Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn today debuted the 2022 Bronco Raptor, the newest member of the outdoor brand of Built Wild SUVs, the most powerful street-legal Bronco ever, and the world’s first Ultra4 Racing-inspired SUV.
Ford Performance, the same team that produces the F-150 Raptor, designed and engineered Bronco Raptor with elite off-road technology and hardware.
With the addition of Bronco Raptor, Ford expands its Raptor high-performance off-road vehicle franchise, which also includes F-150 Raptor for North America and Ranger Raptor for global markets.
Ultra4 Racing, a grueling off-road competition, features demanding races such as the famed King of the Hammers in the Johnson Valley in California, where Bronco Raptor will be on display on Feb. 3. Ford and Bronco will continue as the official truck and SUV of the Ultra4 series.
“Raptor is the apex of our off-road lineup and is now a full lineup with race proven content and design that you can’t get from anyone else,” says Jim Farley, CEO of Ford. “Only Ford could create a Bronco Raptor.”
Beyond the Raptor family, Ford offers a variety of additional on- and off-road high-performance and specialty performance vehicles, from Mustang Shelby GT500 to the ST lineup of cars and SUVs to the Tremor family of F-Series and Ranger tough and work-capable off-road trucks.
To build the world’s first Ultra4-inspired SUV, Ford Performance’s goal was to make the Bronco Raptor fast, and add more off-road capability, agility, and maneuverability than Bronco already delivers.
“We had to build the Bronco Raptor — it’s our ultimate vehicle for hardcore off-road enthusiasts who demand something more,” says Carl Widmann, chief engineer of Ford Performance. “Like the Ultra4 desert race trucks, the ‘Raptor of SUVs’ conquers desert dunes at highway speeds and is equipped with competition-level off-road technology and hardware.”
At the Raptor core is a fully boxed, high-strength steel frame with new shock towers that increase wheel travel and off-road durability. Heavy-duty bash and skid plates provide continuous driveline coverage from the front bumper to the back of the engine, transmission, and transfer case.
In the upper body, B-pillar cross bar and C-pillar reinforcement help deliver a greater than 50 percent total body-in-prime torsional rigidity increase over a standard Bronco four-door model.
Competition-level, Ford Performance-developed axles, also used on the Bronco DR race truck, further deliver on the Ultra4-inspiration. The solid rear axle is upgraded to a semi-float Dana 50™ Heavy-Duty AdvanTEK with 235-millimeter ring gear, while the Dana 44 AdvanTEK front-drive unit includes upgraded half-shafts with 210-millimeter ring gear.
The upgraded front and rear axles increase the track width by 8.6 inches (73.6 inches versus 65.0 inches) over a base Bronco. Larger front and rear driveshafts support increased wheel torque. Bronco Raptor also runs with a minimum ground clearance of 13.1 inches, 4.8 inches more than a base four-door model.
An advanced 4×4 system with three modes includes a higher-capacity clutch designed to withstand the demands of high-performance desert events. The upgraded transfer case also features a 3.06 4×4 LO ratio for up to 67.7:1 crawl ratio.
The Ford Performance team collaborated with FOX to upgrade the High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension (HOSS) system with Live Valve technology. Similar to the F-150 Raptor truck’s position-sensitive damping design, the Raptor HOSS 4.0 system features FOX 3.1 Internal Bypass Semi-Active Dampers (3.1-inch diameter) that are uniquely tuned at the front and rear and feature integrated reservoirs up front and remote reservoirs in rear.
Suspension height sensors and other sensors at each corner monitor terrain conditions independently hundreds of times every second and adjust suspension tuning accordingly.
Unique Ford Performance-designed front and rear control arms help deliver maximum wheel travel of 13.0 inches in front and 14.0 inches at the rear, or 60 percent and 40 percent more, respectively, than a Bronco base model.
To deliver the confidence and high-speed needs of the world’s first Ultra4-inspired SUV, the Ford Performance team reached out to BFGoodrich for standard 37-inch KO2 all-terrain tires (37×12.50R17LT), the largest of any production SUV in America.
Two Ford Performance-designed 17-inch x 8.5-inch beadlock-capable wheels are available. An electric-power steering rack and housing influenced by F-150 Raptor, as well as larger-diameter inner and outer tie rod ends, were added to further upgrade Bronco Raptor.
To give Bronco Raptor more desert-running power, the Ford powertrain team developed the proven twin-turbo 3.0-liter EcoBoost engine with specific Raptor-level tuning to meet Ford Performance standards. With a target of more than 400 horsepower, Bronco Raptor will be the most powerful street-legal Bronco ever, with intercooling and air-induction systems designed to endure the higher ambient desert temperatures.
For higher-speed desert capabilities or crawling over rocks, the compacted graphite iron-block engine, which saves weight while providing strength for added durability, is paired with a 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission tuned to meet Ford Performance standards.
