BY JUSTIN HILLIARD | 25th Jul 2018
THERE is no denying that Ford’s Ranger Raptor is one of the most anticipated new releases on this year’s automotive calendar.
Few models have generated such hype. This is due the local market’s growing appetite for light-commercial vehicles, especially dual-cab pick-ups. And its appetite for performance vehicles. So it is a match made in heaven.
The Raptor nameplate has a reputation in North America for its high-performance edge, thanks to the F-150, so this represents a significant opportunity for Ford to step into the post-local car manufacturing era and offer a spiritual successor of sorts to its storied V8-powered Falcon ute.
However, the Ranger Raptor makes do with half the cylinder count and 40 per cent of the engine displacement of its dearly-departed sibling, plus it’s a diesel! But does that really matter? Is there more to the Ranger Raptor than just its outputs? Is it actually a high-performance vehicle?
We attended its international launch in the Northern Territory to find out.