Buy the Ford Ranger and get Raptor like performance instead.
When Ford first unveiled the first generation Raptor in December 2018, their rivals were not convinced that there would be enough Malaysians willing to pay the high asking price of RM199k.
Interestingly, the first Raptor was sold out fast and continued to be very popular and this prompted the immediate rivals to bring to market upgraded version like the Nissan Navara Pro-4X, the Mitsubishi Triton Phantom PLUS and the Isuzu D-Max Stealth but none of them were as ‘special’ and powerful as the first Ranger Raptor with its diesel powered engine.
Fast forward to 2022 and a grand new Raptor arrives. With developed markets ‘moving away’ from diesel powered engines, Ford is the first truck manufacturer in Asia to release a petrol powered pickup truck.
This is the all new Raptor and it is powered by a V6 PETROL 2,956cc engine. Yes, no mistake here, it is no longer using a diesel engine. Hmmmmm ….. maybe the next Raptor will be all electric?
With 392bhp and 583Nm of torque, this new Raptor is turning heads and causing a sales storm in every Ford showroom nationwide.
But, here lies a small issue. Not every Malaysian pickup truck buyer wants a V6 petrol (fuel costs and road tax values) and the RM259,888 price tag is RM60k premium over the previous Raptor.
Yes, you get the aggressive looks, the FOX suspension, the ‘Baja’ terrain drive mode, bucket seats, a high-resolution 12.4-inch TFT cluster display and 12-inch centre touchscreen loaded with Ford’s SYNC 4A infotainment system, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and a Bang & Olufsen sound system with eight speakers.
But the RM259k price tag still remains a stumbling block for some who desire this new aggressive truck.
Well, there is a solution, not near perfect, but good enough if you ask us. Here we see in these pictures a brand new Ford Ranger WildTrak which has a smooth running diesel bi-trubo engine that delivers 210PS and 500Nm of torque (not far from the Raptor’s 583Nm) working with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
Price at RM168k you can drive it from the Ford showroom to a professional 4×4 tuning workshop and get a lot of upgrades done to your Ranger to nearly match the off road performance of the new Raptor.
Not a perfect solution, but you will have a powerful efficient diesel engine, low yearly road tax, easy parking (the Raptor is wide, very wide) and the Ford Ranger high technology cabin connectivity.
