When it comes to one the roughest and toughest Utes you can buy in New Zealand, you can’t go passed the Ford Ranger Raptor. Ford hit a masterstroke when it was revealed the off-road capabilities of one of our favourite Utes would be overhauled courtesy of the Raptor badge, and all the extra, rugged get-up-and-go that went with it.
Kiwi Ute buyers were hooked, and soon more Raptors began to appear in the wild, doing their utmost to sink their teeth (figuratively speaking) into the market’s best meat and leaving claw marks on just about anything trying to get close.
However, this hasn’t stopped Ford Australia and New Zealand from taking this modern cult icon to another level of performance and intrepid toughness, and it’s all thanks to Melbourne based Rob Herrod and the team from Herrod Performance. What you see here is the current generation Ford Ranger Raptor 4WD Double Cab with upgrades by Herrod and it’s a belter!
The name Herrod is nothing new to Ford products, but this is the first time Kiwi buyers will be able to buy a Ranger Raptor with factory approved upgrades through a local dealer. The sole dealer with the rights to build and sell Herrod enhanced Ranger Raptors is Team Hutchinson Ford of Christchurch, so when dealer principal John Hutchinson got in touch and offered a demo build to me for 48 hours, this writer’s response was a resounding, “yes please.”
Team Hutchinson Ford have been inundated with interest from Ranger buyers to have a Ranger Raptor Herrod of their own. This build is number 74 made and with that increasing demand, more than 100 builds have been sold already. It seems the desire for even more “Raptor” remains as strong as ever.
So how about the nitty gritty? Well, the Herrod Performance package means a reworked onboard ECU, ensuring an extra 88kW of grunt have found their way into the Raptor’s 3.0L twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 engine, joining the standard Raptor’s 292kW. The same can be said for torque, with an extra 197Nm (almost as much as some cars generate on their own without tuning) over the regular Raptor’s 583Nm. Do the math and you have 380kW and a hefty 780Nm to play with.
To ensure this extra oomph is matched with sufficient cooling, Herrod supplies the Ranger Raptor with a new PWR Intercooler and extra cooling for the 10-speed automatic transmission. This results in a more immediate throttle response, greater levels of mid-range grunt and a more consistent power delivery across the rev range.
Underneath you have FOX tuned performance suspension and outside, despite looking very much like a run-of-the-mill Ranger Raptor, if there is such a thing as a “run-of-the-mill” Raptor, you get a tough set of 17-inch alloys with BF Goodrich 285/17 R17s All Terrain rubber, and Herrod Performance badges glaring in orange/red at those around you, reminding them that this is no ordinary Raptor they are following/beside.
Inside its very familiar with the same 12” touchscreen and digital instrument cluster. Said screen houses the equally familiar 360-dgree camera, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and allows you to configure your preferences and onboard safety features, of which there are many. I might add the B&O sound system is pretty darn impressive too.
The leather clad interior with Raptor embossed seats, coupled with lashings or orange trim and stitching are supremely comfortable and there is plenty of storage space and room to move as per the regular Ranger Raptor.
Fire up and that smooth operating twin-turbo V6 bellows and burbles. Flex your right foot and the Raptor Herrod seems to almost shake with anticipation. This Raptor has sighted its prey and as you give it stick off the line, it lurches forward, displaying such eagerness to get out there and devour the rough stuff.
You can cycle through a toggle switch on that leather wrapped steering wheel to change the exhaust note from Quiet through to Normal, Sport and Baja. With Quiet, it really is rather subdued and restrained, move up through the modes and that V6 bellow is amplified considerably with each change.
The rotary dial allows you to “dial” in a plethora of different off-road modes too, including Normal, Slippery, Mud/Ruts, Sand, Sport and Rock Crawl. However, the most fun of these is without doubt Baja mode. This dials all the Herrod Raptor’s intense capabilities up those extra notches and increases that tuned, twin-turbo V6 noise to warn everyone nearby of your presence.
Like the dessert class of racing of which it refers to, Baja mode really takes the Ranger Raptor to another level of action-packed ride. I have seldom encountered such a capable vehicle when the going gets rough. Keep the power on and it just doesn’t let up and while you have a degree of slip, it never feels beyond the limits of what you can control.
Take charge, hurl it into gravel roads and muddy or dusty inclines and it’s a proper laugh, and one which you will likely find just about any excuse to repeat again.
The most amazing aspect is that despite all the gung-ho off-road flamboyance, the Herrod Raptor is still just as civilised on the smooth stuff. Despite a smattering of tyre roar thanks to that off-road rubber, it’s still immensely comfortable when sauntering through town. The 10-speed auto box is also delightful, serving up smooth shifts with hardly any drop in power.
It’s a big car, naturally, but as people are keen to stay out of your way, one’s average commute times shouldn’t overly vary. You can still haul 2500kg of whatever thanks the Ranger Raptor Herrod’s Braked Towing Rating.
The Ford Ranger Raptor is staggeringly good and what Herrod has done is made every little piece feel that little bit better. It’s not cheap at $111,980 and you certainly won’t be slipping away at the go juice with combined fuel consumption of 11.5L/100km, but you aren’t going to buy one of these for fuel economy, are you?
Extra peace of mind can be had when you learn Ford’s 5-Year/150,000km warranty remains intact, as does Herrod’s 5-year warranty on all the go-faster bits with all Ranger Raptor Herrod sold solely through Team Hutchinson Ford.
The current generation Ford Ranger Raptor was already a coveted ute icon, but thanks to Herrod Performance, it’s now a Ute masterclass of off-road thrills, and then some.
RATING: 9/10
