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Australian Ford Ranger Raptor Caught Testing Stateside, Wears Manufacturer Plate

Revived in the United States for the 2019 model year, the Ranger sold in this part of the world is a little different from the T6 platform that Ford offers everywhere else. For starters, North America gets the 2.3-liter EcoBoost and the 10-speed automatic instead of turbo diesels and a stick shift as standard.
 SPIED: Ford Ranger Raptor Caught Testing In The U.S.! Does This Mean We Will Get It Here Soon? 104 photos
Photo: TFLnow on YouTube
SPIED: Ford Ranger Raptor Caught Testing In The U.S.! Does This Mean We Will Get It Here Soon?SPIED: Ford Ranger Raptor Caught Testing In The U.S.! Does This Mean We Will Get It Here Soon?SPIED: Ford Ranger Raptor Caught Testing In The U.S.! Does This Mean We Will Get It Here Soon?2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Limited (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Limited (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Limited (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger Raptor (European model)2019 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor (European models)2019 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor (European models)2019 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor (European models)2019 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor (European models)2019 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor (European models)2019 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor (European models)2019 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor (European models)2019 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor (European models)2019 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor (European models)2019 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor (European models)2019 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor (European models)2019 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor (European models)2019 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor (European models)2019 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor (European models)2019 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor (European models)2019 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor (European models)2019 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor (European models)
The differences underneath the skin of the Ranger have also convinced Ford that it’s not worth adapting the U.S. model to Raptor specifications. Be that as it may, the Blue Oval is currently testing an Australian model with right-hand drive and a manufacturer plate. Filmed on the highway in Colorado by The Fast Lane Now, this pickup raises more questions than it answers.

First and foremost, is the Ford Motor Company testing the 2.0-liter EcoBlue twin-turbo diesel for the United States market as an option for the next generation of the Ranger? Given that the Colorado and Canyon are available with the Duramax and Jeep offers the EcoDiesel in the Gladiator, why not?

Secondly, an older report suggests that Project Redback is coming to North America based on the description of an engineer on social media. That would be the internal designation of the all-new Ranger Raptor, codename P703.

Given that the all-new Bronco features a variation of the ladder-frame platform from the next generation of the mid-size pickup truck, this outcome is just as possible as the EcoBlue four-cylinder diesel mentioned earlier. Suspension and engine tuning may differ from market to market, but changing the chassis too much would be too costly for the Blue Oval.

Lest we forget, the Bronco’s underpinnings are tough enough for the Australian outback where it's actually been tested and fine-tuned.

Expected to be unveiled for the 2022 model year, the all-new Ranger is rumored with all kinds of engine options that aren’t featured in the outgoing truck. A plug-in hybrid and two V6s are the “what ifs” to look forward to.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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