We started talking about the next generation Ford Raptor as soon as Ford let the cat out of the bag, and haven’t stopped since, and we probably wont for some time.
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It will become the first version of Ford’s full-sized truck- the most popular passenger vehicle in the United States – to be available in China.
Weight savings from aluminium alloy helps the F-150 reduce its lifetime emissions compared to the previous steel-body version.
Ford, America’s truck leader, will in 2017 bring the all-new F-150 Raptor SuperCrew – the high-performance off-road pickup unmatched by any other auto manufacturer – to China, delivering a new level of capability to China’s off-road enthusiasts.
The legendary suspension relies on the internally bypassed Fox Racing Shoxs giving this crew cab truck a smooth ride on -and-off road, and letting the 35-inch BFGoodrich KO2 tires travel easily. There is also an Endurance V8 engine option that will come mated to a seven-speed auto transmission. Part of the improved performance is the all-new terrain management system that include six driving modes to optimize driving dynamics.
The launch was probably timed in anticipation of the day China significantly loosens traffic control restrictions that ban pickup trucks from densely populated urban areas.
Raptor will arrive with little modification – the most noticeable being some small lights added to the roof to comply with Chinese highways laws – but off-road enthusiasts there already know it well.
In brief: Ford says its operations recycle enough aluminum to build the bodies for 30,000 F-150 pickups a month.
Raptor’s formal entry into China signals again how the consumers have a huge interest in all things automotive.
Some of those inflated prices paid for the Raptor in China in the past can be attributed to import taxes, but the country’s elite have been willing to pay premium prices for the American truck’s cool, aggressive styling and off-road power and handling.
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“The Chinese have access, through the Internet, to knowledge of what’s sold around the world”, he said.
