Should Ford PH Bring In The High-Performance Bronco Raptor?

The 2023 Ford Bronco Raptor has finally been unveiled, and it’s one of the most highly-anticipated vehicles in the North American market. It’s essentially the most off-road capable and fastest Bronco variant there is, as it benefits from plenty of research and development lessons learned by Ford from its involvement at the Ultra4 Racing, which is supposedly the toughest one-day race on the planet.

Separating the Ford Bronco Raptor from the standard model is its wider stance, 250 mm wider to be precise. This is thanks to its wider wheels that are wrapped in 37-inch all-terrain tires. To compensate for those wheels that are pushed further out of the vehicle, the Bronco Raptor has wider fender flares. Also easily noticeable is its silver skid plates with tow hooks for increased underbody protection.

The front fascia of the Ford Bronco Raptor also benefits from a heavy-duty steel bumper, and it also has bespoke LED headlights with amber LED daytime running lights. For added illumination when off-roading, the Bronco Raptor comes with Rigid LED foglights and Rigid Off-Road lamps. A range of Bronco Raptor graphics can also be ordered if the looks of this off-road beast aren’t shouty enough for you.

The interior of the Ford Bronco Raptor has also been visually tweaked with numerous Code Orange trims on the seats, dash, doors, and seatbelts. The seats also have more aggressive bolstering, while the steering wheel has a thicker rim. As standard, the seats are upholstered in vinyl, while Black Onyx “Neo Suede” seats can also be ordered.

As for its powertrain, the Ford Bronco Raptor uses an EcoBoost 2.7-liter turbo V6 gasoline engine. Its exact powertrain figures have not yet been revealed, but Ford is targeting more than 400 horsepower. This engine is mated to a 10-speed automatic, driving all four wheels.

An advanced 4×4 system with three modes includes a higher-capacity clutch designed to withstand the demands of high-performance desert events. The upgraded transfer case also features a 3.06 4×4 LO ratio for up to 67.7:1 crawl ratio. Additionally, there are now seven driver-selectable modes, including a uniquely tuned Baja Mode that activates a turbo anti-lag calibration to maximize performance over high-speed desert runs.

Also new in the Bronco Raptor is Tow/Haul mode, which helps enable a tow rating of 2041 kg,  a half-a-ton improvement over the base model. Trail Control, Trail Turn Assist, and Trail One-Pedal Driving are also included.

Of course, all of this power and capability would be nothing if its chassis can’t handle all the bashing it will experience out in the desert. Competition-level, Ford Performance-developed axles were applied into the Bronco Raptor.  The solid rear axle is upgraded to a semi-float Dana 50 Heavy-Duty AdvanTEK with a 235-millimeter ring gear, while the Dana 44 AdvanTEK front-drive unit includes upgraded half-shafts with a 210-millimeter ring gear. These upgraded front and rear axles increase the track width by 218 mm over a base Bronco. Larger front and rear driveshafts support increased wheel torque. In addition, its ground clearance is now at 332 mm, which is 122 mm over the standard model.

The chassis also benefits from major reinforcement, mostly at the B-pillar crossbar and C-pillar, and as a result, there’s a 50 percent increase in total body-in-prime torsional rigidity.

Just like the Ford F-150 Raptor and Ranger Raptor, the Bronco Raptor benefits from Fox shocks. Though in the case of the Bronco Raptor, the dampers have an internal bypass and are semi-active, which monitors the height of each wheel.

Considering how popular the standard Ford Bronco is in the gray market, do you think Ford Philippines should bring in the standard Bronco and the Bronco Raptor to the Philippines? It could well be a formidable rival to the Jeep Wrangler, which is sold officially in the Philippines.