Here's The Possibly V6-Powered 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor

This week, Ford showed off the all-new F-150 Raptor. With its revised twin-turbo V6 and penchant for off-road badassery, it’s a compelling package, but not one we’ll be able to enjoy in Europe through official channels. Boo.

What we will be getting over here is a new generation Ranger Raptor. The vehicle you see here, we’re pretty sure, is it.

The camouflage is still pretty heavy at this point, but there’s no hiding the giant ‘Ford’ grille lettering, something reserved for the Raptor version of the soon to be outgoing Ranger. There’s an abundance of ground clearance, BF Goodrich A/T tyres, and what appears to be an absence of rear leaf springs, signalling the same use of coilovers all round as in the current Raptor.

Just like the F-150 Raptor, there’s an exhaust system with a pair of tailpipes pushed to the outer edges of the rear, albeit with much smaller diameter exits. Exactly what is breathing through that system will depend on your market.

Reportedly, the US-spec version of the Ranger Raptor will get a 2.7-litre ‘Nano’ Ecoboost turbo V6. This produces 325bhp and 399lb ft of torque, eclipsing the 210bhp and 369lb ft served up by the dull four-pot diesel in the current Raptor.

You’ll struggle to get many people to sign on the dotted line for a turbo V6 pick-up outside of the US, so it’s thought Australia will get the choice between the existing 2.0-litre and a 3.0-litre V6 diesel making 255bhp and 443lb ft. Don’t be surprised if we only get the inline-four in the UK, but we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed regardless.

The next-gen Ranger will also have a German cousin in the form of the new Amarok, which is being jointly developed as part of a ‘strategic alliance’ between Ford and VW to produce various commercial vehicles. A full reveal for each in 2022 is on the cards.