Ford Ranger Raptor diesel: Why Aussies can’t touch this ute
This Ford Ranger Raptor is only available in Europe. That’s right, a ute we can’t drive because of the Australian government.
No wonder they call it the Lunar Desert. This barren, rock-strewn and brutally beautiful landscape in Morocco is so far removed from my everyday reality it might as well be the moon.
And our Ford Ranger might as well be a lunar rover. Because the car we’re driving is not available in Australia.
At least for now.
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Built for Europe, where strict emissions laws make it hard to sell utes – or anything, really – with twin-turbocharged petrol V6 engines, this Raptor is a lot less potent than the one in Aussie showrooms today.
Increasingly strict emissions rules mean it might be the Raptor we drive tomorrow.
The Australian Ranger Raptor’s boosted V6 kicks out 292kW and 583Nm, strong figures that lend V8-rivalling performance and a snarling soundtrack.
The motor transformed the Ranger from a tough-looking ute into a high-riding muscle car and one of the most sought-after pick-ups in Australia.
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It also made the Raptor one of the thirstiest cars in its class.
As someone who has spent $500 on fuel in a weekend while ripping around in a Raptor, I can attest it will use double its claimed 11.5L/100km fuel figure when driving as Ford’s Performance division intended.
That results in about 400 kilometres of range – less if you encounter slippery territory such as sand dunes.
Premium unleaded is hard to find in fortified Kasbahs of the Agafay Desert, so I’m glad we have the Raptor’s diesel cousin.
Powered by a 2.0-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine that makes 154kW and 500Nm, our Euro Raptor can’t match the pace of Australia’s petrol model.
But it has it covered for endurance.
Like the camels throughout North Africa, this Ford goes further with its resources. The more efficient diesel engine offers far more range than its petrol cousin, allowing more time and distance to venture beyond Marrakech.
The exuberant V6 has a tendency to dominate proceedings. Without it, you have a better opportunity to appreciate other elements of the car.
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In the same way that removing a particularly boisterous personality from a dinner party allows other voices to be heard, a Raptor without the snarling V6 allows you to admire other elements Ford got right. Let’s start with the interior.
Well-bolstered seats offer more lateral support than any other car in this class, and they’re comfortable during long days in the saddle. The steering wheel and its paddle shifters are well placed, and the cabin’s dark trim with red highlights set an appropriately sporty tone.
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Choosing the rowdy “Baja” off-road driving mode in a petrol Raptor results in an even throatier growl from its twin exhausts that can mask the other changes to its engine, gearbox, stability control and suspension.
It’s easier to focus on the myriad changes in the diesel, picking up on differences throughout the driving experience. Fox Racing shock absorbers remain deeply impressive, soaking up bumps that might have you wincing in conventionally equipped alternatives.
The Ranger has peerless composure at speed over broken ground, maintaining its balance in conditions that upset the competition. This desert is a wonderful playground for the Raptor. It has steep climbs that test its traction and tricky gullies best approached at jogging pace.
There are tight hairpins and sweeping gravel bends. There is sand, there is gravel, there are sharp stones and bare rocks. The faster sections encourage you to make the most of its ground clearance and sophisticated suspension to maintain momentum – after all, this diesel version has nearly half the power of its Aussie cousin.
And the steepest climbs remind you that there’s nothing like a surplus of grunt when you want to defy gravity in a two-tonne pick-up.
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The diesel engine won’t spin its BF Goodrich tyres quite so willingly as its 3.0-litre cousin, which is ultimately more thrilling on gravel roads in a remote desert.
You’d pick the petrol version every time for a 15 minute thrill ride in the Lunar Desert. But you have to get there first.
And only the diesel has the range to take you to the moon and back.
FORD RANGER RAPTOR 2.0
PRICE: Not for Australia
ENGINE: 2.0L 4-cyl diesel, 154kW and 500Nm
SAFETY: 9 airbags, auto emergency braking, active cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert
THIRST: 8.7L/100km
SPARE: Full size
TOWING: 2500kg
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