Off-road Predators

Few auto manufacturers live up to the taglines they stamp on their ads. In this case, Ford has proven to be one of them. Since the company is now focusing on their SUV and pickup lineup, “Built Ford tough” has suddenly become more apt. And with valid basis for the Filipinos’ predilection for hulking SUV’s and pickup trucks for the added versatility and safety aspect they provide, it wouldn’t hurt to be reminded of what some of them are really capable of… to an extreme extent.

Recently, Ford Group Philippines took our merry band of motoring journalists for a “no boundaries” drive to Pampanga and Nueva Ecija via their full model lineup of Ford Rangers, including the burly Raptor and Wildtrak variants. The highlight would be traversing through the very challenging Sacobia River that runs through the Lahar-laden trail to Mount Pinatubo. Admittedly, it wasn’t my first time to experience driving these Fords including the Everest through that route, but I hadn’t been behind the wheel of the touted “pickup of pickups” in the Philippines, the Ford Ranger Raptor.

It was a cinch getting out of the city despite the morning traffic, and in no time we found our shoes scrunching on sand mixed with volcanic ash, for a short briefing before diving deep into definitive off-road territory. What made things more exciting was the warning that “these vehicles’ capabilities have exceeded our driving capacity, so take some extra precaution;” apparently the water levels on the mud-slushy trail were higher, and to make it more interesting, it was strewn with rocks, sudden drops and mini-jumps that we were to take on at high speed. The last two words already got me smiling from ear to ear, so of course I took the first slot in the Ford Ranger Raptor.

The Raptor is indeed a different animal from its Ranger brethren. Equipped with the newer generation 2.0L Bi-Turbo engine, it’s rated at a seemingly average 213hp- but piles on an impressive stump-pulling 500 Newton-meters of Torque, which is where it really counts. Its sequential turbocharging delivers immediate and assertive acceleration from a low 1750 RPM, complemented by a 10-speed automatic transmission (same tranny as the F150 Raptor’s, made lighter and more durable with high-strength steel and alloy composites) that spreads out the power though the gears quickly and
seamlessly.

Blasting through its natural habitat

Naturally, I brought the Raptor up to 3-digit cruising speeds as quick as it would allow, as we virtually sliced through the terrain, totally losing visibility every now and then, as the shallow river crossing created rooster tails and walls of water that literally engulfed us. It was safe, as our raging raptors were at least 100 meters apart, so at the brink of Adrenaline intoxication, I kept the accelerator pedal intimate with the flooring. What was amazing was the relatively smooth ride despite my off-road shenanigans, of alternating through Lahar-mud, water, rocks, drops and mini-jumps at an average of 120 Km per hour, going semi-sideways at times amid my unabashedly loud semi-manic laughter. The exclusive FOX shock absorbers with Position Sensitive Damping (PSD) made all the difference. Where other trucks would basically bounce around and rattle its occupants silly, these FOX shocks made all the difference by soaking in whatever we (sensibly) blasted through. The Raptor’s chassis frame was actually specifically designed to take on off-road runs at high-speed with an innovative new coil-over rear suspension with a Watt’s link setup, for exceptional lateral control and improved comfort and handling, especially in the conditions we subjected it to. Add to that its frame and stiffened side rails that are made up of various grades of high-strength and low-alloy (HSLA) steel, for an extra margin of safety and control, as well as to be able to take on intense off-road impacts.

Beasts tame enough for the city

After our extreme off-road runs, we took the scenic route to Nueva Ecija. I switched to driving the Ranger Wildtrak which basically is a pared-down version of the Raptor, but still is a very capable off-road animal. I had to shift to civilized mode myself, as our convoy went through well-paved but tight ’twisties’ and long straights that involved a lot of overtaking to keep our convoy intact. That’s when I got to appreciate the SUV-like ride quality and creature comforts available, like Apple Carplay/Android Auto, the voice-activated SYNC 3 for no-touch operation in-car for safety and convenience, great sound quality (believe me, it matters esp. on long drives) from its audio entertainment system, and more.

Without a doubt, Ford reaffirms its dominance in the pickup segment with the incredible Ranger Raptor that takes the spot as the alpha predator, leading a whole pack of Rangers in their whole truck line that’s built Ford tough.