Hot on the hooves of the 2021 Ford Bronco and Ford Bronco Sport, comes the Ultra4-inspired SUV we all hoped for—the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor.
With the rich racing history of the Ford Bronco, from early Baja finishes to the more recent Bronco R Prototype, the commitment of Ford Performance to going fast in the dirt is undisputed. Following the release of the 2021 Bronco and the subsequent news of the race-ready and V-8 Bronco DR, Bronco fans were left wondering if their higher-speed dreams would come true—and they now have an answer.
Exterior
Go eye-to-grille with the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor and you’ll be facing one visually menacing machine, and some of the features that give the Bronco Raptor its claws. First, amber signature lights bookend the blocky “FORD” lettering on the grille, a deviation from the “BRONCO” lettering on the standard Broncos. A trio of the infamous “Raptor lights” graces the top of the grille which was designed to flow two times as much air as the grille on the base Bronco.
The track width of the Bronco Raptor measures in at 73.2 inches, a 6.3-inch growth from that of the Wildtrak Bronco. Cavernous fender flares, similar to those found on the Bronco DR, enclose some of the largest tires found on a production SUV, 37×12.50R17LT BFGoodrich T/A KO2s. This imposing width—which with mirrors folded in comes in at 9.8 inches wider than the base Bronco—is denoted by red/amber marker LEDs on the non-removable sideview mirrors. In a continued effort to flow more air through the engine bay, the Raptor features a raised and louvered “Power Dome” hood, accompanied by additional louvers on the quarter panels to extract air.
Stepping into the Bronco Raptor is a taller task than ever but it’s made easier by the factory running boards, which can be modified with a few quick turns of a wrench to remove the steps, leaving sleek rock sliders behind. To defend the wider fender flares from debris sent sailing by the 37-inch tires, Ford fit them with a rubber and replaceable “Stone Peck Guard.” The larger wheelwells also left a smaller chunk of real estate to fit the Bronco’s fuel door.
Around back, the massive 37-inch spare tire hangs on the tailgate, supported by a heavy-duty exoskeleton spare tire carrier reinforced for worry-free runs across rough terrain. The carrier also features four bolts that are ready to accept aftermarket accessories. The signature taillights have been extended to the rear of the vehicle to ensure their visibility around the spare tire. Like the grille, the third brake light above the spare shows the three “Raptor Lights” when illuminated.
Interior
Inside, the horizontal dash integrates an all-digital 12-inch gauge cluster that features an animated Bronco Raptor avatar depicting the G.O.A.T (Goes Over Any Terrain) modes, and a Bronco Raptor-specific Performance View with enhanced tachometer and gear readings and options for customization. Code Orange accenting elevates the visual experience from the seatbelts (optional there) and stitching to the Terrain Management System rotary dial and the top center mark on the wheel.
Carbon fiber graces touchpoints like the grab handles, steering wheel bezel, and gear shifter. The seats are unique to the Bronco Raptor and are aggressively bolstered and wrapped in suede for a luxurious feel and to keep your rear in place while the trail gets rough. High Package-equipped Bronco Raptors will come standard with a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring swipe capability, enhanced voice recognition, and more. Opting for the Lux Package adds a 10-speaker B&O audio system and Adaptive Cruise Control.
Doors and roof panels are just as removable as they are in the standard Bronco but upgrades were made to improve torsional rigidity. The B-pillar cross bar that was absent from the standard Bronco has returned, albeit as far rearward as possible. Overhead (or helmet) clearance for even the tallest occupants was accounted for as well as maintaining the Bronco’s open-air experience with the roof panels removed. Bracing was added at the C-bow including a cast foot with carbon composite structure to maintain rigidity and a low center of gravity.
Does the Bronco Raptor Have a V-8?
Let’s cut to it—no. If you want a Bronco with Ford’s 5.0-liter Coyote V-8, it can be had in the race-ready Bronco DR. The 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor comes with a single powertrain, a Raptor-tuned twin-turbo 3.0-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine. Power figures are north of 400 horsepower and if the 3.0-liter V-6 in Ford’s Explorer ST is any indication, torque figures could be over 400 lb-ft as well.
Weight savings and power gains guided the decision-making process toward the 3.0-liter V-6 that is said to deliver linear power and torque while incentivizing the driver to keep their foot in the throttle. Horsepower routes into the SelectShift 10-speed automatic transmission that has been fitted with upgraded clutch packs and tuned to Ford Performance standards. The twin-turbo setup was engineered with reduced restriction in airflow resulting in significant loss figure reductions on the induction side. The true dual-exhaust system features quasi-equal-length pipes contributing to a 20 percent drop in backpressure. Bronco Raptor’s active valve exhaust technology also allows the driver to select from exhaust modes including Normal, Sport, Quiet, and Baja.
Off-Road
The 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor stands tall on its 37-inch tires giving it a minimum ground clearance figure of 13.1 inches at the bottom of the knuckle. This is an increase of 1.6 inches over a Sasquatch-equipped Badlands Bronco on 35-inch tires, and 4.8 inches over a standard Bronco. This pushes just ahead of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon fitted with LT315/70R17 tires. Larger tires contribute to the Bronco Raptor’s approach angle of 47.2 degrees, an improvement of 4 degrees over a Base bronco with 35-inch tires. Departure angle measures in at 40.5 degrees, which is a 3.5-degree gain over the Base Bronco, and one tenth of a degree more than a two-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Fording depth is exactly on par with the diameter of the Bronco Raptor’s tires: 37 inches.
