A grand total of 1,973 next-generation Ford Ranger Raptors have been sold in South Africa since it went on sale earlier this year, Ford South Africa revealed.
The Raptor made its local debut in February 2023, having launched three months after the regular Ford Ranger double cab, which made landfall in November last year.
This means that the high-performance bakkie has averaged roughly 395 sales per month in South Africa – an impressive feat given that it had a starting price of R1,094,900 when it launched which has now already shot up to R1,184,100.
A smash hit
The Raptor is the top-of-the-line version of Ford’s best-selling Ranger series, boasting several unique enhancements that take their inspiration from the Baja desert rally held in the Baja California peninsula of Mexico.
The first-generation model arrived in South Africa in May 2019 and remained on the market until the launch of the new platform of vehicles in late 2022 – a period of just over three years.
In that time, the original Raptor managed to sell 3,630 units, a significant achievement for its time given how unique the bakkie was, and how equally out of the market its price tag was.
With only a handful of exceptions, like the now-retired Mercedes-Benz X-Class, the Raptor was one of the most expensive double cabs in the country with a sticker tag that reached the R1 million mark with the Special Edition model that launched shortly after its initial appearance.
The fact that the new Raptor has managed to sell 1,973 units in less than six months, compared to the original’s 3,630 units spread out over a few years, speaks volumes as to how much more popular the premium bakkie market has become in recent times.
Illustrating this point further is the fact that the second-generation VW Amarok, which is built on the same platform as the Ranger and is produced alongside it at Ford’s Silverton factory in Pretoria, has also been received well despite its price tag that now stretches from R599,000 all the way to R1,138,200.
It’s important to note, however, that unlike the rest of the Rangers, the Raptor is not produced locally, but is in fact imported to South Africa from Thailand along with the next-generation Ford Everest SUV.
Specifications
Unlike the previous-gen Raptor, which was equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-litre diesel drivetrain, the new model features an all-new twin-turbo, V6, 3.0-litre petrol plant, raising its power from 157kW and 500Nm to a much more fitting 292kW and 583Nm – lending it hot-hatch levels of performance on and off the tarmac.
What really makes the halo-model bakkie stand out, however, is its unique suspension and shocks, which are developed by Fox for rally stages and this time around can adapt to the terrain in real-time, as opposed to the previous model where it only reacted to what it felt.
A rowdy active exhaust system is another hallmark of the sporty Ranger, with several sound profiles ranging from mild to wild to suit the situation at hand.
It also gets one extra driving mode on top of the Normal, Eco, Sport, Tow/Haul, Slippery, Mud and Ruts, and Sand offered by its siblings, namely Baja mode – which keeps the turbocharger spooled up for a few more seconds after the driver released the accelerator to eliminate turbo-lag when they step on it again.
Aside from this, the Raptor gets a number of unique features that differentiate it from the Ranger’s other headlining model – the Wildtrak – such as Matrix LED headlights, paddle shifters, ambient lighting, an exclusive leather seat upholstery with contrast stitchwork, and smaller alloy rims which allow for the fitment of larger off-road tyres.
Other features include a wireless phone charger, keyless entry and start, rain-sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera, a 10-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system, a 12-inch portrait infotainment screen, and a 12.4-inch digital driver display.
It also has adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, pre-collision assist, autonomous emergency braking, hill launch and descent control, and Active Park Assist.
Keyword: How many Ford Ranger Raptors have been sold in South Africa – Old vs New