MOTORING REVIEW: Thrilling experience taking Ranger Raptor off-road

MY LOCAL local street cred rocketed when I brought home a recent test drive car — Ford’s Ranger Raptor double cab pick-up in a loud and simply glorious bright orange colour that attacks the senses. Code Red alert has now become Code Orange!

A pick-up truck is a vehicle with open bed storage, efficient for the loading, carrying and unloading of goods. Most models have 4WD as standard as owners need to take them off-road. What’s good for the building site is also good for the farmer tending stock in muddy fields or having to collect and distribute foodstuffs for animals in inclement weather conditions.

Developed by the Ford Performance division, this newest derivative of the latest Ford Ranger is loaded with smarter technology, latest hardware, blending raw power with mechanical and technical precision. Ford say they focused on delivering a genuine performance truck which is the toughest Ranger yet.

Raptor’s exterior styling leaves no doubt as to where the car is aimed. A big and robust front with the letters F O R D large across the grille, extra large flared wheel arches and huge 17-ins x 8.5-ins alloy wheels unique to Raptor. Air vents on the bonnet are to ventilate the engine compartment. Wow factor Raptor decals on the sides, and that big cargo area.

Getting in and out of this very high pick-up is made easy by using the running board step and the well positioned and sturdy hand grip on the A-Pillar.

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The big and bold look is continued inside the cabin, which is spacious and even luxurious, with big head and legroom also for three rear occupants.

Orange accents are everywhere, even down to orange coloured seatbelts. Maybe a case of overkill, but I loved it all! Ford Performance seats get orange accents and the Raptor name emblazoned on the front seat backs, as does the leather steering wheel. Those front seats have 10-way power adjustments and can be heated.

The big low front armrest has almost literally a cavern below, with a 12V socket. You get a wireless phone charger and old and new type USB ports.

A chubby leather automatic transmission shifter is close to hand.

Parking this big one is helped by a 360 degree camera - the main screen divides into sections, one showing the big area behind the vehicle while the other shows your immediate surroundings and tracks the vehicle as you reverse. There are huge side mirrors with good blind spot cover, as well as parking sensors - all necessary with the Raptor’s size.

A button on the lower right dash opens and closes the electric roller cover on the load bed, revealing a payload area of 652kg. Raptor has up to 2,500kg towing ability.

While this Raptor version may have been inspired by desert racers, it is also a hugely capable overland vehicle. But be warned, driving it on our roads doesn’t come cheap. My trip computer showed a fuel return of 14.5 L/100kms after a decent road trip which is equal to 19mpg. The official return is 13.8 L/100kms.

The new twin-turbo 3.0 EcoBoost V6 petrol engine delivers a thumping 292hp and 491Nm of torque. The result will satisfy even the most hardcore performance enthusiast.

For the first time, Raptor gets an advanced full-time four-wheel drive system that offers locking differential front and rear. My off-road foray over hilly terrain interspersed with streams, ponds and steep stone tracks only scratched the surface of its capabilities but still left me with an adrenaline rush and grinning from ear to ear. Raptor’s ability to tackle rough terrain is enhanced with some serious underbody protection designed to protect key components like the radiator, steering system, engine sump and front diff.

The drive management is operated by four buttons which give you 2WD, 4WD, 4WD Automatic and 4WD Low. I found the 4WD Automatic perfect for travelling off-road for most purposes. When you press the ‘Terrain Response’, the main screen shows the track in front of you while a lower schematic screen shows which wheels are being driven at the time.

Twisting the console control, you can select the driving mode all the way from Quiet, Normal, Sport, Slippery, Mud and Ruts through to Rock Crawl; the car will select whichever mode you should be in at any given time, 4H, 4L or 4 Automatic.

Ford engineers have redesigned the suspension to deliver more on-road body control and more performance both on-road and off-road and the suspension adapts to to suit the circumstances including tackling bigger ruts off-road with ease.

You can also set your preferred engine sound to Quiet, Normal, Sport, or the crazy Baja mode for the ultimate off-road experience! Raptor also features Trail Control which is like Cruise Control for off-roading. You select a set speed below 32 km/h and the vehicle will manage its acceleration and braking for you while you concentrate on steering through difficult terrain.

If Code Orange is a bit much for your taste, there are six other exterior colours available.

Prices start from €74,138. My model is from €77,355. Price excludes delivery and related charges.