Ford announced at the NAIAS in January that the Ranger pickup would return to the U.S. market, and Wednesday, the anticipated Raptor performance model followed. The Ranger Raptor will be powered by a twin-turbo 2.0 liter four-banger that sips diesel, delivering 210-horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque into a 10-speed, paddle-shifted automatic transmission, the same as the one already in use on the F-150 Raptor.

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With a focus on off-road capabilities, the Ranger Raptor will ride higher than its base counterpart, at 11.1-inches with a widened 67.3-inch track, and Fox Racing shock absorbers fit as standard. The solid rear axle will use a combination of coilovers and a Watt's linkage, allowing for vertical movement without lateral play, for improved ride and handling. The rear bumper has a tow bar, with recovery hooks rated at 3.8 tons, and a towing capacity of over 2.7 tons. Hooks are found up front, too, with a 4.5-ton rating. Underbody protection is courtesy of a 2.3-millimeter thick bash plate, armoring the radiator, sump, front differential, power steering pump, and other components.

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Four-wheel vented disc brakes, 13.1-inches in diameter each, roaring inside 17-inch Raptor-exclusive wheels, clad in BF Goodrich 285/70 R17 tires. The Ranger Raptor can be told to operate in any of six driving modes. Only two are tarmac-oriented—Normal and Sport—and the remaining four are for off-roading. Snow, mud, sand, gravel, rocks, and grass all have driving settings. Even a "Baja" mode with reduced traction control nannying and aggressive transmission mapping is included.

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