Ford Bronco Raptor 2025 Review

It’s not rough roads that give the Ford Bronco Raptor some ouchy moments. Instead, it’s the price tag.

In the US the Bronco Raptor sells for about $US90,000, which translates to about $A145,000.

As it’s not built in right-hand drive it would need to undergo a conversion, the same way large American pick-up trucks are meticulously pulled apart and rebuilt to ready them for sale in Australia.

No one reveals what that costs, but something like $20,000 seems close to the mark.

Then there are taxes. Whereas utes/pick-up trucks don’t attract luxury car tax because they’re seen as commercial vehicles (yes, we know it’s laughable), SUVs generally do.

So suddenly there would be another 33 per cent applied to most of the cost of the Bronco Raptor.

You don’t have to be a maths wiz to work out it’s quickly adding up. We reckon a ready-to-roll Bronco Raptor in Australia would be something north of $200,000. That’s approaching two-and-a-half times the cost of a Ranger Raptor, something that would limit it to well-heeled enthusiasts.

In other words, the numbers don’t stack up, which is why Ford has no plans to unleash its wildest SUV on Aussies, at least not for this generation.

It’s a shame, because the Bronco Raptor would be a nice fit and comes with decent gear.

That includes dual-zone ventilation, ambient footwell lighting, power adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, wireless charging, 360-degree cameras, pre-wired auxiliary switches and a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

There’s also a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and 12-inch central touchscreen.

And, of course, there’s the hardware, including 37-inch all-terrain BF Goodrich rubber wrapped around 17-inch wheels.

And the Bronco is designed to get dirty, with rubber flooring with built-in drain plugs.

There are also removable roof panels that can turn it into a convertible, albeit with some mucking around.

Under the bonnet is the Ranger Raptor’s 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo engine matched to a 10-speed auto.

Outputs are 418 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque, which translates to about 312kW and 597Nm. That’s slightly up on the 292kW/583Nm of the Ranger Raptor.

The opportunity to fly in a Ford Bronco Raptor is not something you pass up. But whereas we were getting the airborne opportunity across the desert in the Ranger and F-150 siblings, it was more mountains and rocks set out to challenge the only SUV in the Raptor line-up.

And, yes, there’s plenty to get excited about with the Ford Bronco Raptor.

At its heart is a terrific engine, but it’s not the best bit. Instead, it’s the suspension.

Anyone who’s driven a Ranger Raptor will know how good the suspension is. Live-valve Fox shock absorbers can actively adjust their compression damping to control the ride depending on the conditions.

Get airborne, for example, and the shocks will tighten to cushion the landing, all the while providing brilliant control without bouncing off the bump stops at the end of the suspension movement.

The same thinking has gone into the Bronco Raptor, but the hardware has been upgraded and the tuning is very, very different.

It’s all about giving the car a different personality.

Those Fox shocks are 3.1 inches in diameter, up from the Ranger’s 2.5 inches. And there’s loads more travel.

Up front there’s 13 inches (or 330mm) of movement and at the rear it extends to 14 inches, or 355mm.

There’s also a stabiliser bar disconnect system that better allows the wheels to push up into the arches and exploit its crazy wheel travel.

It gives the Bronco Raptor a soft and supple feel at lower speeds.

Speed humps and small ridges melt under the car. On our bitumen cruise out to the mountains near the border of Oman we didn’t find a reason to lift off because of bumps.

Corners are a different matter, though. The Bronco will do some serious leaning in bends.

Granted, with 37-inch BF Goodrich all-terrain rubber underneath there’s not loads of grip on bitumen. But there’s enough to get the Bronco rollicking from side to side.

All of which is part of its personality.

Whereas the Raptor is more about high-speed fun with a nod to Baja racing, the Bronco turns its talent to more technical and challenging off-road terrain.

Press the buttons on top of the dash to disconnect the stabiliser bars – there’s an array of physical buttons that make it easy to lock diffs and adjust other driving parameters – and the Bronco Raptor is ready for action.

Our course wasn’t crazy difficult, but it was enough to rumble some rocks and give it the occasional tickle underneath.

What quickly becomes apparent is just how capable it is.

The Bronco Raptor loves munching on rocks and crawls over anything in its path. You don’t need to work hard to convince it to climb the next peak or scramble over a pile of rocks.

But it’s more than just a super-hard-core off-roader, with loads of talent for faster sections.

Under the bonnet is the same 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine nestled into the Ranger Raptor, but Ford has eked a fraction more out of it.

But the SUV Raptor is also a heavier machine, so performance feels on par between the two.

What is different, though, is the note. There’s more raspiness and more a snarl, with metallic hints to its raucous note.

Engineers tell me later that’s predominantly because of where the exhaust runs and how easily the sound can reverberate into the cabin.

The price is arguably the toughest thing for those who yearn for the Ford Bronco Raptor to head Down Under.

It sells from about $US90,000, which is something like $145,000 by the time you convert it to Aussie dollars. As we’ve mentioned, add in engineering the car for right-hand drive, covert it locally, and add luxury car tax, you’re easily looking at a car that races past $200K.

The Bronco Raptor doesn’t always live up to its price tag inside either.

Sure, it’s great that there’s a bold dash with some different finishes and orange highlights. But the load area reveals the compromises with having a removable roof. Gaps between some plastics allow a peek of some metal brackets and structural elements.

The Bronco Raptor also has nothing like the refinement some may expect, especially on a freeway.

Those removable roof panels aren’t very well insulated so there’s lots of wind noise rushing past. Tyre noise adds to the cacophony.

Whereas the Ranger Raptor is reasonably well behaved on the road, the Bronco Raptor’s additional suspension travel and suppleness makes it more prone to leaning. It doesn’t mind a lurch and aggressive direction changes can have it leaning noticeably from side to side.

But hey, bitumen is not the natural environment of a Raptor!

It’s a moot point as to whether you should buy a Ford Bronco Raptor.

The car is not available here and it’s unlikely to ever make it Down Under due to challenges making the numbers stack up.

None of which detracts from its uber coolness.

The Bronco Raptor is a phenomenal off-roader with the sort of engineering prowess that brings a new level of fun and capability to the SUV segment.

2025 Ford Bronco Raptor:
Price: $US90,335 (plus on-road costs); upwards of $A200K if it was available in Australia
Available: Never for Australia (unfortunately!)
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol
Output: 312kW/597Nm (418hp/440lb-ft)
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: N/A
CO2: N/A
Safety rating: Not tested

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