SPY PICS: 2022 Ford Ranger Raptor ready to rumble

The 2022 Ford Ranger Raptor is due to be officially revealed in a matter of days – but before then, a new round of spy photographs provides us with another tasty entrée.

A trio of Ford Ranger Raptor prototypes was recently captured by Facebook user @kurdistan_automotive_blog.

The test mules are believed to be performing final validation testing on public roads in Thailand, where the new-generation Ford Ranger line-up will be built for Australia once again.

Ford has confirmed it will bare all of the Ranger Raptor’s visual details at a formal reveal in February, before the hotly-anticipated tough-truck reaches Australian showrooms before year’s end.

The official reveal is also expected to confirm the switch from the current model’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine to a new circa-300kW twin-turbo petrol V6 that previously powered the Ford F-150.

These photographs provide the best look yet at the new Ranger Raptor’s updated front-end, together with evolutionary design changes around the rest of the exterior.

The revised front-end is punctuated by C-shaped daytime running lights and an updated grille area with huge F-O-R-D lettering emblazoned across it.

Like the previous Ranger Raptor, the new model sports a matte silver front bash plate, with two separate holes for dedicated recovery hooks. The lower front bumper looks to be fashioned from durable metal and integrates fog-lights at the respective outer edges.

The side profile of the new Raptor reveals a familiar silhouette with the outgoing model first launched in 2018. Chunky all-terrain tyres, heavily cladded wheel-arches and more muscular quarter guards will also feature.

Unlike the unofficial renderings of the Ranger Raptor we saw last week, in which a Wildtrak-style sailplane was affixed to the tray area, it looks as though the production-spec Raptor will again opt for a simple Baja-style cab and tray configuration.

These photographs also confirm that long-speculated dual exhaust outlets will feature on the second-generation Ford Ranger Raptor, which like the rest of the 2022 Ranger line-up was developed in Australia on a new ‘T6.2’ ladder frame.

If the garden-variety Rangers revealed in November are any guide, we can expect some seismic changes inside the cabin, including more advanced new infotainment and safety systems.

Stay tuned as Ford gets ready for the formal reveal of the new Ranger Raptor by the end of this month.

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