2018 Ford F-150 Raptor Introduction – Believe or not, F-150 series entered the thirteenth generation. The first model was introduced at the 2014 North American International Auto Show and it used the exterior design of the 2013 Ford Atlas concept. It came with numerous safety technologies and was by far the safest model of the series. In 2009 Raptor was introduced and it had sales way better than expected, even better than Honda Ridgeline.
The vehicle came with SVT prefix, but it lost it afterward. It used massive engines which could develop up to 500 horsepower. The 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor is on its way, and there are already some details about it. According to the first announcements, there are going to be some new features that will blow your mind.
2018 Ford F-150 Raptor Release Date and Price
According to the unofficial speculations starting price should be $55,000 while the upper limit is not known. It seems we won’t wait long to find it out since Ford F-150 Raptor 2018 will be released this year. The second half of 2017 is scheduled for release. Until then stay tuned with us since we will try to unveil more details about this pickup truck.
2017 Detroit Auto Show
The new F150 series was unveiled at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show and it really surprised us with new engine lineup. However, the announcement that left us speechless is that Ford is launching a hybrid F-150 in two or three years. I bet you didn’t expect that! This doesn’t mean there will be a Raptor hybrid, but the hybrid will be just one more vehicle in the lineup. Although many things were known about the 2018 Ford F-150 model even before Detroit, the auto show just filled the missing pieces.
2018 Ford F-150 Raptor Powertrain
The first Raptor released in 2009 had more powerful engines than the regular F150. The last model had a new engine in the lineup. It was a 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost six-cylinder. It was coupled with a 10-speed automatic gearbox and had several additional features to improve its off-road performance, such as racing shock absorbers, torque-on-demand transfer case, all-terrain tires etc. The 10-speed automatic will remain as well as the V6, but it will have one more engine in the lineup. A 5.0-liter EcoBoost V8 is an excellent choice for all those who want more power. Currently, there are no available details about torque and power, but Ford will not let us down. There are even speculations about the twin-turbo V8. However, Ford has neither confirmed nor denied these allegations. In our opinion, this won’t come true this year, but it is possible the next model will get such engine.
Fuel Economy
Ford should pay more attention to the fuel economy of the 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor. The biggest flaw of all models of the F series is fuel efficiency and Ford is showing some signs of putting it into focus. The announced hybrid engine is a good sign Ford is thinking in the right direction. The EPA rating of the new Raptor is still not available, but Ford should announce it in the following moths.
Exterior and Interior Design of New Raptor
The 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor lost some pounds comparing to the last model. Thanks to military grade “Baja” steel and use of aluminum we can hope fuel consumption will be reduced. Front fascia won’t be much changed. A black chromed grille is still there as well as heavy-duty front fender and LED headlights. LED taillights are redesigned, and a tailgate is larger than before.
The cabin looks stylish with black leather and aluminum accents. A large 8-inch touchscreen is placed on the dashboard accessing blind spot monitoring system, rear view camera, 4G internet and other features. In general, there won’t be any refreshments when it comes to technology, and everything will be inherited from the previous model.
2017 Ford F-150 Raptor | |
Dimensions And Weight | |
Wheelbase | 145 inches; |
Length | 200,5 inches; |
Height | 78,5 inches; |
Width | 86,8 inches; |
Weight | 5600–5800 lb |
Engine And Transmission | |
Engine type | twin-turbocharged and intercooler DOHC 24 valve V6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection |
Displacement | 3.5-liter |
Power/torque | 450 hp and 450 lb-ft |
Transmission | 10-speed automatic |
Performance | |
0-60 mph | 6.1–6.3 sec |
Top speed | 100 mph |
PRICE RANGE: Starting at $50,000 (est) | |
Competitors: Honda Ridgeline, Ford Ranger, Toyota Tundra |
NOTE: 2017 FORD F-150 Raptor Specs; Source; caranddriver.com
Take a look at the previous version while we wait for the 2018 Raptor:
Competitors: Honda Ridgeline, Ford Ranger, Toyota Tundra
In what universe?
The Dodge Rebel, Grand Cherokee SRT8 and the new somewhat lame GM wannabe are the only things close to this