There’s been a lot of speculation regarding Ford’s future with the Raptor, and finally we have some answers. Ford announced the second-generation Raptor today at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. Yes, it’s lighter that before – 500 pounds, to be exact. And yes, it also features a 3.5-liter EcoBoost motor. The only downside? It won’t be in dealers until late 2016.
Ford unveiled its plans for the new incarnation of the off-road-ready F-150 Raptor today, noting it is built on an all-new, high-strength steel frame that is unique to the truck. With the use of a new military-grade, aluminum alloy body, Ford was able to shave off 500 pounds of weight compared to the previous Raptor. Pair the weight savings with a new high-output 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine and the new Raptor will offer an even better power-to-weight ratio than the previous truck. How much power exactly? We’re not sure, but Ford says the new EcoBoost motor will offer more horsepower and torque than the 411 hp and 434 lb.-ft. produced from the current 6.2-liter V8 motor.
“When we created the first Raptor, we set out to prove vehicle performance isn’t just measured on the street or at the track – off-road can be even more fun,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “The original Raptor, plus enhancements on the all-new F-150 set the bar for us to make the all-new Raptor better in every way.”
One of the most notable changes on the 2017 Raptor is the addition of an all-new 10-speed transmission. The 2017 Raptor will also feature an all-new four-wheel-drive, torque-on-demand transfer case, designed to combines the best qualities of a clutch-driven, all-wheel drive setup with mechanical-locking four-wheel drive. “The new transfer case offers better traction for a greater variety of terrain at low and high speeds – both on-road and off-road,” said Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer, Ford Performance.
The new Raptor will be equipped with an all-new Smart-Terrain Management System that features terrain settings for Normal, Street, Weather (rain and snow), Mud and Sand, Baja (high-speed desert driving) and Rock mode. Current Raptors might consider trading in their truck if they haven’t upgraded their suspension already, as Ford addressed one of the most common aftermarket upgrades for Raptor owners by equipping the new truck with larger 3-inch-diameter Fox Shox to offer more suspension travel than the current Raptor’s 11.2 inches of front travel and 12 inches of rear travel. Ford equipped the Raptor with BFGoodrich’s new All-Terrain T/A KO2 tire as well.
There will be quite a few updates to the interior of the new Raptor as well, which includes three color material levels and paddle shifters to manually shift the 10-speed transmission, just to name a few. The 2017 Raptor will be built at Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant, and it will go on sale in fall 2016.
More 2015 Detroit Auto Show Coverage
Nissan Unveils 2016 Titan XD