THE RANGER IS FORD’S star performer in its line-up, so it’s hardly surprising the company keeps finding ways to make it more appealing (and profitable).
Latest to arrive is the head-turning Ranger Raptor X. In addition, Ford is also announcing the return of the popular Ford Ranger FX4.
“One of the things that customers always tell us about the Ranger Raptor is how hard you can push it off road, and yet it’s still so comfortable and easy to drive on-road,” said Andrew Birkic, President and CEO of Ford Australia and New Zealand.
“The styling changes made as part of the Ranger Raptor X will help it to keep turning heads as a stand out member of the Ford Performance family.”
“And, thanks to customer feedback, we’re bringing back the Ranger FX4. This highly regarded member of the Ranger family gives Ranger buyers even more value and choice with a package offering all the capability of the XLT but with its own design elements and features.”
Ford Ranger Raptor has earned its reputation
The award-winning Ford Ranger Raptor arrived in Australia in 2018, building on the success of the popular and versatile Ranger pick-up with an off-road performance variant. A key member of the Ford Performance family, Ranger Raptor’s bold appearance and extreme off-road performance propelled it into a league of its own.
And, Raptor is set to turn more heads with a raft of styling changes for 2021 that give its already aggressive stance even more punch. Like Ford Mustang, Ranger Raptor will now boast Over The Top (OTT) (Ford has applied this label without a hint of irony) stripes as standard (running across the bonnet, roof and tailgate) along with side body stripes too, while the grille, door handles, rear bumper cover, tailgate handle, fender vent and fog light bezel will be given a new matte black finish, while the existing wheels have been refreshed with an Asphalt Black matte finish. To help the updated Ranger Raptor further stand out from the crowd, it will now feature the same extended leg sports bar that debuted on the FX4 Max late last year.
Maintaining that unmistakably Ford Performance interior, a new accent package is introduced that takes inspiration from the exterior decal design, with red contrast stitching on the steering wheel and dash replacing the original blue stitching, while Hydrographic and Black Alley accents across the dashboard and door cards round out the interior enhancements.
To summarise, Ford Ranger Raptor X, includes:
- OTT body stripes covering the bonnet, roof and tailgate featuring a ‘Carbon Twill Texture in Matte Black’ framed with a Searing Red Keyline Graphic and side body stripe decal covering side doors and rear quarter panel
- New colour treatment ‘Asphalt Black Matt’ on existing alloy
- Extended leg sports bar
- Red front tow hooks
- Black Ford logo on tailgate
- Matt finish grille, front bumper, over fenders, door handles, tailgate handle, fender vent, mirror scalps, fog lamp bezel, rear bumper cover and wheel caps
- Red contrast stitching on the steering wheel and dash replacing the original blue stitching
- Hydrographic and Black Alley accents across the dashboard and door cards
Beyond its cosmetic upgrades, Ford Ranger Raptor X continues with its strong 157kW/500Nm Bi-Turbo powertrain matched with a fast-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission with steering-mounted lightweight magnesium paddles. The Bi-Turbo engine was designed from day one to handle the most challenging and stressful applications. Indeed, the rigorous testing regime included running a thermal cycle, heating both turbos to the point of glowing red for 200 hours non-stop. The high-grade alloy turbo housing ensures durability up to 860oC, while the turbo bearings and low-pressure turbo are water cooled to reduce temperature and protect the air induction components.
In addition to its robust powertrain, Ranger Raptor offers a unique Terrain Management System (TMS) which includes Baja mode, inspired by Mexico’s famous Baja Desert Rally. In this mode, vehicle systems like Traction Control are loosened to allow spirited off-road driving with less intervention from the vehicle’s on-board systems. Gear selection is optimized for maximum performance, and the transmission mapping will hold gears longer and downshift more rapidly for even better response.
The braking system on the Ranger Raptor offers strong stopping power thanks to its twin-piston calipers and ventilated rotors measuring 332mm x 32mm. The rear disc brakes boast a brake actuation master cylinder and booster to increase braking performance, with 332mm x 24mm rear rotors and a 54mm caliper.
Enhancing its off-road performance and one of the stand-out features on the Ranger Raptor are its sophisticated Position Sensitive Damping (PSD) shock absorbers exclusively manufactured by FOX. These are designed to provide higher damping forces at full jounce and rebound, and lower damping forces in the mid-travel zone for outstanding on-road comfort. The Watt’s linkage rear suspension has been specifically engineered to tackle tough terrain at high-speed while remaining in control and comfort, offering the best of both worlds.
To tackle unforgiving terrain, Ranger Raptor’s specially developed BF Goodrich All-Terrain 285/70 R17 KO2 tyres offer a tough sidewall to navigate all environments with confidence. The high grip levels extend adventure time on and off-road, with the rugged tread pattern boosting Ranger Raptor’s wet, mud, sand and snow handling ability.
