Ford | The Bronco bares its fangs with its new Raptor livery

It had been eagerly awaited by fans since the Bronco’s revival in its modern form began a year and a half ago. It’s now done. Ford launched the Raptor livery of its Bronco last week, a version cut to face the most demanding off-road courses with the necessary paraphernalia.

Charles Rene
The Press

To lure the target clientele, Ford chose to use a known label: Raptor. The term had until then only been used by the F-150 since 2010 to name a variant designed for grueling off-road sessions. This version has also created a whole new register of adventurous vans seeking both to increase the physical limits of these behemoths and the profit margins of manufacturers.

Never mind, this revised Bronco will become Ford’s go-to tool for off-road enthusiasts by default due to its more realistic dimensions. The improvements to its chassis are obvious. The tracks – the space between wheels on the same axle – have been widened by a significant total of 21cm to aid stability. The damping stroke has been increased to 33 cm at the front and 36 cm at the rear in order to ensure better damping on a rough course. The shock absorbers are equipped with sensors that can adjust their behavior continuously, again with the aim of making this Bronco more stable. These improvements make the SUV more competitive than the Jeep Wrangler with respect to angle of approach and departure from an obstacle and ground clearance.

37-inch diameter tires are also added for traction, working in concert with a two-speed transfer case and a reworked electronically locking rear differential to get out of trouble. Torque is generated by a twin-turbocharged 3.0L V6 rated at 400 hp at the moment. It is guided by a 10-speed automatic transmission and its cooling has been optimized for desert outings. The Bronco Raptor simultaneously increases the towing capacity of the model to 2041 kg.

The Ford Bronco Raptor will hit dealerships next summer.