All-New Ford Ranger Raptor - Six things that caught our attention

The soon arrival of all-new Ford Ranger Raptor is all over the Philippines auto arena. Though there's no official statement from the company, however, a few instances suggests its early launch. First, the spotting of the new Ranger Raptor parked alongside the Mitsubishi L300, and secondly, the three 2018 Raptor seen in ready-to transport form on a commuter. If reports are to be believed, the new Ford Ranger Raptor might make an official entry in the market tomorrow, i.e. on 21st August 2018. Exciting, isn't it?

Though information about the PH-spec Ranger Raptor is near to nil, however, taking clues from the model launched globally, few observations can always be made. As we believe the Raptor that would be launched in the Philippines won’t be much different from the global model. Not, wasting another precious second of your time, here are six elements in 2018 Raptor that caught our attention -

1. The functional and comfortable bucket seats

Bucket seats and pickups, huh, a rear combination for sure. But if we really think about it, it’s really smart. Now pickups these days don’t just limit their usability to commercial purposes but are also used for personal and adventure motives. The Ford Ranger Raptor hails from the same dynasty of pickups and is all ready to take you to the desired destination, be it the market or a mountain. Playing a big and useful role here are the striking bucket seats that by the look of it seems comfortable. Doing their job right, they will keep the driver and front passenger in place during an off-road course. Also, making sure, the comfort quotient is not missed for a second.

2. A surprisingly small engine

Quite a shocker here is the new Raptor small motor, especially when compared to what’s on offer in the ongoing standard Ranger. Figuratively speaking, the Ranger currently serving the market runs on a 3.2-litre mill, while the one that’s about to come features a 2.0-litre motor. Strange, right? Now, though this information is based on the Australian Raptor, we are pretty sure, Ford will not change the tech specifications. So, what’s the real deal? Well, though in terms of displacement the Raptor falls short the standard variant, however, it comes with its set of supporting gears. Yes, the 2018 Raptor mill comes equipped with two turbochargers. And the total output delivered by this mill is 214 PS and 500 Nm, i.e 14 PS and 30 Nm more than the standard option.

3. Step board with multiple holes

Why on earth would a manufacturer put so many holes on a step board? Were they trying to save metal or is it some kind of weight saving heck? Well, looks like the Ford designers were keeping the smallest of details in mind while building the new Raptor. As per the explanation giving by the Ford design team, these holes on the step board will help passengers get rid of the mud and debris on their shoes before they enter the vehicle. Smart thought for a vehicle that is turned to showcase some amazing off-road tendencies.

4. The red mark on the steering wheel

When we saw the all-new Ford Raptor trailer for the first time and the multiple pictures after that one thing that caught our attention was the broad red mark on the steering. Initially, like many, we thought it’s just to bring the exterior sporty appeal to the inside, however, it looks like there is a hidden functionality. This red mark at the exact 12 ‘o'clock position indicates the tire location. Thus, helping the driver know which way is straight when the tiers are moving rapidly back and forth.

5. Only one way to change gears

If we look back at the previous Ranger models, they all allowed the automatic transmission movement in two way - one by toggling the paddles and another using the shifter. However, with the new Ranger Raptor that’s not the case, as this time the driver only gets the paddles that too with a revised and bigger magnesium design. In total, there are ten gears to row around and the driver is likely to use them a lot.

6. There’s now a Baja mode on-board

Yes, you read it right, the new Ford Ranger Raptor specs sheet includes a Baja mode. Like the Ford Everest and Ranger, the 2018 Raptor too is fitted with the Ford Terrain Management System and the Baja mode is one of the many options on offer. If you are confused why Baja, well Ford engineers have named it after the famous rally grounds in Mexico. Opting for this mode will turn down the Electronic Assistance Systems, thus giving the driver greater driving freedom. Also, while this mode is on, the pickup downshift is more aggressive and the gears are held down longer.

These are the six things that struck us the most about the upcoming Ranger Raptor, obviously after its amazing rugged styling. As for now, we are eagerly awaiting its arrival, stay turned to catch 2018 Raptor first glimpse in the country.