Ford has the best-selling trucks not only in the United States but also in a large number of European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and others. Of course, we’re talking about the Ford Ranger, which has now entered a new era in its history with the first delivery of the new Ranger Raptor on the Old continent. The automaker introduced the performance truck in Europe for the first time in August 2018 and now is the time for the second-generation model to take its place.
Production of the new Ranger Raptor, Ford said, is well under way and the first customers are starting to receive their vehicles. The launch of the hardcore truck marks the start of deliveries of the next-generation Ranger, which is not yet available in the United States. However, Ford has confirmed that both the regular Ranger and Ranger Raptor will be sold in North America with production of the standard truck planned to begin at the Michigan plant in May 2023.
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For now, the new Ranger Raptor is only available for order in Europe with the new twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter EcoBoost engine. Closely related to the factory V6 found under the hood of the Explorer ST, this unit produces a peak output of 288 horsepower (215 kilowatts) and 362 pound-feet (491 Newton-meters) of torque, sent to all four wheels via a ten-speed automatic gearbox. A 2.0-liter twin-turbo diesel engine will join in early 2023 with first customer deliveries expected in the summer of next year.
As far as the North American launch of the new Ranger Raptor is concerned, the performance truck could arrive in the US as a 2023 or 2024 model. It is also unknown whether the engine will undergo significant changes compared to the European and international versions.
However, one thing we do know for sure is that the US model will not be sold with a diesel engine. It will be interesting to see what the Range Raptor’s 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 output looks like for America considering the international model available outside of Europe produces 392 hp (292 kW) and 583 Nm (430 lb-ft) of torque.
Ford promised to release more details regarding the truck’s North American launch early next year.
