Monster machine - Ford Ranger Raptor

What is it?

Simply put. it’s a pick-up and there’s nothing like a pick-up to get you channeling your inner redneck especially when it decked out in bonnet and roof stripes, 17-inch black alloys and 33-inch, AT3 all-terrain tyres.

There are also Fox Racing shock absorbers with position-sensitive damping and widened wheel arches to allow for the longer suspension travel. Track has also grown by 50mm, taking the total width up to more than two metres.

It’s a big ‘ol boy then. The Raptor is the blinged up version of the Ford Ranger pick-up – a sort of sporty ST version if you like. It’s an interesting concept for British buyers, much more used the workmanlike utility of a pick-up. It’s a bit of a monster – scary, but fun.

It’s sheer size and road presence puts its rivals in the shade and there’s more chattles to add. Consider the front aluminium skid plate, four off-road tow hooks, ventilated disc brakes and the load area has a roller shutter for added security.

Its terrain management system has six driving modes: Normal, Sport, Grass, Gravel, Snow, Mud and Sand mode. But there’s two more – Rock mode and Baja mode which Ford claims to deliver unbeatable off-road performance.

The Special Edition model we tested comes with those aforementioned racing stripes, black exterior features and a number of interior changes.

What do we think?

Let’s start off by admitting we didn’t test the unbeatable off-road performance claim, partly due to the lack of necessary terrain, but also because it would have meant an awful lot of cleaning. That said the Raptor dealt easily with the farm tracks and muddy fields.

There’s an awful lot of on and off-road gadgets to play with stating with the ability to toggle between two- and four-wheel drive while there’s a low-range setting for maximum grip on the rough stuff.

Steering wheel mounted paddles allow you to change ratios manually on the automatic 10-speed, and there’s a hill descent control system as well with fairly steep approach and departure angles while ground clearance is raised to 283mm.

So, the engine has been to the tuning shop right? Actually no. It’s the same 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesel as the top spec Ranger with 210bhp and 369lb ft of torque. It’s almost a disappointment not to find a big V8 under the bonnet, but to be honest you’d probably get into trouble of there was.

While Ford is keen to sell the Ranger Raptor as some kind of ultimate off-road machine, the engine choice is slightly odd, but then Europe is a very difference market to North America.

The size of the pick-up is highlighted by the narrowness of the Dorset roads and things get really interesting when you come face to face with a tractor. The driving position provides a commanding view ahead but you constantly need to have your wits about you when there’s little margin for error. You particularly notice the size in tight situations – such as parking!

Thankfully the steering is light enough to make turning easy although there’s very little feedback from the road which makes you somewhat circumspect when cornering. That said, it does feel comfortable enough to drive although passengers from a rear will experience to rock and roll generally associated with pick-ups.

With the wheel/tyre/suspension set up designed to cope with the roughest terrain, you can’t expect saloon car comfort but the ride is far from unpleasant.

While it’s not a V8 petrol, the 2-litre diesel feels surprisingly quick and will complete the 0-62moh sprint in around nine seconds and speed tops out at a claimed 112mph. The 10-speed transmission does help you lug all the weight around the road while those paddles behind the steering wheel allow manual control if the fancy takes you.

In the cabin – it’s a double cab by the way – there are plenty of durable plastics but they live alongside some nice leather. The limited-run Raptor Special Edition adds red contrast stitching and red accents to the sports seats, armrest, gear lever and handbrake.

Leather sports seats are very supportive, and the Raptor runs Ford’s SYNC3 infotainment system via an eight-inch colour touchscreen with sat nav built in. There’s a digital screen in the middle of the instrument console for readouts like fuel economy and trip mileage. You might want to find more luxury equipment given that prices for the Raptor start above £52,000 (inc VAT), but then it is a tough and practical machine.

However, you do get a rear view camera, heated mirrors, puddle lamps, LED headlights and daytime running lights, rain-sensing wipers, a heated windscreen and rear window, keyless entry and lane keeping assist

One particular downside is the Raptor’s payload of 620kg which means it falls short of the magical, one-tonne figure to class as a commercial vehicle – so you’ll still have to pay VAT. It can tow a trailer weighing up to 2,500kg as long as it’s braked; unbraked is much lower at 750kg. For context the standard Ranger can carry 1,177kg and tow 3.5 tonnes.

Official fuel economy is 36.2-36.7mpg although we struggled to get beyond the mid-20s on mainly B roads and the odd farm track.

Oh, and don’t wear you best clothes – those running boards do collect the mud.