by Calvin Fisher
I cruised out from the shadow of Table Mountain, weaved through Cape Town’s bustling roads behind the wheel of the 2025 Ford Ranger Raptor, dipped in Performance Blue paint. Immediately, I was fizzing. This is the stuff, a 3.0L V6 Twin-Turbo EcoBoost Engine churning out 292kW and 583Nm, it’s nothing short of performance car territory, but wrapped in a bluff and gruff exterior – a blunt object with a sophisticated chassis that can iron out any surface it encounters. And encounter it, it will – as I detour to my home to collect my mountain bike. With kit and gear loaded, I was well equipped to search for any gravelly trail I wanted to visit – no obstacle. The destination was Welvanplas, just near Bainskloof Pass in Wellington. This meant I’d incorporate the perfect trio, a triumvirate of terrain as I bolt down the highway, carve up an iconic ribbon of asphalt before grinding some dusty miles on the dirt network surrounding the trails. And even then, my reward would be a loop on my two-wheeled companion, but I won’t bore you with that.
That aesthetic though
Woof, the Raptor is an absolute beast. Much like its predecessor, it is a ‘from the ground up’ redistillation of the Ranger but with performance solely in mind. Where that truck was mostly blessed in terms of its handling and Fox suspension, the new one gets a liberally juiced-up V6 engine at its heart, with all the other boxes ticked accordingly – including an evolution of the Fox live-bypass shock absorbers. But the first thing you’ll notice is that it’s impossible not to notice – it’s mega, swollen like a Mr Olympia veteran, purposeful and imposing with vents and diffusers in all the right places. It’s a wicked-looking animal, with a bark to match and a bite to terrify littler animals. I am fond of it at once.
Speaking of bite, the grippy all-terrain rubber not only does a great job of hugging onto the road, but it fill out the arches impressively once again fortifying the Raptor’s ‘look at me’ demeanour. Hop aboard and it’s as welcoming as the outside is threatening, leathery and cosseting with all the modern conveniences, comfort, and phone and media connectivity you crave. This is not a utilitarian affair – it feels premium, and that’s precisely the brief fulfilled.
And yes, it goes
Shift the meaty lever into D, twist the rotary dial into Sport mode and by all means, live there. This is ‘peak performance truck’, so why entertain any other mode? Modesty? Don’t be daft. There’s also an array of offroad modes should you require it. Shifting is done via a buttery 10-speed auto and acceleration feels linear – and while Ford hasn’t officially claimed a zero to hundred sprint time, several of my colleagues have seen consistent figures circa 6.6 seconds. That’s hot hatch times in a double-cab bakkie brimming with technology, and in this case with a bicycle hanging over the tail-gate. So the Ford Ranger Raptor is a weapon, but is it worth the sticker price of R1,28mil? Well, that depends if you classify it as a mere bakkie, or a performance car – and even then I’d say yes to both counts. We’re at a time when more than one lifestyle bakkie have penetrated that million rand barrier, and at least one is Chinese with more to follow. As a performance car, it’s quick on road and off it, makes the right sounds and can raise the hairs on the forearms of its drivers. What more could you possibly want? It’s also in a league of its own as its new rivals rely on electricity to achieve these figures (and better) which means what you gain in numbers, you lose in viscera. Ultimately, it’s a personal choice, and one I could totally get behind.
