After much fanfare, Ford has confirmed a Bronco Raptor is on the way. While the regular Ford Bronco has had a bit of a slow rollout to early buyers, when will the Bronco Raptor hit the market? With a 2022 date offered by the automaker, the Raptor still might not hit garages for some time.

Get ready, the Ford Bronco Raptor isn’t just a rumor anymore

Last week, someone with access to Ford’s internal ordering system noticed that a Ford Bronco Raptor appeared in the system. The system showed two different trim levels labeled as Raptor 373A and 374A. It seems possible the 374A package would be a higher-end trim. A final third trim, 922A, appears to be four-door and called the Everglades.

After that, a series of new paint colors appeared. Eruption Green, Hot Pepper Red, Desert Sand, and Code Orange are new options for the Raptor, which Ford confirmed in the short clip released. The Desert Sand color is only for the Everglades trim.

In addition, there appear to be some new upgrades available for the 2022 Raptor. Adaptive cruise control, a heated steering wheel, and wireless charging are introduced. No confirmation about the engine details yet, though. One thing is clear: Ford is coming for the Jeep fans. The Bronco Raptor is definitely going to take some of those uninspired Wrangler drivers and make them believers.

Bronco meet Raptor. Ready for takeoff in 2022.

Fans of the Ford Bronco knew the Raptor wasn’t going to be rolling off the production line anytime soon. The Bronco has had numerous delays already, and adding a highly-anticipated new version isn’t going to speed the process up at all. The description in Ford’s sneak peek video says, “Bronco meet Raptor. Ready for takeoff in 2022. Giddy Up!” In any case, that’s probably late 2022 or early 2023 before the Ford Bronco Raptor is out in the wild.

So what can be deduced from this quick clip? The grille gives us a good hint about the size of the 2022 Raptor. The three amber lights in the grille mean the Raptor is 80 inches or wider. The amber lights are a new standard set forth by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The lights are called Front Identification Lamps, and the regular Ford Bronco does not have these lamps.

According to Ford, the 2021 Bronco is 79.3 inches wide. That’s less than an inch under the requirement for the lights. Based on the same front shot of the grille, it looks like there’s some additional plastic cladding on the front fenders.

It’s still going to be a while before this SUV is in the wild

It makes sense Ford would only offer the Raptor in a four-door option given the hobbies of the SUV. Buyers would most likely use the Raptor in an off-roading capacity. Also, Ford has been having trouble getting the regular Broncos out in any capacity. Perhaps limiting it to four-door is a method to speed up the process.

A Raptor version of the Bronco has long been asked for by fans. While it might have been one of the worst-kept car secrets as of late, it is still exciting news. Also, it might reignite the excitement some reservation-holders initially had. Hurry up and wait some more.