Ford Performance Is Giving the Ranger Some Raptor Bite
News of the V8 Ranger Raptor’s apparent demise, while sad, doesn’t affect US customers that much. After all, Ford doesn’t offer the more hard-core variant of the Ranger here. At least, not yet. But, if you want to boost your Ranger’s off-road abilities, there’s now an alternative to going to a tuning company. That’s because Ford Performance is now offering kits to give the truck a bit of the Raptor’s bite.
Ford Performance’s Ranger kits
Ford Performance’s Ranger off-road kits come in 3 different levels.
The Level 1 Package comes with 17” wheels, a few exterior graphics, and an off-road leveling kit. But the headline features are the suspension mods. The Level 1 kit gives the Ford Ranger Fox 2.0 Performance Series internal-bypass monotube shocks, The Drive reports. It’s unclear if they’re the same kind that the Raptor is equipped with. However, Motor Trend reports they have been tuned specifically for the US-market truck.
The Level 1 contents are included with the Level 2 Package. Also included are BFGoodrich KO2 off-road tires, blue tow hooks, a steel license frame, and Rigid’s off-road fog light kit. Plus, the Level 2 Package comes bundled with Ford Performance’s Ranger tuning kit.
Previously, it was believed the $825 kit could add 50 hp to the truck’s 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. However, Car and Driver reports the kit officially boosts output from 270 hp and 310 lb-ft to 315 hp and 370 lb-ft.
Finally, there’s the Level 3 Package. In addition to the Level 1 and Level 2 mods, it gives the truck a Rigid 40” LED lightbar, ARB’s winch-ready bumper, as well as a Ford Performance sports exhaust and chase rack. Also, the tow hooks are red instead of blue.
Pricing and availability
All 3 packages can be fitted to any 2019 or newer four-wheel-drive Ford Ranger. The Level 1 and Level 2 kits will be available to order in August 2020. The Level 3 Package, though, won’t be available until summer 2021.
The kits’ pricing also scales with content. Before installation, Level 1 costs $2495, Level 2 costs $4495, and Level 3 costs $8995. But, while they’re not necessarily cheap, they all come with a Ford factory warranty, Roadshow points out.
Ford Performance kits vs. Ranger Raptor and other modified Rangers
Although it doesn’t ride on exactly the same shocks, a US-market Ford Ranger with the Level 2 Package would likely out-perform the Raptor version. True, the latter does have a few extra features, such as an expanded driving mode selection and additional skid plates.
However, the Ranger Raptor’s 2.0-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder only makes 210 hp, Autoblog reports. Plus, a few of the Raptor’s features come in the US-market $1295 FX4 package. So, for about $6000, you can get a truck that looks like a stock Ford Ranger but is significantly more capable off-road.
In comparison, although PaxPower’s Ranger Raptor kit has more suspension travel, and OEM Raptor exterior mods, it costs $29,950. Admittedly, the Texas-based tuner does boost the engine’s output to 350 hp. But at roughly 6 times the cost of Ford Performance’s Level 2 Package, it’s tough to see the value.
At $9800, the Ford Ranger RTR is more expensive than even the Level 3 Package. And while it does add 17” tires, Nitto Ridge Grappler tires, and Fox coil-overs, it doesn’t add additional power.
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