You’ve probably heard of the Ford Raptor, which is the souped up trim model of Ford’s pick up truck line. It’s one of the most supremely outfitted models they offer. And they’re adding it to their new Bronco line.
Overview
This one is for the off-roading aficionados out there that want to hit the trails as well as the streets in style. People are going to dish out their wallets for this one are going to get a vehicle that has changed from the outside in, versus just a Bronco style car with a Raptor badge. MSRP will start at just shy of $70,000 so it will lend itself to that cool rarity factor. Let’s take a look at what’s different.
Body and Style
The overall height of the Ford Bronco Raptor is taller than its other Bronco counterparts, but overall, the body style is very much short and squat (wide). We are looking at a width nearly 1 foot wider than a Jeep Rubicon. It’s great for extra stability when off-roading, but not on tight trails.
The face gets a new, two-piece FORD grille that boasts nearly 2x better air flow for better engine cooling. Because of the bigger width, the front grille has more amber lights studded along the front (I like that look). In fact, the rest of the lights on the front are now an amber color instead of a bright white, including the running lights and side mirror lights.
Running boards are standard on each model, made detachable for people that want more clearance on the trails. And the fender flares are quite eye-catching too.
In the back, Ford was legally required to change some of the lights, including the tail lights so they can appear behind the spare tire mount, as well as the brake light.
As one reviewer said, “The new rig looks positively intimidating, and it definitely shares an aggressive familial aura with its F-150 Raptor big brother. To be clear, a great deal of the standard design’s retro charm has been sacrificed in favor of a look that puts the “Bro” in “Bronco.”
Engine and Power
Underneath the hood is a version of the twin-turbo, 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 that’s used in other Ford models. The ballpark is 400 horsepower, but no other statistics yet on torque or fuel economy. There’s also the Ford EcoBoost, making it a decently quiet ride.
Suspension and Steering
Raptor models usually have burlier suspensions than basic models and this is true for this one. With new arms, shocks and other Raptor parts, we have 13 inches of suspension travel in the front and 14 in the back. This is over a 50% increase from the base Bronco model.
We also see the special Fox bypass shocks that are outfitted on nearly any model of any vehicle that boasts superior suspension.
With the extra large tires, we get an extra reinforced steering system as well.
Interior
The Raptor interior doesn’t disappoint. Like Toyota does with its premium TRD models with a red and black stitched interior, the Ford Bronco Raptor sees a pairing of slick black with code orange and carbon fiber details.
The new performance seats are grippier and the dashboard as a fully digital gauge cluster. There will also be the 12-inch touchscreen running Sync 4 infotainment. This includes the 360-degree camera system which will be helpful considering the vehicle width.
Arrives at dealerships in March 2022.
