Will it or won’t it be available in the United
States? That’s the question people have been asking about the Ford Ranger Raptor
ever since it was launched. Yes, it will be sold in
the U.S.
Ranger5G recently uncovered design patents that
depict a Ranger Raptor with unique features necessitated by the U.S. market. A
host of bespoke features differentiate the Ranger Raptor depicted from the one
on sale in other markets. For example, the pickup appears to sport a sliding
window in the rear windshield, a feature distinct to U.S.-spec Rangers.
Additionally, there’s a sports bar directly behind the cabin that Raptors sold
overseas aren’t available with.
Interestingly, the patents surfaced on a patent
registry in Australia, the country set to serve as a big market for the pickup
and the place where much of it was developed. However, it’s not just these
patents that point towards a U.S. launch for the Ranger Raptor. A number of
examples have been spotted near Ford’s Detroit headquarters in recent months,
suggesting that the automaker is fine-tuning them for American roads.
Due to the U.S.’s love for petrol engines, the
2.0-liter biturbo four-cylinder diesel found in Australia and other markets
probably won’t be fitted in the U.S. model. Instead, Ford will allegedly opt
for a larger and much more powerful 2.7-liter EcoBoost six-cylinder pumping out
325 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque.
Sales of the 2019 Ranger start this fall, and it’s
likely the Raptor will arrive next year, probably as a 2020 model.