You’ll find all the same G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any type of Terrain) modes on the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor that are on the standard Bronco, and the two-speed transfer case offers the same 3.06:1 low-range ratio. Automatic on-demand four-wheel drive is engaged by selecting “4A” on the rotary shifter, which actively vectors torque for low-traction driving scenarios. While Baja Mode is not new, for the Bronco Raptor it has been tuned with an anti-lag calibration to improve turbo performance during higher-speed driving. Trail Control, Trail Turn Assist, and Trail One-Pedal Driving carry over to the Bronco Raptor.
Suspension
Traveling highway speeds off-road means the Bronco Raptor needed a capable suspension, and that begins with front and rear travel numbers of 13.0 and 14.0 inches, respectively. To damp movements through fast-paced rough terrain, Ford’s High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension system (call it H.O.S.S.) features Bronco Raptor-specific Fox 3.1 internal bypass semi-active Live Valve dampers with integrated reservoirs in the front and remote reservoirs in the rear. Using what we know about the shocks on the 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor, these dampers should raise the bar even higher than where it sat with the optional Bilstein shocks with End Stop Control Valves available on standard Broncos, which already drew our praise. The F-150 Raptor’s Live Valve shocks feature position-sensitive compression damping and on-the-fly adjustability. Though limited to the compression stroke, they worked commendably with the truck. The Fox shocks on F-150 Raptors featured a 3.1-inch body for increased fluid capacity and resistance to heat buildup and F-150 Raptors with 37-inch tires benefitted from 1-inch shock shafts.
Out back, the pumpkin in the solid rear axle has grown from the Dana 44 unit to a semi-float Dana 50 AdvanTEK M235 with a 235-milimeter ring gear (that’s 4.70:1), the same Performa-TraK electronic locker from the standard Bronco, and an increased width. Axletube thickness has been beefed up to 9 millimeters (up from 5 millimeters on the standard Bronco’s Dana 44). Like the front, the driveshaft and axleshafts have also been upgraded to handle the rigors of spirited driving. Similar to the F-150 Raptor, there’s a four-link suspension with a track bar at work underneath the rear. Mounts for the lower control arms have been reengineered and reinforced and the locations of the MCU jounce bumpers have been optimized to dissipate end-of-travel loads. In contrast with the F-150 Raptor, the rear Fox 3.1 Live Valve shocks are a coilover design, as opposed to the F-150’s coil-and-spring setup, which nets the Bronco Raptor a 40-percent improvement in rear suspension travel over the standard Bronco (and a 60-percent gain in front).
Chassis
The chassis on the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor has been uniquely built to work with the suspension system and excel in rough terrain. The Bronco Raptor is offered only with four doors and with a 116.5-inch wheelbase, to improve performance in faster-paced bumps. The high-strength frame is fully boxed and features new shock towers that were raised and heavily reinforced to accommodate the impressive suspension travel figures. In the front, multicellular urethane jounce bumpers were added on the lower control arms to dissipate energy during the final stages of suspension travel. Both control arms were reinforced and extended to handle the forces of the 37-inch tires and the UCAs were redesigned to maximize suspension travel and maintain clearance of the new shock towers. Tie rods, half shafts, CV joints, the Dana 44 AdvanTEK front differential, and the front driveshaft have all been upgraded to withstand aggressive off-road travel. The selectable front locking differential is carried into the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor as well.
Towing
Towing capacity for the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor has been increased to enable off-road enthusiasts to bring some extra toys into the woods while still enjoying their four-door ride. With an additional 1,000 pounds of towing capacity at the hitch over the standard Bronco, the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor is rated to tow 4,500 pounds and carries a GCWR of 10,650 pounds. This is a result, in part, of additional bracing between the receiver and the sixth crossmember, the upgraded rear axle, larger brakes, and improved cooling. To protect the towing connectors when off-road, you’ll find a small skidplate beneath the plug to defend it when dropping off ledges or crossing obstacles.
Wheels and Tires
The 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor now offers the largest tires on any production SUV in America—37×12.50R17LT BFGoodrich T/A KO2 all-terrains—and three wheel choices to accompany them. Standard fare is a glossy, painted alloy wheel, but two beadlock-capable options are also available: a forged aluminum wheel in Dark Carbonized Gray and a cast aluminum wheel in Magnetic. Brakes have been updated from the standard Bronco’s 311 millimeter/single-piston caliper setup to 350 millimeter rotors with dual-piston sliding calipers.
Is This the Best Bronco Yet?
We’ll waive a definitive judgement until we saddle up the go-fast Bronc ourselves, but in the meantime, the wider-track, big-footed, long-traveling, four-door-only 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor appears to be an exciting platform. With the attention paid to enthusiasts and the goal of going highway speeds off-road while refusing to give up technical rockcrawling abilities, we are more excited than ever to get behind the wheel of this Bronco. Until then, get ready, because orders begin in March 2022. Starting price of the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor is $68,500 with a $1,495 destination fee. That brings your cost to $69,995 to own the wildest Bronco yet.
Keyword: Ultra4-Inspired 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor: Boundless and Badass