The Raptors are taking over. Ford showrooms, that is.
A decade after the high performance F-150 Raptor off-road pickup literally jumped onto the scene and became a runaway hit, its DNA is spreading to the rest of the Ford truck lineup. There’s a smaller Ford Ranger Raptor coming next year, but, this summer, the Bronco Raptor is on the prowl.
The Bronco is already available in several trims designed for extreme off-road antics, like the Wildtrack and Badlands, but the Raptor turns things past 11 to 37. That’s how many inches tall its all-terrain tires are.
They’re the largest that come stock on any SUV and are paired with a long-travel suspension system inspired by the one on the Bronco that competes in the grueling Ultra4 desert racing series. It provides a limber 13 inches and 14 inches of wheel travel at the front and the rear.
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It also makes the midsize Bronco Raptor nearly as wide as the F-150 Raptor, necessitating a set of fender flares that would put the bell bottom jeans people were wearing when the original Bronco was still on sale to shame.
The secret sauce is a set of Fox brand Live Valve computer-controlled shock absorbers that can provide progressive damping on demand to better control the body and ride quality while maintaining the full breadth of its capability.
That includes leaping several feet in the air and sticking the landing without delivering any pain to the passengers or wildly bouncing off into the weeds. A beefed-up chassis that includes frame reinforcements and a carbon fiber crossmember added to the roll cage help here.
Getting into the air is easy enough, despite the truck’s weight of nearly three tons, thanks to a 418-horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter V6. It’s a version of the engine used in the Lincoln Aviator that’s been modified with larger turbos, an improved intake system and additional cooling.
Despite the hot rod job, it’s as smooth of an operator as its luxury vehicle origins would suggest and sends its power to the wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission. DIY drivers will have to settle for one of the Broncos with the base four-cylinder turbo.
The four-door Bronco Raptor isn’t all about speed, however, it’s a G.O.A.T. That’s "Goes Over All Terrain" and Ford’s slogan for the beast, which is just as good at crawling on rocks as it is flying over them.
It comes standard with a full-time four-wheel-drive system with front and rear locking differentials, a two-speed transfer case and a traction management system with a selection of G.O.A.T modes that adjust the drivetrain automatically by turning a knob on the center console, while allowing for customization of the setup.
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There’s a one-pedal driving feature that engages the brake as you let off the accelerator, which makes the footwork simpler in tricky situations, and a Trail Turn Assist that locks the inside rear wheel during the tightest turns on loose surfaces to allow the truck to practically pivot around it. It’s also semi-submersible, with its important parts positioned to allow it to travel through water as deep as the top of its tires.
The included marine grade vinyl upholstery will shrug off any splashes, but can be upgraded to a mix of suede and leather. The Bronco Raptor gets a new full-digital instrument cluster, wrapped dashboard top and a 360-degree camera system that’s helpful for negotiating tight spaces. Its straight-ahead view stays on at high speeds when the Baja G.O.A.T. mode is selected, which is meant for blasts through wide-open off-road areas, not the street.
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The Bronco Raptor is happiest when you’re doing that. It’s practically impossible to bottom it out and handles like its on rails even when it’s on whoops. It's also a great rock climber and has an electronically detachable front sway bar that gives it a little more articulation when you need it. Improved approach and departure angles, plus 13.1 inches of ground clearance, help push the limits beyond the lesser Bronco models.
A full array of underbody armor and steel rock rails with removable steps are there to protect things if you still go too far. The front independent suspension may come up short at the 99th degree compared to a Jeep Wrangler's solid axle, but the compromise is worth it for the rest of the attributes it contributes to deliver an excellent all-around SUV.
That’s especially true on pavement. I’ve found the other Broncos to be a little soft and jittery at times, but the Raptor’s suspension tidies things up and makes it a great highway cruiser. The big knobby tires aren’t even that loud, but the square removable hardtop roof does rustle up the expected amount of wind noise, even with the optional sound deadening headliner.
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Automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist and a blind spot monitor are all standard. Adaptive cruise control is part of a Lux package that bundles it with a 10-speaker audio system, heated steering wheel, wireless charging pad and a few other niceties. The Bronco Raptor will even tow 4,500 pounds, which is 1,000 more than the next-best model.
Unfortunately, the Bronco Raptor is arriving at an inopportune moment with gas prices where they are, because it only gets 15 mpg combined. That’s not been a problem for Ford. Even with a starting price of $70,095, or twice that of a base Bronco, and deliveries not scheduled to begin for a few weeks, the majority of the 2022 model year supply is already spoken for through reservations, but you might still be able to find one through a dealer allocation.
And while it may not make the best daily driver at around $100 per tank, you could spend that much on an amusement park ticket and not have as much fun as driving the Bronco Raptor in its natural habitat.
Type: 5-passegner, 4-door, four-wheel-drive SUV
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