Ford Ranger Pickup (2022 - ) review

Fuel consumption is always a challenge for larger vehicles, and having a 3.0-litre V6 petrol-fuelled engine under the bonnet means the Ranger Raptor is unlikely to be the most cost-effective vehicle to run. Ford quotes an economy figure of just over 20 miles per gallon, and that's before you load up the bed with stuff. Buyers needing long-distance economy may want to wait for the 2.0-litre diesel option that arrives in 2023.

Ford put the Ranger Raptor through a rigorous development programme including extenstive off-road driving in the Australian Outback, all to ensure that it could handle almost anything its owners would put it through. Features such as the tough underbody protection should give buyers confidence in its ability to put up with the rough and tumble of a working life. As a pick-up that professionals also use, it has to work all the time. Ford offers a basic three-year or 60,000-mile warranty on new vehicles, and this can be extended up to five years or 100,000 miles.

To help the Ranger Raptor cope with off-road abuse it’s been thoroughly reinforced and strengthened, so you can be confident it will stand up to some challenging environments. On tarmac, there are the usual safety systems in place to assist, including road sign recognition, so you always know the speed limit where you are driving. Stability control, traction control and an integrated trailer brake function that makes towing even more manageable all help the driver on the move. The front of the cabin features front and side airbags, plus another large one between the front seats to prevent the driver and passenger from colliding in the event of a side impact. Whether parking or climbing a steep bank, the 360-degree camera system is a boon, providing a clear, crisp image on the 12-inch screen in the centre of the dash.

Ford's designers looked to another Raptor when seeking inspiration for the design, the look of the new front seats were influenced by those used in the F22 Raptor fighter jet. You won't find any ejection handle to pull, but there is ten-way electric adjustment, heating elements and chunky bolstering on the sides that get a “Code Orange” finish. Sadly, the function isn't as good as the form, as we found the front seats lacking side support, especially around the shoulders. In the back, the bench seat is shaped as a two-seat layout with a small centre perch. Headroom is decent, as is legroom now that the wheelbase is a little longer than its predecessor’s, but it's better suited to seating two rather than three in the rear. Making up for that is a suspension system that strikes a lovely balance between comfort and control, with shocks supplied by Fox – a renowned off-road suspension expert - and further tuned by Ford's own engineers. It soaks up bigger hits easily yet is supple enough to be smooth over less even tarmac.

As standard, the Raptor comes well-equipped, so the options are mostly nice-to-haves, including a decal kit for the side and a “Dress Up Pack” including a plastic rollover bar and a useful powered tonneau cover that works via a button on the dash or the key fob. Inside you’ll find a 12.4-inch digital instrument display that is a big step up from the mainly analogue cluster of the Raptor's predecessor. Similar to the Mustang Mach-E, the Ranger also gets a 12-inch portrait-style centre touch-screen running Ford's latest SYNC 4A infotainment system. Another great feature is the Pro Power Onboard system with an electricity supply into the cargo bed that owners can use for any number of purposes, such as operating power tools or charging up an electric mountain bike. Payload isn't the Ranger Raptor's strong point, however, as the rear suspension can only carry up to 652kg, which is much less than most other pick-ups of this size. The lack of a one-tonne carrying capacity brings further financial implications around VAT reclamation.

The Ranger Raptor’s new twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre petrol V6 produces 292 horsepower and is paired to a ten-speed automatic gearbox with a switchable four-wheel-drive system. As well as accelerating the Raptor from 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds the engine features an active exhaust system with four settings, ranging from 'Quiet' so as not to upset your neighbours when leaving early in the morning to a rorty 'Baja' mode designed specifically for off-road use. In its standard setting, the engine delivers a smooth and relatively hushed performance that’s more civilised than the lurid Code Orange paintwork and bulging bodywork would suggest. That relaxed power delivery makes it an easy vehicle to live with on a day-to-day basis, helped further by its trick suspension. Even the three-ply chunky off-road tyres detract surprisingly little from the overall comfort and road holding. Locking differentials on the front and rear axles, plus a range of different driving modes to suit every situation, give drivers huge scope for tackling even the trickiest and most challenging terrain. In such settings the brawn of the 3.0-litre engine comes into play, using its torque with the selectable low-range transmission to pull the Ranger up seemingly impossible angles and surfaces. With the appropriate drive mode selected, the Ford makes light work of virtually any situation, making it both very capable and enormous fun.