The Ford Ranger Raptor Will Arrive In January With Just Four Cylinders

It looks like we have a reveal date for the Ford Ranger Raptor; the sensibly-sized pickup that distils some of the fearsome engineering and attitude from the massive F-150 Raptor.

Ford has positioned the upgraded Ranger as a middle ground between that and the larger trucks that would either be unsuitable or too unprofitable to import to certain markets, like Europe and Australia.

If motoring.com.au is right, the battle-hardened Raptor will be launched on 7 February in Bangkok, Thailand. That’s also when the full tech spec will be revealed, but it won’t get the six-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine in Europe, if it comes here, or Down Under, where it definitely is going.

The 2.0-litre diesel under the bonnet will be one of Ford’s latest and most highly tuned. It’s expected that the old five-pot diesel’s 197bhp and 347lb ft are the output benchmarks to beat.

As the flagship, the Raptor will feature a multi-link rear suspension setup derived from the Everest SUV. There are coil springs, a vastly wider track, more ground clearance and four disc brakes inside chunky 285/70 R17 BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres.

Its bodywork will be more muscular. The front bumper will be a more aggressive item and the grille will match. Staying at the front, LED headlights are reportedly a standard item.

It’s not cheap, though. In Australia the grapevine is saying that AUD$80,000 (£46,129, $61,743) is the start point before any options; around $20,000 more expensive than a regular Ranger.