Ford Ranger Raptor 2018 review

The management has this almost-perfect Ranger-style weighting, but with an obvious Raptor liveliness to it.

This is a smooth cruiser on open roads, bitumen or loose dirt with this wider wheel lane adding to a solid, stable driving feel.

The famous coil springs and Fox Racing suspension system work very well, absorbing bumps and bumps on the backcountry tracks, as well as some hollows and ruts that we attacked at high speed in the dust and dirt of the gigantic Tipperary station south of Darwin.

There is no doubt that the Raptor is able to get out of the way quickly and do it with absolute confidence, for which it was designed and conceived. the bad news is that the 2.0-liter engine feels malnourished; it's not good for the Raptor, lacking enough grunt to push this ute along when really necessary – for example, starting from a departure and also, disturbing, when overtaking.

It also took an energetic footwork to get it moving again after hitting large pools of thick dust that undermines speed. Even though Ford officials bristled whenever someone spoke of the word "engine" at launch and cleverly avoided being asked about future Raptor engines, there would not be too much of bettors surprised when Ford would introduce a large block Raptor. in the not too distant future.

But that's a problem that needs to be fixed because, from the stop, there is a noticeable lag between start-up and power-up, and the 10-speed auto do not help things. it can sometimes seem unpleasant. Ford claims the Raptor can accelerate from 0 to 100 km / h in 10.5 seconds.

On the plus side, the steering has this near-perfect Ranger-style weighting, but with a clear Raptor liveliness to it.

were excellent, even on rough asphalt surfaces, despite the fact that the Raptor was fitted with BF Goodrich All-Terrain 285/70 R17 KO2 tires specially designed for off-road use.

Surprisingly quiet on the road, the tires, with sturdy sidewalls and good grip on all the surfaces on which we rolled, are unreal actors.