Ford Ranger Raptor: 2019 4x4 of the Year contender

FORD Australia, with help from Ford Performance, launched its hotly anticipated Ranger Raptor to market late in 2018.

The performance model ditched the brand’s higher capacity engines and instead opted for a 2.0-litre bi-turbo-diesel engine capable of generating 157kW and 500Nm, which is mated to a swift-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission.

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Where the Raptor changes the game, however, is with the tweaks to its chassis and suspension set-up: the front and rear tracks are 150mm wider, there’s 46mm more ground clearance, and there’s 30 per cent more suspension travel fore and aft.

The Ranger Raptor runs Fox bypass dampers, coil springs and Watt’s Link at the rear, and 285/70 R17 BF Goodrich All Terrains, which means it’ll float over outback undulations.

The Raptor has a dual-range part-time 4x4 system, a towing capacity of only 2500kg and a payload limit of 758kg.

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At $74,990 it’s the most expensive rig at 4X4OTY, but is it worth the extra coin?