2024 Ford Ranger Raptor: Battle Testing Ford's Toughest Truck
Ford introduced the 2024 Ranger midsize pickup in May. The revamped truck now comes with either four- or six-cylinder engines and in three trims. But the biggest news for the new Ranger is the addition of the off-road focused Ranger Raptor variant to the lineup, previous versions of which have been sold overseas for years.
To bring a new Ford Ranger Raptor, the toughest of Rangers, to the American market, the company put it through some of the most grueling testing it has ever created.
"Ranger customers pride themselves in knowing that they're fully prepared to take their vehicles into whatever challenges or adventures they choose. They expect that their pickup truck will be able to stand up to whatever punishment they throw at it. They can be confident they'll be able to come back out of the woods," Juan De Pena, Ranger North American Chief Engineer told Newsweek.
Ford tested this midsize Ranger on five continents as it will be built at five plants around the world including Argentina, South Africa, two in Thailand and one in Michigan. It logged 6,000 miles in Australia on its harshest roads. In the U.S. it was testing for durability when towing and hauling (5,510 pound and 1,411 pounds, respectively). It tests in hot weather up to 120 degrees and down to freezing temperatures of minus 40 degrees.
"The transmission has over 3.7 million miles of testing. Additionally, the Ranger has about 2,500 miles of racing development, representing about a lifetime's worth of structural fatigue that traditional vehicles would see. It's equivalent to driving around the US twice and stopping at every step along the way. At the proving grounds we use robots because the surfaces are too aggressive for people to drive," De Pena said.
The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor comes with its own six-cylinder engine not available in the rest of the lineup. The 3.0-liter EcoBoost delivers 405 horsepower (hp) and 430 pound-feet (lb-ft) through a four-wheel drive system, a new transfer case and locking differentials front and rear. It uses reinforced Ranger frame rails, front shock towers, rear shock brackets, suspension mounting points and more.
Those engines get full throttle runs in the lab on dynamometers, a machine that simulates acceleration and braking, for thousands of hours. Ford does this on hundreds of vehicles and engines to make sure it finds every possible fault.
"We have three pre-production phases. We want to measure twice and cut once. We don't want our customers to find a problem, that's the worst. We failed our job if you're paying 1,000s of dollars for that product and then you're the guinea pig for the product," he said.
To make sure it was testing the right things, Ford did a ton of customer research for the Ranger and Raptor Ranger, meeting customers where they live, where they work and where they play on the trails. The company says it knows what they care about and what they need in a midsize pickup.
"So the first thing that they told us is this vehicle has to be easy to maneuver, both in the city and on the trail. It cannot be intimidating to drive daily. And it also has to have the ability to fit in parking spots and parking garages. They also said we have to have off road capability to get out on the trail," Gretchen Sauer, Ranger Marketing Manager told Newsweek.
That means flared fenders with functional fender vents, 33-inch BFGoodrich tires on optional beadlock wheels. Those special wheels keep the tires connected even when lowering the tires pressure, which is what off-road drivers do in sandy and rocky conditions for more traction. It also means underbody protection made of steel plates covering the engine, transfer case and fuel tank.
The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor cabin features a 360-degree and front-view cameras for off-roading, zone lighting to illuminate a campsite and Pro Trailer Backup Assist to help back up boats and campers. It has a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster and 12-inch center touchscreen running with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Ranger Raptor final testing moment came in the Baja 1000, a 1,000-mile off-road race. Not only did it complete the demanding race in 26 hours and 21 minutes, winning the midclass category. It also drove 200 more miles home to California.
The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor goes on sale later this month for $56,960. The standard Ford Ranger starts at $34,160.
