Ford has shared images of the first batch of its Ranger Raptor trial units, which have rolled off the assembly line at its Silverton plant in Pretoria.

The Ranger Raptor will form part of the Ford Performance family and is set to officially launch in South Africa in the first half of 2019.

Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine making 157kW of power and 500Nm of torque.

Measuring 1.87 metres tall (up 52mm from regular Rangers), 2.18 metres wide (331mm wider) and 5.39 metres long (30mm longer), the Raptor raises its ground clearance to 283mm – 46mm higher than regular versions.

International colours announced include lightning blue, race red, shadow black, frozen white, and hero colour, conquer grey.

“This is a momentous occasion for everyone at Ford, as we witnessed our first Ranger Raptor TT unit coming off the line after more than 18 months of extensive upgrades and modifications to the Silverton assembly plant,” said Ockert Berry, VP Operations, Ford Middle East and Africa.

“We continue to invest in our local operations to meet growing demand for the Ranger, and are currently introducing new equipment on the assembly line to improve the handling of the chassis turn-over, adding incremental buffers in the Trim, Chassis and Final line as well as new shipping conveyors in the Fitment Centre,” Berry said.

“This is an additional R160-million investment in readiness for our expanded production capacity, commencing early next year.”

“The Ranger Raptor is an exciting and very important model for us, as it pioneers an entirely new dimension for the pick-up or bakkie market and represents the first Ford Performance model to be produced in South Africa, destined for export to customers throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa,” Berry said.

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