SPY PICS: First look at new Ford Ranger Raptor

Here for your viewing pleasure are first images of the next-generation Ford Ranger Raptor.

Wrapped in disguise, wearing a bold FORD grille and riding on chunky BFGoodrich all-terrain tyres, the all-new Raptor 4x4 dual-cab will top the next-generation Ford Ranger ute line-up due in early 2022.

These spy shots taken near Ford’s US HQ in Dearborn, Michigan, show the next Ford Ranger Raptor is well into its development cycle.

That suggests two things: that the all-new super-ute may arrive as part of the new Ranger line-up this time round, and that it may be sold in North America alongside the big Ford F-150 Raptor – a replacement for which will be revealed tonight – for the first time.

Based on the bigger new Australian-developed T7 Ranger, which could be officially revealed by the end of this year, the new Raptor you see here is likely to be powered by a circa-230kW/540Nm 2.7-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 for the US market.

Australia’s next Ford Ranger Raptor, which will again come from Thailand, is tipped to upgrade to a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 punching out about 185kW and a beefy 600Nm.

Ford’s 3.0-litre Power Stroke V6 is already good for 186kW/597Nm in the F-150 and could also increase the current Ranger’s towing capacity of up to 3500kg, if it powers other models in the range. The existing Raptor can only tow 2500kg due to its bespoke rear suspension and that could continue.

The same muscular diesel V6 will also likely be offered in the second-generation Volkswagen Amarok, which is being developed alongside the T7 Ranger in Australia.

The Volkswagen Amarok V6 already pumps out up to 200kW/580Nm, meaning Ford’s Power Stroke V6 could be upgraded to generate even more mumbo.

Hybrids are also on the table as Ranger and Amarok seek to expand their footprint in the US and Europe, but whether Australia will be offered electrified powertrains remains to be seen.

What’s certain is that a Ranger Raptor V8 won’t be available. That stillborn Aussie project was based on the current Ranger, and was never formally signed off.

In any case, the new Ranger Raptor will be far more powerful than the controversial 157kW/500Nm 2.0-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel that was introduced in the current Ranger Raptor and is now available across the local Ranger line-up.

The ‘Panther’ diesel four will also become the standard engine across Australia’s top-selling Ranger 4x4 model range, replacing the aged 3.2-litre five-cylinder Puma turbo-diesel, which will be retired.

Therefore a 10-speed auto should also replace the six-speeder on all 4x4 models too, and the Bi-Turbo should be offered with a manual for the first time in entry-level variants.

But whether the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel continues to power 4x2 variants remains unknown.

Based on an upgraded version of the current Ranger’s homegrown T6 ladder frame, the new Raptor is likely to be even more capable off-road than the current model, which employs a coil-sprung rear-end, Fox racing shocks, bespoke sheetmetal and a new price tag of $77,690 plus on-road costs from this month.

Like all 2022 Rangers, the next Raptor is also likely to bring more advanced infotainment as a result of Ford’s partnership with tech giant Google, which should bring Google Maps and Google Assistant functionality, alongside wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.

It will replace Ford’s current SYNC multimedia system powered by Blackberry, but it remains to be seen which, if any, model grades will get the ultra-large 12.0-inch touch-screen display and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster from the latest F-150

As you can see in these images, the new Ranger will be punctuated by a pair of intricate new C-shaped headlights – as previewed by our rendering back in May 2020.

Apart from the US and Thailand, the next Ranger will also again be built in South Africa, where Ford overnight also announced it will expand annual capacity from 168,000 to 200,000 vehicles, including the new Amarok.

Ford said the Silverton plant in SA will increase its workforce to 5500 staff, creating more than 10,000 supply chain jobs, following a $US1.05 million investment in tooling and infrastructure.

Both the 2022 Ranger and Amarok – and their multimedia systems – are being developed for up to 180 markets globally in Australia, where the majority of 2500 designers and engineers across four Victorian facilities are working primarily on the next Ranger and Everest.

“Our 2500-strong team in Australia engineer world-class global vehicles and connectivity is an ever-growing part of that development,” said Ford’s Melbourne-based engineering director Con Papadomanolakis.

“We’ll keep prioritising the growth and development of our Australian team to support and benefit from these exciting new technologies.

“We expect this [Ford-Google] partnership to accelerate our Australian team’s abilities so that we can become world leaders in the auto-tech space, and to have that kind of skill in Australia is incredibly valuable not just for Ford but for Australia overall.”