Ford Ranger Raptor confirmed



Australia's next muscle car will have a four-cylinder engine.

Drive can exclusively confirm the recently-announced Ford Ranger Raptor will be powered by a new-generation 2.0-litre twin turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine.

While Blue Oval executives are remaining tight lipped and refuse to comment on details of the desert-busting dual-cab, sources with knowledge of its development have admitted the high-performance ute will debut the high-tech powerplant ahead of its instalment in mainstream Ranger models in 2019.

It is understood the engine will at least match the peak outputs of the 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo diesel in the existing Ranger models, meaning it will produce around 150kW and 470Nm of torque and be more responsive at lower revs due to its twin-turbo set-up.

It will also be more fuel efficient and lighter and, thanks to being mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, will be quicker in all performance parameters.

2018 Ford Ranger Raptor prototype Photo: supplied

Early speculation indicated the Ranger Raptor would either be powered by an uprated version of the 3.2-litre five-cylinder or a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, but it is understood neither met the broad range of requirements - power, economy and response - as competently as the 2.0-litre twin-turbo unit.

Beyond what's under the bonnet, the Ranger Raptor will feature an advanced suspension set-up, including a toughened version of the coil-spring rear end from the Everest, as well as wider wheels, four-wheel disc brakes and extra under-body protection to ensure it can handle the toughest driving conditions.

While it is being developed by Ford Australia's engineering division, it is expected to be revealed in full at next year's Shanghai motor show - exactly a year after the larger F-150 Raptor went on-sale in China.

It is likely to go on-sale in Australia by mid year and will cost around $80,000 when it does.

The Ranger Raptor won't be the only high-performance dual-cab ute though, as Toyota is expected to creating a genuine TRD rival while Holden Special Vehicles is understood to be readying a beefed-up Colorado in place of its locally-built range of hot Commodores.

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