Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCrew:: Baja-inspired dual-cab debuts in Detroit
One year after the reveal of the hardcore 2016 Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCab, the US company has premiered the stretched SuperCrew dual-cab version.
The premiere of the 2017 F-150 Raptor SuperCrew took place at this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit — Motor City. In an era of head-turning utes, it’s hard to think of one that does it better.
Billed as a Baja race truck for the road, the F-150 Raptor SuperCrew is 30cm longer in the wheelbase than the SuperCab. This version is 15cm wider than the standard F-150.
Like all F-150s, its body is made from military grade aluminium (though its box frame backbone is made of high-strength steel), helping shave more than 200kg over the old version.
Like the SuperCab, the SuperCrew sports a 3.5-litre EcoBoost turbo V6 that produces more oomph than the old 6.2-litre V8's 306kW/590Nm, though Ford is keeping specifics under wraps. It’s paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
The Raptor sports an all-new four-wheel-drive system, with torque-on-demand transfer case. This combines the attributes of a clutch-driven on-demand all-wheel drive system with a mechanical-locking four-wheel drive setup to send torque to the wheels in slippery conditions.
The new Terrain Management System has six preset modes: Normal, Street (high-performance road driving), Weather Mode (rain, snow and ice), Mud and Sand, Rock Mode and Baja Mode (high-speed desert running).
A Torsen front differential is available. It increases front-end grip significantly and allows it to better pull itself over obstacles and up steep grades – even when traction is split between the front tyres.
F-150 Raptor comes standard with new FOX Racing Shox with custom internal bypass technology that works to damp and stiffen suspension travel over rough terrain, helping prevent the truck from bottoming out. Suspension travel is greater than the outgoing Raptor’s 28cm (front) and 31cm (rear).
Standard features include dual exhausts, 17-inch wheels and next-generation BFGoodrich All-Terrain KO2 off-road tyres.
The al-new F-150 Raptor SuperCrew will be built at Dearborn Truck Plant and goes on sale in the US and Canada around September.
Unfortunately, Ford Australia still can’t import a F-150, because the company doesn’t make it in right-hand drive. The Ranger will have to suffice for now, though you can expect one or more aftermarket conversion companies to look into the business case.
0
