Other nice touches include dual zone climate control for passenger and driver, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a 360° camera that, along with the front and rear parking sensors, help with maneuvering the big truck in tight spaces.

The rear seats are not too bad either; if you’re under 6 feet tall, you’ll have just about enough legroom. The massive transmission tunnel means the person sitting in the middle won’t be overly comfortable, and you’ll likely be touching your knees. But for short journeys, it’s not a problem at all. There’s also some clever storage under the seats where you can put valuables if you don’t want to leave them in the bed.

Talking of which, the bed has two 12-volt outlets, and plenty of tie-down points, which is useful for keeping things from rolling around. Ford has also covered the bed in plastic to protect the paint underneath it. It’s 59 inches long and 47 inches wide, which was big enough to transport a large three-seater sofa and a massive TV stand with a bit of creative license.

Essential Options

The electric power roll top tonneau cover is an essential two-grand option as we can’t imagine a situation where you won’t need it. You can open it with a key fob or with a button in the bed, and it helps keep your stuff dry and secure. I don’t know who’s buying a truck that isn’t going to use the bed and the cover offers crucial protection from the elements and people with sticky fingers.

The Conquer Gey Metallic paint and the Raptor Splash Decal Pack aren’t what we call essential but certainly add to the truck’s fun-filled nature.

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Fun Truck, Not A Work Truck

In the UK, if a pickup can carry 1,000 kilograms (2,205 pounds), it qualifies for a Commercial Vehicle Company car tax rate regardless of how much CO2 it produces. But as the Ranger Raptor is fitted with an off-road focused suspension, it can only carry just over 650 kg (1,433 lbs), so it doesn’t qualify.

It can also only tow 2,500 kg (5,512 lbs) compared to the regular Ranger, which can tow a ton more (7,716 pounds). That’s the compromise to having an off-road suspension and a more exciting truck parked in your driveway. It also rides, handles and has a better interior than a normal Ranger, with lots of kit as standard. But if you need a truck primarily for work, then because it doesn’t qualify for tax breaks, in addition to the limited payload and towing abilities, the Ranger Raptor is not for you. However, if you’ve always wanted a truck, and feel like splurging on something that will give you years of joy, this is about as good as it gets.