The Evolution of the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor is Fit to Enter the United States

Photo Source: Ford

Ford recently introduced the 2024 variant of Ranger in North America. The new pickup truck is quite similar to its global counterpart. However, considerable changes are happening under the hood. In the 2023 model year, the Ford Ranger also received the more capable and more powerful Raptor treatment for people who enjoy going off the roads. The 2024 Ranger is prepared for adventure, big on features, and big on technology, but midsize by design. 

It is all set to compete against the next-generation Toyota Tacoma and the new Chevy Colorado in the segment. The brand gave the new Ranger a new, more muscular appearance; therefore it commands respect. Elevating everything the Ranger does, the Raptor is altogether a different breed. Based on the new T6 platform, the Raptor comes equipped with a desert-race-ready suspension setup. It is also outfitted with a steel underbelly, so enthusiasts can comfortably drive across even the most challenging terrain. Indeed, it certainly looks promising and worthy enough to bear the Raptor emblem.

The Start of the Ranger Raptor

To provide readers with a greater understanding of how this high-performance vehicle came to be, the Blue Oval constructed the first Ranger Raptor in 2018, but that original iteration was only available for international markets. In addition, while it was optimized for high-speed off-roading with a brawny suspension, the package might have seemed a bit tame if it had been offered in the United States. As a matter of fact, it relied on a 210 horsepower turbodiesel engine and was actually slower than the ordinary Ranger already on the market in the United States.

The 2024 Raptor

As a result, in 2024, a much more radical Ranger Raptor will arrive stateside. At its core is a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine that generates 405 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque, making it the most powerful gas-powered midsize truck on the market. In fact, it is the most powerful Ranger ever developed, including the current Ranger Raptor’s international variations. It also gets an anti-turbo-lag system, which keeps the turbos spooled up for up to three seconds after the driver eases off the gas, just in case said driver needs to punch it again.

Like its Raptor siblings, the Bronco and the F-150, the Ranger Raptor gets its own purpose-built suspension. That means lightweight upper and lower control arms up front and a long-travel coil-sprung rear suspension with a Watts linkage and trailing arms in the rear. The Ranger Raptor’s next-generation FOX 2.5-inch Live Valve Internal Bypass shocks are coil-overs at the front and piggyback reservoirs at the rear to reduce heat build-up for uninterrupted performance all day long. 

Technological Features

The Ranger Raptor will provide seven drive modes, including Normal, Sport, Off-Road, Slippery, Rock Crawl, Tow/Haul, and Baja, the last one intended for the high-speed desert running the other Raptors are renowned for. There are front and rear locking differentials and a two-speed, electronically controlled transfer case. Most of the optional technological features on the regular Ranger will be incorporated into the Raptor, and components like surround-view cameras and zone lighting will prove especially useful. 

Beyond that, the Raptor gets unique interior materials and particular Ford Performance front seats. Their extra bolstering is a must for a vehicle designed to plunge around the desert at speed. The Ranger Raptor has already put on a convincing display of its impressive abilities. A pre-production 2023 Ranger Raptor even proved its mettle by winning the stock mid-class category of the Baja 1000, completing the course in 26 hours and 21 minutes. Then, it drove home, almost 200 miles from the finish line to California.   

Granted, the 2024 Ranger Raptor looks a little less wild than the standard Ranger, but with 405 horsepower and several engineering tweaks, it aims to conquer all midsize desert runners. The vehicle is teeming with potential, and at NYE Ford, we have a host of new trucks available now. You are more than welcome to take a look at our current inventory, and if you need any help, we have a trained service team to assist you with financial suggestions to help make paying for a vehicle easier.