Ford F-150 Raptor R Review

2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R Review: Ford Riposte To Ram Truck

The new Ford F-150 Raptor R is coming in 2022 as a 2023 model, so we still need to get all the details. But what we do know from the company’s announcement and our spy shots of this highly anticipated truck are enough to get us excited. Here’s everything we know so far:

We’ve known Ford was working on a new version of the F-150 Raptor, and now we know it’s coming in 2022 as a 2023 model.

The Raptor R will be available in the United States and Canada, but if you’re north of the border, don’t expect to miss the launch. Ford says that production will start later this year at its Dearborn Truck Plant and move to Windsor Assembly Plant in 2020. The automaker hasn’t said how many Raptors it plans to build or when they arrive at dealerships—but we do know what they’ll cost: $61,890 for a Lariat SuperCab (that’s base price; add about $1K if you want the FX4 Off-Road Package). For reference, a regular F-150 starts at $30K less than that figure.

The Raptor R replaces both the SVT Raptor (the last version was discontinued after 2016) and takes over from its predecessor as well—it’s based on what used to be called “Raptor” trim levels with different engines depending on where you live (the EcoBoost got better fuel economy but lacked power compared with other versions).

The Raptor R’s obvious rival is the Ram 1500 TRX, and while the R stacks up well on most specs, it also costs around $26,000 more than a TRX.

The R has a significantly larger price tag than the TRX SRT-10 because it packs more power and torque. While both trucks have 6.2-liter V8 engines with ten cylinders under their hoods, Ford’s engine has 650 horsepower (versus 525) and 860 lb-ft of torque (versus 800). That extra power means that while both trucks can hit 60 mph in 5 seconds flat, the Raptor will do so at a higher top speed—170 mph as opposed to 155 mph for its competitor.

If the 450-horsepower, twin-turbo V-6 F-150 Raptor isn’t strong enough for you, the fully muscled-up Raptor R and its 700-hp, supercharged V-8 ought to do the trick — provided you can foot its six-figure price tag.

The obvious rival is the Ram 1500 TRX, and while the R stacks up well on most specs (except in payload capacity), it also costs around $26,000 more than a TRX. If that doesn’t put you off, my advice would be: Get a Raptor R and enjoy your life!

We’ve seen spy shots of the new Raptor testing in the desert with its big brother, the new F-250 Tremor super truck, which raises many questions about what to expect from this latest Raptor.

First off, why are they testing it? Ford may be simply getting a head start on testing before production begins, but we’re still determining why they would do so if the truck isn’t going to be out next year. Even though we don’t know exactly when we can expect it yet—and even though Ford hasn’t said anything either way—we’re hoping that this latest intel gives us some idea of what to expect when it does arrive at dealerships later this year.

We expect it will have significantly more power than the current twin-turbo V-6 F-150 Raptor. Still, we are still determining if it will have a V-8 power engine or an even more powerful version of the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 used in other Ford products.

The Raptor R is a new truck but also an old one. The original Raptor was introduced in 2010 and has been updated regularly since then—and while Ford hasn’t revealed all the details yet, we know that the new model will be an even more powerful performance machine.

The standard 2020 Ford F-150 comes with a 3.0 liter EcoBoost V6 engine that makes 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque—but that’s not what you’ll get with the Raptor R. 

Rather than using this base V6, we expect it will have significantly more power than the current twin-turbo V-6 F-150 Raptor (450 hp), but we don’t yet know if it will have a V8 power engine or just an even more powerful version of the twin-turbocharged 3.5 liters EcoBoost V6 used in other Ford products like the Focus RS sports car and Mustang GT350R sports car.

It could also have gearing on par with what we see in the Ram 1500 TRX and some kind of hybrid assist, which is possible given that Ford already has hybrid versions of its full-size trucks on sale.

With the F-150 Raptor R, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ford added a 10-speed transmission that could come from its existing lineup of full-size trucks. The company already offers hybrid versions of the F-Series and Expedition with these transmissions, so there’s no reason it couldn’t do so here. There’s been no word on whether or not the Raptor R will have a hybrid system like this, but given that Ford says it wants to “lead by example,” we’d assume it would be likely.

The previous Raptor had a five-mode Selectable Drive Modes system which offered Normal, Sport, Weather/Mud/Sand, Baja (high-speed desert), and Rock Crawl settings; it allowed the driver to change settings like steering effort, throttle mapping, and traction control settings based on driving conditions.

The previous Raptor had a five-mode Selectable Drive Modes system which offered Normal, Sport, Weather/Mud/Sand, Baja (high-speed desert), and Rock Crawl settings; it allowed the driver to change settings like steering effort, throttle mapping, and traction control settings based on driving conditions. The new Raptor R does away with that system in favor of a three-mode setup: Normal, Sport and Track.

What’s more, the new model gains what Ford calls its “Trail Control” system as well—basically an offroad cruise control capable of maintaining steady speeds without any input from the driver while traversing rough terrain. It adds some much-needed safety features to an otherwise dangerous activity; at least if you get stuck in your rig somewhere deep in the woods, there won’t be any need to worry about getting out with no one around but wild animals!

Conclusion

The latest in a line of Ford trucks that have become best-sellers thanks to their high performance and off-road capabilities, and we’re expecting this new Raptor R to be no different. The price tag will likely make it a niche vehicle for those who need extreme capability but don’t mind spending more money than they ever imagined on a pickup truck (and yes, there are some people out there who fit into this category). However, if you can afford something like this, then we think it’s worth every penny–try not to look at your bank account too much while driving around town!

Derechos de autor © 2017-2018 USA Direct Auto
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