Ford Raptor X and FX4 Get More Gear

Ford Australia is thrilled to announce the introduction of the head-turning Ranger Raptor X, as well as the return of the popular Ford Ranger FX4.

“One of the things that customers always tell us about the Ranger Raptor is how hard you can push it off road, and yet it’s still so comfortable and easy to drive on-road,” said Andrew Birkic, President and CEO of Ford Australia and New Zealand.

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“The styling changes made as part of the Ranger Raptor X will help it to keep turning heads as a stand out member of the Ford Performance family.

“And, thanks to customer feedback, we’re bringing back the Ranger FX4. This highly regarded member of the Ranger family gives Ranger buyers even more value and choice with a package offering all the capability of the XLT but with its own design elements and features.”

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ABOVE: 2021 Ford Ranger Raptor X

Ford Ranger Raptor Gets Even Better Looks

The award-winningⁱ Ford Ranger Raptor arrived in Australia in 2018, building on the success of the popular and versatile Ranger pick-up with an off-road performance variant. A key member of the Ford Performance family, Ranger Raptor’s bold appearance and extreme, off-road performance propelled it into a league of its own.

Raptor gets Mustangs Over The Top (OTT) stripes as standard (running across the bonnet, roof and tailgate) along with side body stripes too, while the grille, door handles, rear bumper cover, tailgate handle, fender vent and fog light bezel will be given a new matte black finish, while the existing wheels have been refreshed with an Ashphalt Black matte finish. It gets the extended leg sports bar that debuted on the FX4 Max late last year.

There is new accent package is introduced that reflects the exterior decal design, with red contrast stitching on the steering wheel and dash replacing the original blue stitching, while Hydrographic and Black Alley accents across the dashboard and door cards round out the interior enhancements.

To summarise, Ford Ranger Raptor X, includes:

OTT body stripes covering the bonnet, roof and tailgate featuring a ‘Carbon Twill Texture in Matte Black’ framed with a Searing Red Keyline Graphic and side body stripe decal covering side doors and rear quarter panel
New colour treatment ‘Asphalt Black Matt’ on existing alloy
Extended leg sports bar
Red front tow hooks
Black Ford logo on tailgate
Matt finish grille, front bumper, over fenders, door handles, tailgate handle, fender vent, mirror scalps, fog lamp bezel, rear bumper cover and wheel caps
Red contrast stitching on the steering wheel and dash replacing the original blue stitching
Hydrographic and Black Alley accents across the dashboard and door cards

Beyond its cosmetic upgrades, Ford Ranger Raptor X keeps the same 157kW/500Nm Bi-Turbo powertrain matched with a fast-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission with steering-mounted lightweight magnesium paddles.

In addition to its robust powertrain, Ranger Raptor offers a unique Terrain Management System (TMS) which includes Baja mode, in a nod to the Baja Desert Rally. In this mode, vehicle systems like Traction Control are loosened to allow spirited off-road driving with less intervention from the vehicle’s on-board systems. Gear selection is optimized for maximum performance, and the transmission mapping will hold gears longer and downshift more rapidly for even better response.

Breakes are twin-piston calipers and ventilated rotors measuring 332 x 32mm. The rear disc brakes boast a brake actuation master cylinder and booster to increase braking performance, with 332 x 24mm rear rotors and a 54mm caliper.

Suspension includes Position Sensitive Damping (PSD) shock absorbers exclusively manufactured by FOX. These are designed to provide higher damping forces at full jounce and rebound, and lower damping forces in the mid-travel zone for outstanding on-road comfort. The Watt’s linkage rear suspension has been specifically engineered to tackle tough terrain at high-speed while remaining in control and comfort, offering the best of both worlds.

To tackle unforgiving terrain, Ranger Raptor’s specially developed BF Goodrich All-Terrain 285/70 R17 KO2 tyres offer a tough sidewall to navigate all environments with confidence. The high grip levels extend adventure time on and off-road, with the rugged tread pattern boosting Ranger Raptor’s wet, mud, sand and snow handling ability.

The Ranger Raptor X is expected alongside the full Ford Ranger line-up in Ford dealerships across the country from July.

To summarise, the Ranger FX4 exterior treatments include:

Darkened Bi-LED High Performance headlights;
FX4 mesh front grille in Ebony Black finish;
18-inch FX4 alloy wheels;
3D effect FX4 front door decal in distinctive red;
3D effect FX4 tailgate decal;
Black-finished FX4 extended sports bar; and
Ebony Black exterior mirrors, door/tailgate handles and fender features.

On the inside, Ranger FX4 continues the sporty theme set by the exterior with leather-accented sports bucket seats boasting an embossed red FX4 logo in the seat back. This complements the Race Red contrast stitching on the steering wheels, gear selector, hand brake boot, door trim and FX4-branded front floor mats.

Specific interior treatments for the Ranger FX4 include:

FX4-designed front-row leather-accented seating with contrasting Race Red stitching and embossed FX4 logos;
Leather-appointed second-row seating with FX4 Race Red stitching detail;
Premium soft-touch instrument panel top;
Tinted Graphite accents on instrument panel and door trim; and
Race Red contrasting stitching on instrument panel, steering wheel, gear selector, centre console.

In addition to the FX4-specific appointments, the Ranger FX4 brings standard cabin features found across the Ranger line-up including SYNC 3 with voice-activated sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Autoⁱⁱ smartphone compatibility, a full-colour reversing camera and digital instrumentation.

Driver Assist Technology standard on Ranger FX4 includes Autonomous Emergency Braking, AEB with Pedestrian Detectionⁱⁱⁱ, Lane Keeping Aid (LKA) with Lane Departure Warning and Driver Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control, Traffic Sign Recognition and Automatic High-beam headlights.

The Ford Ranger line-up has been rated at five-stars by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

The Ranger FX4 is available with a choice of powertrains, including Ford’s 157kW/500Nm Bi-Turbo, 10-speed powertrain as well as the proven 147kW/470Nm 3.2L turbodiesel. The Bi-Turbo engine’s 10-speed automatic includes a lock-out feature to hold specific gears when towing, giving the Ranger FX4 a towing capacity of 3,500kg^iv and 993kg payload. The Bi-Turbo brings a fuel efficiency figure of 7.4L/100km^v, showing the depth of its capabilities.

Buyers choosing the 3.2L turbodiesel with either six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission have a payload of 978/960kg (Man/Auto) and a towing capacity of 3,500kgⁱⁱⁱ. Fuel economy is an impressive 8.4L/100km^v (Man).

Standard on every new Ford Ranger is the FordPass Connect embedded modem. When paired with the FordPass App^vi, FordPass Connect unlocks a range of new connected services including remote locking/unlocking, remote vehicle start^vi and vehicle status updates. This can be particularly handy on the worksite, allowing customers to remotely start the vehicle and warm the cabin prior to a coffee on a winter’s morning, for example. The FordPass App is now available for download for Apple and Android devices.

The Ranger line-up has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, as well as a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, with further peace of mind for Ranger owners through the Ford Service Benefits program^vii.

The Ford Ranger FX4 is expected alongside the full Ford Ranger line-up in Ford dealerships across the country from July.

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