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- If you're looking for dream vehicle, they don't come more dreamy than the Ranger Raptor.
- Sub-10 litres per 100km/m can be achieved if you respect its accelerator pedal.
- Supreme off-road and surprisingly comfortable on road performance.
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We took the Ford Ranger Raptor on a safari to the Kruger National Park, and while the journey there was far too windy, we couldn't think of a better vehicle to hit the open road.
The Ford Ranger Raptor needs no introduction in South Africa. It's the range-topping bakkie from the Blue Oval, and Ford recently gave it a slight upgrade by introducing a limited-edition SE version. We had the 'normal' Ranger Raptor on test, albeit with a dealer-approved soft cover for the cargo area so that we could keep luggage and valuables hidden away from prying eyes and protected from the elements.
Priced at R905 200, the Ranger Raptor is a dream bakkie for most of us and is one of the most expensive light commercial vehicles sold in South Africa, but there's very little that's utilitarian about it.
It looks like it's ready to take on the South African Cross Country Series from the factory on the outside. On the inside, you might mistake it for a high-end Ford luxury passenger car. Under the skin, it's a proper monster truck that loves being driven hard, and the harder you drive it, the more rewarding it feels.
What's your favourite new bakkie on sale in South Africa, and why? Let us know in the comments section, or please send us an email.
Surprisingly good on the highway
Our journey from Johannesburg to the Kruger National Park would cover 450km, according to the Waze app that we were using through the vehicle's onboard system, thanks to Apple CarPlay.
We were staying at a quaint lodge outside the main gate to the reserve near Hazyview. With a full tank (80 litres) of diesel, we set off with climate control in full swing and with the thumping Ford Sync multimedia system belting out our favourite songs from the Apple Music app.
Navigating the heavy Jo'burg traffic and then Pretoria's congested networks proved effortless, as the Ranger Raptor just purred along nicely.
We were nervous that the bakkie would prove challenging to steer and that changing lanes would be a heavy-handed nightmare, but the view from the cabin and light steering gave us a commanding outlook on the road ahead and around us, so we quickly became confident behind the wheel.
Braking took some getting used to with the Ranger Raptor test vehicle, as we felt that there was a little bit too much brake pedal travel before the anchors started to bite. I wasn't sure if the odd, not ominous, brake pedal feel was due to the off-road biased tyres that come standard on the vehicle courtesy of BF Goodrich.
Nevertheless, we became accustomed to the modulation of the brakes after a few lairy moments on the N1 when people dived in front of us (taking the gap that I'd left as a safe following distance as a space for them to slot into).
Fortunately, the Ranger Raptor has some presence, so even when people did odd things like dangerously cutting us off without indicating, their hazards were usually flashed as an olive branch.
We'd expected the 2.0-litre twin-turbocharged diesel engine to struggle on the highway given the bulk here, but thanks to the ten-speed auto box that Ford's fitted to the vehicle as standard, there's always enough oomph from under the bonnet to ensure you can safely move your family at highway speeds.
Sure, it can do with a bit more huff for overtaking, but we found that the car was just running its best when we kept our inputs gentle and our right foot light on the accelerator pedal.
On the way to the Kruger, we averaged 9.5 litres per 100km; remarkable considering the strong crosswind and headwind we sometimes dealt with on our journey. Ford claims that the bakkie will sip 8.3 litres per 100km in a combined cycle, and we reckon that's highly achievable if you respect the throttle.
We were impressed at how the bakkie coped with the rutted roads out in the Mpumalanga area and how it could handle the strong wind we mentioned. At some point, we had to slow down and wrestle with the steering wheel to keep the bakkie straight and narrow, but most vehicles were battling on the road around us. We felt much better and more confident in the Ranger Raptor in those challenging climatic conditions.
Better than any car we've used
We've travelled this route several times, mainly with sports cars and passenger cars or SUVs. This trip was the first time we'd taken a bakkie north, and I was very nervous that it would not be comfortable or have the safety features that I like to keep my family safe on the road. To my amazement, the Ranger Raptor was more comfortable than some cars that cost twice as much as it does. And I'm not just talking about the ride comfort here, which is, arguably, the best ride you can experience in a new bakkie right now.
The part-leather/part-suede seats offer tremendous support, and because I had suffered from a bad back since an accident a couple of years ago, I appreciated the level of lumbar support this bakkie offered. Even my wife commented that the rear seats were comfortable and that she and our child had lots of space in the rear. My son enjoyed the drive in the Raptor, as he was able to see out of the windows from his child seat. He was also delighted that I could carry our home LTE router in the car to enable him to log into Twitch and YouTube to watch his favourite gamers on his iPad. Because the Ranger Raptor has a 120W power outlet in the rear of the cabin, I could plug our router in the car simply, and we had a Wi-Fi hotspot with us all the time.
There are seven airbags on offer here and loads of active driver aids such as traction control and stability control regarding safety. You also get more driving modes than you'll ever need. We tested some of the sand modes and low-range all-wheel-drive modes in the Kruger Park and found that they genuinely altered the vehicle's driving characteristics.
There's one curve in the road in Kruger Park with a closing radius corner, and in most vehicles in our experience, at a low speed of 40km/h, the front of the car pushes wide. We could feel the Ranger's traction systems working to reduce understeer around this loose sand corner, and it was remarkable to experience how much control you have all the time thanks to the trick Fox Racing suspension and minor tweaks to the platform for strength here and there.
Overall summary
The header of this piece hinted at the Ranger Raptor being a sound motoring investment. We think it is one of the best vehicles you can buy in South Africa right now, and while R1 million almost is a heck of a lot of cash, this car is one to buy and keep.
Seriously. Ford will be launching an all-new Ranger later this month, and while we're really excited and what's on offer there, the current generation Ranger is at the peak of its game right now. From the Ranger FX4 to the Thunder and the Stormtrak and the ever-popular Ranger Wildtrak, Ford has honed and honed this bakkie to perfection over the past decade.
Our test Raptor already had 20 000km on it, and it took some hard knocks in the Kruger Park and on some off-road trails, and it refused to rattle and squeak on the inside. The fit and finish are excellent, and it makes us feel proud that South Africans built the bakkie in Pretoria. It's such a compelling vehicle because it does everything you expect of a passenger car, but with the might of a monster truck.
Ok, getting it in and out of the garage and into tight spots at the mall can be a challenge. And, if you're not careful, it can get thirsty in town when it comes to diesel use. But, there's no competition for this vehicle, and if you want to buy something now that will give you a genuinely confident feeling every time you fire it up, then it's hard not to think of the Ranger Raptor as a sound motoring investment.
Sure, most vehicles are depreciating assets, but if you're going to go big at least once in your life, you may as well go big with a car that's capable of anything: family car, adventure vehicle, dream bakkie.
The Ranger Raptor has some magic to it, and we wish we could add one to our family garage. The all-new Ford Ranger makes its global debut at the end of November 2021. It is being built at Ford's factory in Pretoria for local consumption and export destinations worldwide. All Ford Ranger Raptors sold in South Africa come with a four-year or 120 000km mechanical warranty.
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