DETROIT - It has been rumoured for quite some time, but now there is official confirmation that a Ford Bronco Raptor is in the works.
Ford revived the Bronco nameplate in 2020, as a boxy and rugged-looking rival to the Jeep Wrangler. Although the new Ford SUV shares its basic platform with the Ford Ranger, the Bronco has not been earmarked for right-hand drive production so for now the new SUV and its upcoming Raptor variant will remain forbidden fruit for South Africans.
No further details about the Ford Bronco Raptor have been released as yet, but the carmaker has confirmed that it is coming in 2022.
According to Motor Authority, the Ford Bronco Raptor will most likely be powered by a 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 engine with around 300kW on offer. Interestingly, this motor has also been rumoured for the next-generation Ford Ranger Raptor, along with a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel poached from the current F-150.
Currently the Bronco is offered with two turbopetrol engines in the form of a 2.3-litre unit with 200kW and a 2.7-litre V6 with 230kW on offer. Both are paired with the familiar 10-speed automatic transmission, although a seven-speed manual with a crawler gear ratio is also offered as an option.
Living up to the Raptor nameplate will also mean a more aggressive design for the upcoming Bronco performance variant, as well as beefed up suspension designed for high-speed off-roading. It’s not clear, though, whether it will get Fox shocks like the current Raptor bakkies.