The Ranger Raptor X is expected alongside the full Ford Ranger line-up in Ford dealerships across the country from July.
Return of the Ranger FX4
Ford Australia is also announcing the return of the Ford Ranger FX4 to the Ranger line-up.
The Ford Ranger FX4 sits between the 4×4 XLT and FX4 Max models, giving customers even greater choice with a package that offers all the capability and practicality, but with an extra hit of style.
Available exclusively in the versatile double-cab pick-up 4×4 body style, the Ranger FX4 has a unique front mesh grille, finished in Ebony Black, flanked by darkened versions of the Bi-LED High Performance Headlights on Ranger XLT, Wildtrak and Ranger Raptor. The front-end view also brings an Ebony Black lower valence and mirror caps to create a strong FX4 identity.
FX4 specific 18-inch alloy wheels, an inch larger than the Ranger XLT’s 17-inch alloys, continue the black detailing, with black door handles and front guard fender contrasting the striking red ‘FX4’ lower front door and tailgate decals, all with a 3D effect. Completing the look, the FX4’s tray features a protective bedliner and an extended leg black-finish sports bar, adding a stand-out visual attribute to the Ranger FX4’s load area.
The extensive black treatment applied to the outside has been designed to contrast with the five exterior colour choices for Ranger FX4, which consist of Shadow Black, Arctic White, True Red, Meteor Grey and Aluminium Metallic.
To summarise, the Ranger FX4 exterior treatments include:
- Darkened Bi-LED High Performance headlights;
- FX4 mesh front grille in Ebony Black finish;
- 18-inch FX4 alloy wheels;
- 3D effect FX4 front door decal in distinctive red;
- 3D effect FX4 tailgate decal;
- Black-finished FX4 extended sports bar; and
- Ebony Black exterior mirrors, door/tailgate handles and fender features.
On the inside, Ranger FX4 continues the sporty theme set by the exterior with leather-accented sports bucket seats boasting an embossed red FX4 logo in the seat back. This complements the Race Red contrast stitching on the steering wheels, gear selector, hand brake boot, door trim and FX4-branded front floor mats.
Specific interior treatments for the Ranger FX4 include:
- FX4-designed front-row leather-accented seating with contrasting Race Red stitching and embossed FX4 logos;
- Leather-appointed second-row seating with FX4 Race Red stitching detail;
- Premium soft-touch instrument panel top;
- Tinted Graphite accents on instrument panel and door trim; and
- Race Red contrasting stitching on instrument panel, steering wheel, gear selector, centre console.
In addition to the FX4-specific appointments, the Ranger FX4 brings standard cabin features found across the Ranger line-up including SYNC 3 with voice-activated sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone compatibility, a full-colour reversing camera and digital instrumentation.
Driver Assist Technology standard on Ranger FX4 includes Autonomous Emergency Braking, AEB with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Keeping Aid (LKA) with Lane Departure Warning and Driver Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control, Traffic Sign Recognition and Automatic High-beam headlights.
The Ford Ranger line-up has been rated at five-stars by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).
The Ranger FX4 is available with a choice of powertrains, including Ford’s 157kW/500Nm Bi-Turbo, 10-speed powertrain as well as the proven 147kW/470Nm 3.2L turbodiesel. The Bi-Turbo engine’s 10-speed automatic includes a lock-out feature to hold specific gears when towing, giving the Ranger FX4 a towing capacity of 3500kg and 993kg payload. The Bi-Turbo brings a fuel efficiency figure of 7.4L/100km.
Buyers choosing the 3.2-litre turbodiesel with either six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission have a payload of 978/960kg (man/auto) and a towing capacity of 3500kg. Fuel economy is 8.4L/100k (man).
Standard on every new Ford Ranger is the FordPass Connect embedded modem. When paired with the FordPass App, FordPass Connect unlocks a range of new connected services including remote locking/unlocking, remote vehicle start and vehicle status updates. This can be particularly handy on the worksite, allowing customers to remotely start the vehicle and warm the cabin prior to a coffee on a winter’s morning, for example. The FordPass App is now available for download for Apple and Android devices.
The Ranger line-up has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, as well as a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, with further peace of mind for Ranger owners through the Ford Service Benefits program.
The Ford Ranger FX4 is expected alongside the full Ford Ranger line-up in Ford dealerships across the country from July.
Pricing
| Price (incl. GST), plus on road costs | |
| Ranger Raptor X | $79,390 |
| Ford Ranger FX4 | Price (incl. GST), plus on road costs | ||
| 3.2L 5cyl with
6-speed manual |
3.2L 5cyl with
6-speed auto |
2.0L BiTurbo with
10-speed auto |
|
| 4×4 FX4 Double Cab P/U | $59,990 | $62,190 | $63,690 |