The 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor just around the corner! In fact, it’s skidding around the corner.
Ford has announced the rugged Ranger Raptor will be revealed on February 22, 2022 at 6:00PM AEDT on its Facebook and YouTube channels.
The next-generation Raptor will build on the foundation laid by the outgoing model, and is expected to be more capable off-road, and more fun on it.
Ford says it’s the “most-powerful factory-built Ranger Raptor ever”, although it hasn’t yet mentioned how much power it’ll produce.
The outgoing Ranger Raptor is powered by a 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel four-cylinder engine producing 157kW and 500Nm. Based on the teaser though, we expect the next Raptor to feature petrol power.
Ford has remained very tight-lipped around details of the Ranger Raptor, including what’s under the bonnet, but in the video there’s a distinct petrol V6 sound emanating from the ute.
This engine note is just like the one played after the mainstream Ranger’s global reveal in November 2021.
Expected to be powering the next-generation Ranger Raptor is a 3.0-litre EcoBoost twin-turbo petrol V6 engine.
A version of this engine is used in the Bronco Raptor off-roader, where it’ll produce more than 298kW of power and be mated with a 10-speed automatic transmission and full-time all-wheel drive.
Another version of this engine makes 300kW of power and 563Nm of torque in the Ford Explorer ST SUV sold in the USA, also mated with a 10-speed automatic.
Along with the announcement of the global reveal date, Ford also revealed a single teaser image of the Ranger Raptor and a short video of it undergoing prototype testing.
It’s unclear what sort of off-road hardware the Raptor will have, but the teaser video shows the front suspension components getting a workout.
There’s also a brief shot of the cabin in the teaser showing the Ranger Raptor has a digital instrument cluster, like the rest of the next-generation line-up, as well as paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.
The teaser image shows a red Ranger Raptor from the back getting loose on some dirt with a considerable amount of dust obscuring the vehicle itself.
From what can be seen, there are the distinct Blue Oval and Raptor badges on the tailgate, along with flared wheel arches, and a camera on the side mirror.
The video shows the familiar Raptor grille design continues, and the prototype features large off-road tyres.
There are still lots of details to confirm about the next-generation Raptor, but we know sales of the mainstream range will start in the middle of 2022 for Australia.
At launch, the core 2022 Ford Ranger line-up will feature three turbo-diesel engines.
Base models will be offered with a single-turbo 2.0-litre diesel, while the 2.0-litre bi-turbo engine will carry over.
Gone is the 3.2-litre five-cylinder engine offered on the current model. Atop the range, Ford is offering a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 with as-yet undisclosed outputs.
MORE: Everything Ford Ranger
