Ford Ranger Raptor X 2022 Review

It might be in the twilight of its life, but the 2022 Ford Ranger Raptor – along with its lesser siblings, of course – remains extraordinarily popular.

At the top of the range is this Ranger Raptor ‘X’ at $79,390 plus on-road costs, a $2200 premium over the standard Ranger Raptor.

It is, to be honest, a dress-up pack, aimed at shifting a few more units towards the end of the Raptor’s lifecycle.

Additions include the stripes, matt finish exterior bits (grille, flares, door handles, mirrors, etc), sports bar from the FX4 Max, red front tow hooks, black Ford logo on the tailgate and matt black trim replacing the previous alloy.

It looks particularly good in white and black isn’t bad, but the stripe colour palette doesn’t mesh well with the hero blue – to these eyes, anyway.

Inside, there’s red stitching in place of the standard blue and unique accents across the dashboard and door cards.

When the Ranger Raptor first lobbed in 2018 the only real credible rival was the now-defunct HSV Colorado SportsCat+. But now the market is much more crowded, including the Toyota Hilux Rugged X, Nissan Navara Warrior and Walkinshaw-tuned Volkswagen Amarok W580.

Despite the advanced age of the base platform, the 2022 Ford Ranger Raptor X manages to still put up a decent showing in terms of technology thanks to the Ranger’s constant updates over its lifespan.

The interior is basic but functional; all the controls are easily located, though more storage space would help and the lack of steering wheel reach adjustment dates the Ranger.

Thankfully, the driving position is still reasonably good, especially with the supportive, well-bolstered sports seats.

Those seats are electrically adjustable and heated, there’s dual-zone climate control, auto headlights and wipers, keyless entry and start and a trio of USB ports, two in the centre console and one mounted next to the rear-vision mirror for easy dash-cam power.

The infotainment system is Ford’s SYNC 3 on an 8.0-inch touch-screen with smartphone mirroring, sat-nav, digital radio, Bluetooth and FordPass Connect. The latter allows you to use your smartphone to lock/unlock, remote start and pre-heat the car as well as check the vehicle location and receive live traffic updates.

In the rear there’s a decent amount of room and a pair of ISOFIX points for child seats, but there are no air vents or USB charging points. What is present is a 12V outlet and, in our test car, a three-prong 230V outlet.

Check for this latter feature, however, as vehicles built post mid-2021 won’t have them, the outlet deleted as it no longer meets Australian design regulations.

In terms of safety, a 2019 update brought with it autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist and traffic sign recognition, but the Ranger lacks the comprehensive safety suite of newer utes like the Isuzu D-MAX and Mazda BT-50.

One of the more controversial aspects of the 2022 Ford Ranger Raptor X since its release has been its engine, the 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel producing 157kW and 500Nm.

It’s a fantastic engine in lower-spec Rangers, but laden with the Raptor’s extra heft – at 2376kg it’s more than 200kg heavier than an XLT – and power-sapping BF Goodrich All-Terrain tyres, it’s merely adequate.

And this is before adding any payload or weight on the back. On this topic, the Ranger’s tray floor measures 1549x1560mm with a 1485mm rear opening and 1139mm between the wheel-arches.

Maximum payload is 772kg but with a 2376kg kerb weight, 2500kg towing capability and 5350kg gross combined mass (GCM), you’re left with just 474kg. Something to take into account.

The engine has a decent spread of torque that belies its diminutive nature and the super-closely stacked 10-speed gearbox does a good job of keeping it singing.

Claimed fuel consumption is a frugal 8.2L/100km but it’s a figure that’s unlikely to be seen except on extended highway running. Traffic, towing or undulating terrain will see it stretch out to 10-11L/100km in our experience.

That said, it’ll be a figure that owners of the incoming new-generation Ranger Raptor might only be able to dream of. Its 292kW/583Nm 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 will offer a quantum leap in terms of performance, but there will be a penalty at the pump.

Where the 2022 Ford Ranger Raptor X really shines is its ability to offer a benchmark driving experience – compared to its dual-cab competitors – on a wide variety of surfaces.

On typical tarmac the ride quality is uncommonly good. There is still a degree of dual-cab shimmy on pockmarked roads but it’s limited and the fancy Fox shock absorbers soak up larger bumps with uncanny ease. Speed bumps? What speed bumps?

Despite being a baby ute by the standard of full-size US pick-ups, the Ranger Raptor is still a bit of a monster at 5398mm long, 2028mm wide (2180mm with mirrors) and 1873mm high.

It can make for some squeezy moments in supermarket car parks and the like, the lack of front parking sensors making the situation harder as the bluff nose makes it difficult to judge the extremities.

The chunky BF Goodrich All-Terrain tyres also require caution, especially on wet roads where they heavily compromise grip, substantially expanding braking distances in particular.

Leave the tarmac behind, however, and they come into their own. In terms of off-road ability, the Ranger Raptor is as impressive as any standard vehicle this side of a Jeep Gladiator.

The combination of the tyres, the suspension, the locking rear diff and the Raptor’s off-road-friendly dimensions – 283mm of ground clearance with approach, departure and ramp-over angles of 32.5, 24 and 24 degrees respectively – mean there are few situations in which it will be out of its depth.

It’s in more open terrain, however, where the Raptor really shines. Few other vehicles promote as much confidence when driving at speed over rough terrain.

Granted, this will be a very niche ability for the vast majority of people, though like a watch, the mere fact that it’s capable will be enough for some.

Activate Baja mode to relax the stability control, click the drive system to 4H for greater grip or leave it in 2H rear-wheel drive for bigger smiles.

Just as you might take a Porsche 911 GT3 RS to the racetrack or a Mazda MX-5 on a twisty mountain road, in the environment for which it’s been designed – exploring Australia’s vast network of unsealed roads – the Ranger Raptor is an immense amount of fun.

It’s sometimes difficult to recommend buying a model at the very end of its lifecycle, especially when the new-generation Ford Ranger Raptor will likely be an enormous leap in terms of performance, capability, technology and safety.

Let’s hope so, anyway.

There’s still plenty of life in the old girl, though. It’s on- and off-road ability remains superior to most other dual-cab offerings and the diesel efficiency is something its successor won’t be able to match.

Whether Ford caters to the previous Raptor market with a Fox-equipped Ranger with the new 3.0-litre diesel – essentially a new-generation Ranger FX4 Max – remains to be seen, but we’ll always appreciate the original for proving the humble dual-cab could be much more than just a workhorse.

How much does the 2022 Ford Ranger Raptor X cost?
Price: $79,390 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 157kW/500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 212g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2015)