2023 Ford Ranger Raptor hit with engine detune in Europe
Not all Raptors are created equal; versions of the new Ranger Raptor sold in Europe will produce more than 25 per cent less power than those sold in Australia.
The 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor coming to Australia later this year might develop nearly twice as much power as its predecessor – but in Europe, emissions regulations will more than halve that gap.
European buyers will be offered the same 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V6 as the rest of the world – but whereas Australian models will develop 292kW and 583Nm, European versions will offer just 212kW and 491Nm.
Those figures represent power and torque cuts of 27 and 16 per cent respectively – and mean the new European-market Raptor V6 develops less torque than its diesel predecessor (491Nm vs 500Nm), though 55kW more power (212kW vs 157kW).
MORE: 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor revealed with twin-turbo petrol V6
The detune has been attributed to Europe’s stringent emissions regulations, with a Ford of Europe spokesperson telling Carscoops: “Like other OEMs, we homologate to meet the stringent EU emissions standards. The new Ranger Raptor with its V6 EcoBoost petrol engine is around 30 [per cent] more performance than the current diesel.”
It’s believed the European-market model is fitted with a petrol particulate filter, which saps power – a device not bolted to Australian models, which are believed to be capable of accepting 91-octane regular unleaded petrol (though the headline performance numbers are achieved with 98-octane fuel).
Whereas the Australian-market Ranger Raptor has been dubbed as “hot hatch fast, on dirt” by its engineers – with a 0-100km/h time likely in the six-second bracket – the European model is likely to be slower, possibly closer to the eight-second mark.
In 2023, the detuned petrol V6 will be joined in Europe by the 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine used in the outgoing Ranger Raptor globally, with outputs yet to be announced for this engine. However, only the petrol V6 will be sold in Australia.
While it might lack the full engine tune of its overseas counterparts, the European Ranger Raptor includes all of the same chassis upgrades, including adaptive Fox shock absorbers, full-time all-wheel drive, rally-inspired anti-lag technology, and BFGoodrich all-terrain tyres.
The 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor is slated to arrive in European showrooms before the end of 2022 – at a similar time to first Australian showroom arrivals. Click here to read more about the new model for the local marker.
Unlike Australia, the Raptor will be the first new-generation Ranger variant to launch in Europe, with lesser variants to follow in the first half of 2023.
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