The already-bestselling Ford Bronco is an extreme off-roader, so turning everything up to eleven means the Raptor version packs a serious punch. Just looking at the Bronco shows durable and strong construction, desert-racing technology, and massive tires. Under the hood, the Raptor packs a potent engine with 30% more power than the standard Bronco. The Bronco itself has been selling over sticker and on waitlists since it was introduced, and the Raptor is already seeing a similar reception.
Inspired by Ultra4 desert racing, Ford says it’s capable both of “highway-speed desert-dune conquering and Baja rock-crawling.” It’s the first vehicle on the market to claim inspiration from the series, although it doesn’t sacrifice its iconic design, even with the immense off-road capabilities.
9 It Has 400 Horsepower… Probably
Ford’s put a 3.0-liter twin-turbo iron-block Ecoboost V6 under the hood. That’s a proven engine in other Ford products, but it features specific tuning in this vehicle. The result of that tuning? They won’t tell us. All Ford says is the engine has a target of 400 horsepower.
That’s not a bad number for a vehicle of this size. However, its closest competitor, the Jeep Wrangler 392, makes 470 horsepower, and that’s from a V8. While Ford’s Ecoboost is a strong engine, and that’s a strong power figure projection, it’s far from class-leading.
8 There’s No Manual Transmission Available
Our V8 dreams might be crushed, but at least the Bronco offers a manual transmission for the experience. Not the Bronco Raptor, though. The engine can only be paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, and there’s no manual option. There will be paddle shifters, however.
It’s a strong transmission, though. Like everything else on the Raptor, the SelectShift transmission is tuned to meet desert racing specifications, improving performance without sacrificing durability.
7 It Rides On The Biggest Tires In America
The biggest standout on the new Bronco is, literally, the new tires. Ford got custom tires designed for this vehicle by BF Goodrich from their KO2 all-terrain tires, and a 37-inch set come as standard. In fact, Ford says they’re the largest tires on any production SUV in the country.
That comes with a host of other improvements around the tires, adding up to 60% more front wheel travel and 40% more in the rear with specially-designed control arms. The power steering system for the vehicle isn’t unique, as it's shared with the F-150 Raptor.
6 It’s 10 Inches Wider Than A Standard Bronco
Overall, the Bronco Raptor is 9.8 inches wider than the already-wide standard Bronco. While the body is slightly wider with aggressive sculpting, that width comes from aggressively-flared fenders.
These fender flares, along with quarter panels in both the front and rear, door pieces, and the entire fenders themselves, are unique to the Bronco Raptor compared to the standard vehicle.
5 The Suspension Is Racing-Derived
Ford collaborated with venerated off-road suspension manufacturer Fox for the suspension on the Bronco Raptor. The High Performance Adaptive Suspension is described as “race-ready” by Ford. Fox fitted adaptive dampers uniquely tuned to the front and rear.
Most interestingly are the sensors. Suspension height sensors, as well as other unspecified sensors, are present at each corner of the vehicle to monitor conditions and adjust the active suspension accordingly, independent to each corner hundreds of times a second.
4 It’s Built For Durability
Everything on the Bronco Raptor is built to perform without sacrificing durability, with racing trucks being the target. So the suspension is also made to be stronger, alongside a heavy-duty clutch that’s the reason for the loss of the manual. The iron-block engine saves weight while adding strength and durability to the chassis.
In terms of strength and rigidity, reinforcements throughout provide 50% more structural rigidity than the base Bronco. The vehicle is built on a solid steel frame, and durable skid plates protect almost the entire underside of the Raptor.
3 It’ll Tow And Haul
An all-new feature exclusive to the Bronco Raptor is Tow/Haul mode, one of seven selectable GOAT, or Goes Over Any Terrain, modes on a knob near the gear lever. That gives the Bronco a tow rating of, 4500 pounds, which is a thousand pounds more than the standard Bronco.
Also new to the suite of GOAT modes for the Raptor is Trail Control, Trail Turn Assist and Trail One-Pedal Driving, all to improve off-road capability.
2 It Still Features Standard Bronco Luxuries
The Bronco Raptor will keep the luxuries of a standard Bronco in addition to its capabilities. The High Package is available as standard, and that grants buyers the 12-inch SYNC4 touchscreen, a screen which has earned Ford praise within the industry.
For on and off the roads, a 360-degree camera provides views all around the vehicle. On-road luxuries include a 10-speaker audio system from B&O and adaptive cruise control to tame the beast for an enjoyable cruise on the road.
1 It’ll Start Under $70,000
The standard Bronco is great value for its equipment, starting at under $30,000. The Raptor won’t be so easy on the wallet, with a base MSRP of $69,995. And the company hasn’t announced option and package prices to drive that up. Still, that’s several thousand less than Jeep’s Wrangler 392 for competitive capability.
Moreover, the standard Bronco hasn’t been selling at its base price, with markups inflating that figure. Orders on the new Raptor can begin in March, although Ford already anticipates a limited supply and has promised that allocations will go to existing reservation-holders of the standard Bronco first. So expect supply to be limited and prices to be even higher.