The Ford Ranger Raptor might actually make it to the United States someday, but not anytime soon.
Ford is bringing the Ranger mid-size pickup back to the United States after a 7-year absence. Most are hailing its return as a bold move for Ford and the tacit admission that it was a mistake to remove the small pickup from the North American market.
However, Ford has very pointedly indicated that the best Ranger of all, the Ranger Raptor, will not be coming to the United States. Ford says that if you want a powerful pickup, the F-150 Raptor is your best bet.
And to be honest, the international Ranger Raptor might be ill-suited for the North American market. Powered by a 2.0-L EcoBlue twin-turbo diesel engine with just 210 horsepower, most would consider it too underpowered for the name “Raptor”. That and diesel remains an unpopular fuel choice, making it a pain in the rear to operate.
However, according to a new report from Road & Track, we might eventually see the Ranger Raptor in North America after all.
They base their assertion that a North American Ranger Raptor is coming on social media accounts for Ford engineers. Currently, the upcoming Ford Bronco is being developed by Modatek, which is the same team that is also working on the redesigned Ford Ranger. One engineer in particular also worked on the current-gen Ford Ranger Raptor, meaning that the development team of the next-gen Ranger has the brains to kick it up into Raptor territory, so to speak.
RELATED: WATCH A 2019 FORD RANGER TAKE ON F-150 IN DRAG RACE ACTION
It’s a thin relationship at best, but it’s more indication than we’ve ever had before that a Ranger Raptor might make it Stateside.
Road & Track expects the redesigned Ranger to arrive sometime in 2022, with a new Ranger Raptor shortly thereafter. Also, expect any North American Ranger Raptor to come with a gas-powered engine instead of a turbodiesel, but don’t rule out a hybrid powertrain either. After all, Ford is supposed to be electrifying its lineup over the next few years.