There’s a new Raptor in Ford’s animal kingdom, and it’s quite the behemoth. The new Bronco Raptor is not just a lifted and toughened-up Bronco with oversized 37-inch chunky tires (although it is that too!). Designed from the ground up by the blokes at Ford Performance, Bronco Raptor is the most potent and street-legal Bronco ever.
Naturally, the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor looks up to its F-150 Raptor brethren and has inherited some styling and mechanical pieces to boot. “Raptor is the apex of our off-road lineup and is now a full lineup of race-proven content and design that you can’t get from anyone else,” said Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Company. “Only Ford could create a Bronco Raptor.”
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor: The Beating Heart
We’d be lying if we said we weren’t expecting Bronco Raptor to be as formidable as the current F-150 Raptor, and we’d grow our noses like Pinocchio if we didn’t say we sorely miss the old F-150 SVT Raptor’s monstrous 6.2-liter V8. But change is inevitable, so we’ll make do with the F-150 Raptor’s high-strung 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 with 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft. of torque.
Unfortunately, Bronco Raptor did not inherit the F-150 Raptor’s 3.5-liter V6 engine. Instead, it has a marginally smaller-capacity 3.0-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 that Ford promises will churn out upwards of 400 horsepower. If the engine seems familiar, it’s the same mill under the hood of a Ford Explorer XT and Lincoln Aviator.
So what’s going on? Rumors are ripe of a Bronco Raptor R in the pipelines, and we heard through the grapevine that the F-150 Raptor R is also on the way. If it were true, you could expect Ford’s supercharged 5.2-liter Predator V8 performing double duty on both monster trucks. In case you were wondering, the Predator V8 is what you’ll find in a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, cranking out no less than 760 horsepower and 625 lb-ft. of torque.
We’re pretty sure Ford knows the Hemi-powered Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is out there in the wild, so it’s prepping two new contenders to shake up the food chain. The new Bronco Raptor may not be enough to scare away the Jeep Rubicon 392, but the R variant is a different story.
Formidable Hardware
The 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor employs a fully-boxed and high-strength steel frame with new shock towers for added toughness, durability, and wheel travel. Heavy-duty skid plates are under the engine, transmission, and driveline for added protection against scuffs and damages. Bronco Raptor also has reinforcements in the B-pillar and C-pillar to deliver up to 50 percent more torsional rigidity.
Underneath is a new semi-float Dana 50 AdvanTEK rear axle with a 235-millimeter ring gear, while there’s a Dana 44 AdvanTEK front axle with upgraded half-shafts and a 210-millimeter ring gear. Those axles are partly responsible for Bronco Raptor’s 8.6-inch wider track width than a standard Bronco. In addition, Bronco Raptor offers 13.1-inches of ground clearance, about five inches more than a regular Bronco and an inch higher than Bronco Sasquatch.
The twin-turbo V6 sends power to all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic and a three-mode 4×4 drivetrain with an updated transfer case and a 67.7:1 crawl ratio. Bronco Raptor also has an updated HOSS off-road suspension equipped with FOX 3.1-inch internal bypass semi-active dampers and remote reservoirs. The suspension system utilizes sensors at each wheel to monitor terrain conditions and adjust the damping forces appropriately.
Chassis, Tire & Sound Upgrades
The Bronco Raptor has bespoke front and rear control arms to deliver maximum wheel travel of 13 inches and 14 inches in the front and rear, respectively, or about 60 percent and 40 percent more than a regular Bronco. Furthermore, it gets beefier inner and outer tie rod ends to support those massive 37-inch BF Goodrich KO2 all-terrain tires, the largest tires fitted to a production SUV in America, according to Ford.
We also fancy Bronco Raptor’s genuine dual-exhaust system with near-equal-length piping, active valve technology, and four user-selectable exhaust notes: Quiet, Normal, Sport, and Baja. Also standard are new G.O.A.T (Go Over Any Terrain) driving modes, including a new Baja mode and a Tow/Haul mode to enable the Bronco Raptor’s 4,500 lbs. max tow rating.
Looking The Part
You’ll need to measure the dimensions of your garage before placing an order for the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor. It’s nearly 10 inches wider than a standard Bronco with its unique running gear, monster tires, wider fenders, and sculpted fender flares. You won’t mistake Bronco Raptor for any other Bronco with its FORD block lettering on the front grille, amber marker lamps, and amber daytime running lights.
“As the most badass Bronco yet, the Bronco Raptor design is extreme,” said Paul Wraith, Bronco design chief. “It’s muscular while maintaining an underlying simplicity with performance-focused details added only for outstanding high-speed capability.”
Standard fare is a steel front bumper, LED fog lights and off-road lamps, bespoke LED headlights, a sheet-molding compound front hood with an integrated hood vent, body-color front fender vents, rock sliders, and removable running boards.
Ford will offer an optional Bronco Raptor Graphics Package with splatter graphics for the hood and rear bodysides. Exterior colors are Hot Pepper Red Metallic, Eruption Green Metallic, Shadow Black, Velocity Blue Metallic, Area 51, Oxford White, and an exclusive Code Orange, to name a few.
Performance Interior
The incoming Bronco Raptor’s horizontal dashboard houses an all-digital 12-inch instrument cluster and a standard 12-inch touchscreen with SYNC 4. The infotainment system has enhanced voice recognition and a 360-degree exterior camera view. Optional features include a 10-speaker B&O premium audio system.
Of course, the cabin is resplendent in Code Orange trim and accents to add some color to Bronco Raptor’s predominantly black interior. Other standard features include Ford Performance front seats, rubberized flooring, a sport-contoured tiller, and magnesium paddle shifters.
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor: Pricing & Availability
Ford has yet to unveil the official base price, but you can expect the 2022 Bronco Raptor to start right at about $70,000. The order books open in March, while the first deliveries will trickle down to Ford dealerships beginning late spring or early summer.
Alvin Reyes is an Automoblog feature columnist and an expert in sports and performance cars. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics, and accountancy in his younger years and is still very much smitten to his former Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also likes fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine.
Photos & Source: Ford Motor Company.
