It’s Official: The Ford Bronco Raptor Is Coming in 2022!

This Is The News We All Have Been Waiting For

Ford’s teaser didn’t reveal much, but we got a look at the grille and the headlights. There were no details revealed, but given the Raptor version of the off-roader will come out next year, it won’t be long before details start pouring out.

The sudden announcement comes on the back of the leaked news from last week. The news came to light courtesy of a Bronco6G member who found the confirmation while looking at the Ford ordering system. The listing showed two grades – a base trim and a Lux Equipment package – and three color options: Code Orange, Eruption Green, and Hot Pepper Red.

The Bronco Raptor – What To Expect From It?

‘Raptor’ has always meant something in Ford’s lineup, so we don’t expect the automaker to skimp on features and off-road equipment. Back in 2020, we had speculated what the Ford Bronco Raptor will be like. We had noted that the car will be inspired by the first-gen Baja racer that took the motorsport competition by storm in the 70s. You can also expect it to come with stuff like 35- or even 37-inch tires, fully functional hood scoop, steel bumpers, larger skid plates, underbody protection, etc.

More than the on-road performance, Ford will aim to make it a strong desert runner.

This means there’s going to be a reworked chassis, suspension, and a lot of other related components. It could have the Bronco’s 2.7-liter twin-turbo V-6 under the hood, albeit in a different tune that makes close to 400 horses.

If Ford decides to surprise us and plonk in a hybrid mill, then we could be looking at over 400 horses and oodles of torque accompanying it. For all we know, Ford could be gunning at the Wrangler Rubicon 392 V-8’s power outputs – 470 horses and 470 pound-feet of torque! A bigger 3.0-liter V-6 from the Explorer ST and the Lincoln Aviator could also be offered. It doesn’t look like Ford will bring in the F-150 Raptor’s 3.5-liter V-6 here, though. A Bronco V-8 from the factory is not happening, so quite dreaming about that!

The suspension setup is the other aspect where we could see major improvements. The standard Bronco comes with a pretty robust setup in the form of the HOSS (High-performance Off-road Stability Suspension) system. But, Ford could take this up a notch in the case of the Bronco Raptor. Instead of throwing around random ideas, we can use the 2019 Bronco R race prototype as the benchmark. The prototype that took back in the 2019 Baja 1000 Race came with:

• A five-link independent suspension at the rear with 18 inches of travel
• Independent front suspension with 14 inches of travel

If not, there’s also the suspension setup of the F-150 Raptor:

• Independent front suspension system
• New five-link rear suspension setup
• Panhard rod and coil springs
• 3.1-inch Fox Live Valve dampers
• Front suspension travel range of 14 inches
• Rear suspension travel range of 15 inches

Perhaps, a watered-down version of either of the two, or a mix of both could be featured in the Bronco Raptor.

What Happens To The Bronco Warthog?

Last year in September, Ford filed a trademark with the USPTO for the name ‘Warthog’. It looked like ‘Warthog’ would be to the Bronco what ‘Raptor’ is to the F-150 and the Ranger. But, with the Raptor confirmed for the Bronco, what about the Warthog? Perhaps, Warthog will be a trim on the Bronco Raptor lineup. or a Sasquatch-like package, or another Bronco model a few years down the line? For all we know, there won’t be a Warthog anymore just like Ford shelved the Bronco pickup plans. Well, anything is possible at this point.

Conclusion

All said and done, we can’t wait for the Bronco Raptor to arrive and further elevate the Bronco vs Wrangler war. What are you expecting from the Ford Bronco Raptor? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section.