Why Are We Not Getting a Ranger Raptor?
Daily Slideshow: We have been teased with the possibility of a Ranger Raptor here in the US. Recently, however, Ford confirmed that it won't be offered here in the States, and they have their reasons.
Not Coming to the US
It was confirmed recently by Ford Performance vehicle director, Hermann Salenbauch that indeed we will NOT be seeing the Ranger Raptor sold here in the United States. Despite the apparent enthusiasm for the performance version of the small truck, Ford apparently doesn't see fit to bring it to the US market.
It would need to be brought up to US regulations
According to Salenbauch, offering the Ranger Raptor Stateside would have required various adjustments to the car in order for it to be in compliance with US regulations. The Ranger Raptor is based on the global Ranger, and the cost of applying those adjustments has been projected to outweigh the benefits.
>>Join the conversation about the Ranger Raptor right here in Ford-trucks.com.
The cost of conversion is not worth the profit
The Ranger Raptor is going to be offered globally with a twin-turbo 2.0-Liter diesel l4 engine, which is not offered in the US. Bringing that engine here or developing a new powertrain for the Ranger would be way too costly of an effort for Ford and probably not worth the potential profit.
>>Join the conversation about the Ranger Raptor right here in Ford-trucks.com.
It is designed for certain markets
But perhaps a more important reason why the Ranger Raptor is being reserved for markets outside the US is that, in fact, the car was designed to appeal to markets where the F-150 Raptor is not as popular. Given the massive success of the F-150 Raptor here in the States, a smaller, less powerful truck would likely not find much attention on dealer lots.
>>Join the conversation about the Ranger Raptor right here in Ford-trucks.com.
The F-150 Raptor is too close in pricing to pass up
In addition, the price difference between the smaller Ranger and the F-150 Raptor would be relatively marginal. If the Ranger Raptor is going to be priced competitively to the Chevy Colorado ZR2, it would have a starting MSRP of over $40K. And with the price of the F-150 Raptor hovering around $52,000, it's easy to see how the American customer would be willing to pay an extra $10,000 if they can go for the bigger, much more powerful truck.
>>Join the conversation about the Ranger Raptor right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Maybe one day?
At the end of the day, it all comes down to the numbers, and while we might like to see an iteration of the Ranger Raptor here in the US, the company needs to make sure to place its products where they are most successful. Still, I'm sure plenty of aftermarket companies are chomping at the bit to develop their own high-performance version of the Ranger. From one Ford truck lover to another, the decision to skip the US market doesn't break my heart. The F-150 Raptor is infinitely more baddass anyway! Let us know what you think.
>>Join the conversation about the Ranger Raptor right here in Ford-trucks.com.
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