2023 Ford Ranger Raptor to be more powerful than expected! Larger twin-turbo V6 petrol for Toyota HiLux rival and Volkswagen Amarok twin: report

It’s no secret Ford is busy working on the fourth-generation Ranger ute, but it reportedly has a big surprise up its sleeve for its performance-focused Raptor flagship: a twin-turbo V6 petrol engine that’s larger and therefore more powerful than expected.

According to Ford Authority, the next Ranger Raptor will be available with a 3.0-litre EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, which is currently available in 272kW/515Nm (Ford Explorer) and 298kW/563Nm (Ford Explorer ST and Lincoln Aviator) tunes.

Of course, the Raptor was expected to be offered with the related Ford Bronco’s 231kW/542Nm 2.7-litre EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, which could still be available in other variants of the ‘T6.2’ Ranger that will rival the Toyota HiLux and be a twin to the Volkswagen Amarok.

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Either way, a 10-speed torque-converter automatic transmission will allegedly be in tow alongside an all-wheel-drive system and all the other usual Ranger Raptor goodies, Fox shocks included.

Why the move to a twin-turbo V6 petrol engine? Well, with the next-generation model, the Raptor is set to become part of the Ranger’s line-up in the US market for the first time, and there isn’t demand for high-performance diesel units there.

Conversely, the current Raptor comes with a 157kW/500Nm 2.0-litre EcoBlue twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine in Australia, with this unit expected to become one of new Ranger’s entry-level options.

It is of course possible a twin-turbo V6 petrol engine won’t be offered here at all, in which case the T6.2 Ranger’s anticipated 186kW/597Nm 3.0-litre Power Stroke single-turbo V6 diesel unit will fill the void, including in the Raptor.

As reported, other powertrain options for the next Ranger are set to include a 130kW/420Nm 2.0-litre single-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine and a plug-in hybrid that combines a 2.3-litre EcoBoost single-turbo four-cylinder petrol unit with at least one electric motor.