A true dual-exhaust system, featuring first-for-Bronco active-valve technology, uses near-equal-length pipes for an improved exhaust note. The system allows drivers to alter the sound of their Bronco Raptor with four selectable exhaust modes, including Normal, Sport, Quiet, and Baja.
Bronco Raptor builds on the brand’s exclusive G.O.A.T. Modes (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain) Terrain Management System designed to help drivers better navigate off-road. Seven driver-selectable modes include a uniquely tuned Baja Mode that activates a turbo anti-lag calibration to maximize performance over high-speed desert runs. New to Bronco is Tow/Haul mode, which helps enable a tow rating of 4,500 pounds, a 1,000-pound improvement over the base model. Trail Control, Trail Turn Assist and Trail One-Pedal Driving are also included.
Outside the vehicle, Ford block lettering at the front stretches across the signature two-piece rectangular grille. Model-specific LED headlights featuring amber daytime running lamps and integrated amber marker lamps further tie in the DNA of Raptor to provide a menacing look.
A heavy-duty modular steel front bumper by Ford Performance features tow hooks, removable bumper end caps for improved off-road clearance, integrated removable Rigid LED fog lamps, and Rigid off-road lamps for greater illumination.
The hood on Bronco Raptor is made of sheet-molding compound, offering the design team the ability to dramatically sculpt its muscular shape. An integrated hood vent is molded-in-color Carbon Black and fender vents are painted body color. Raptor logos on the left and right of the hood bulge hint at the twin-turbo power underneath.
Bronco Raptor leverages the Bronco SUV’s patented off-road modular design, stripped it to its base, and replaced components with unique-to-Raptor front and rear quarter-panels, fenders, fender flares, and door appliques.
Sheet-molding compound is once again used to sculpt the wider front fenders and integrated bodyside heat extraction ducts, which provide additional engine cooling. Sheet-molding compound rear-quarter panels are equally bolstered for a muscular look. Together with fender flares, Bronco Raptor sits 9.8 inches wider than a standard Bronco. Bronco Raptor-specific reinforced rock rails with removable running boards increase rock crawling capability.
For even more Raptor-styling DNA, an available Bronco Raptor Graphics Package includes new splatter graphics on the rear bodysides and hood that use an overlapping broken trapezoidal pattern and floating shapes to present a sophisticated digital appearance. Exterior colors include Hot Pepper Red Metallic, Velocity Blue Metallic, Eruption Green Metallic, Shadow Black, Iconic Silver Metallic, Area 51, Cactus Gray, Cyber Orange Metallic Tri-Coat, Oxford White, plus Ford Performance-exclusive Code Orange paint.
Inside, Bronco Raptor features a familiar heritage-inspired horizontal dash, integrating an all-digital 12-inch cluster. The cluster allows drivers to select from various views, including a Bronco Raptor-exclusive Performance View that emphasizes tachometer and gear readings and allows the customization of gauges.
“The Bronco Raptor interior was designed around what we know hardcore off-road racers want in a vehicle,” says Ryan Olsson, a Ford design manager. “From the all-new Performance View on the cluster and unique steering wheel with paddle shifters and fingertip access to Raptor-specific controls, to its race-ready, high-bolster front seats, Bronco Raptor leaves the factory ready for the starting line.”
Base Bronco Raptor models are equipped with Black Onyx marine-grade vinyl seats and rubberized washout flooring. The dark interior is accented with Ford Performance Code Orange splashes on the G.O.A.T. Modes rotary dial, dash vents, door netting, steering wheel stitching and Bronco logo on the instrument panel.
Even the push-button ignition lights up in Code Orange. Touchpoints such as the grab handles, steering wheel bezel and gear shifter wear low-gloss carbon fiber accents.
Owners can opt for upgraded features such as all-new laser-perforated Black Onyx Neo suede seats, vinyl-wrapped instrument panel topper, leather-wrapped outer seat bolsters, and carpet flooring. A thicker and sport-contoured steering wheel with magnesium paddle shifters and gloss black Raptor logo center continues the Ford Performance treatment.
Ford Performance-designed front seats are unique to Bronco Raptor, designed with aggressive foam side bolsters to help keep passengers firmly seated when the terrain gets nasty. Available Code Orange seat belts provide even more Ford Performance style.
Bronco Raptor comes standard with a High Package that includes SYNC4 with a 12-inch touchscreen with swipe capability, information on-demand panel, and enhanced voice recognition. Other technology features include an exterior camera with 360-degree viewing capability.
The Lux Package is available for customers looking for more human-centered technology, such as an available 10-speaker B&O audio system and Adaptive Cruise Control.
Customers can begin placing orders in March. A majority of the 2022 model year Bronco Raptor allocation will go to existing reservation holders based upon their original reservation timestamp. Ford will send communications later this month soliciting reservation holders’ interest in Bronco Raptor. Vehicles will begin to arrive this summer.
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