2019 Ford Ranger Raptor Caught Lurking on US Roads
The Ford Ranger Raptor for global markets recently made its debut, but curiously, the truck has now been photographed driving on US roads.
While Ford has yet to confirm the Ranger Raptor will arrive in North America, it seems inevitable that it will be, and this sighting of the truck in Michigan only lends further credence to that belief. The prototype spotted here was likely shipped over from Australia or another foreign market, seeing as it’s right-hand drive. The photographer also tells us the vehicle emitted a distinct diesel-like rattle from the engine bay.
Another interesting part of this test vehicle is the graphics package. The global-spec Ranger Raptor for Australia, Thailand and other regions was not shown with the splash graphics pack applied to this vehicle’s bed and rear cab section. It’s possible that the graphics pack will be offered and the global-spec Ranger but simply hasn’t been shown yet, or perhaps it will be exclusive to North American versions of the pickup.
SEE ALSO: 2019 Ford Ranger Raptor Arrives With 210 HP Diesel, Off-Road Ready Suspension
The global Ranger Raptor is offered with a 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged diesel engine making 210 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque. The Ranger FX4 for North America, however, will receive Ford’s 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine. We’re expecting the gas four-cylinder to take the place of the diesel in the Ranger Raptor in North America, and because it will have more power on tap than the oil-burner, American truck enthusiasts should be just fine with that. Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission should also be on the cards.
The North American Ford Ranger Raptor could debut sometime later this year before going on sale as a 2019 model year vehicle.
Discuss this story on our Ford Ranger Forum.
Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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they should call it what it is: F100 pickup
Might of meant something if it wasn't a right hand drive. Whoever would of thought Henry Ford would be building cars & trucks for other countries and not providing that same product to the USA.