Video: 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor Diesel review – A true workhorse or just an expensive toy?



The Ford Ranger Raptor needs no introduction. Be it its massive size, the massive air gap underneath its flared wheel arches, or just the stickers plastered beside its truck bed, there’s no denying that the Ranger Raptor is perhaps one of the most recognisable and iconic pick-up trucks on the road today – so much so that there’s a whole industry of people selling conversion kits to make their normal Rangers look like their angrier elder brother.

But perhaps, the reason that these conversions are so popular is because that the Raptor is just a little too out of reach for most people. At RM260k, the Raptor is certainly not cheap – even when compared to other performance cars. So what if I told you that you can now get a legitimate Raptor for (slightly) cheaper? Enter the Ranger Raptor Diesel.

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For RM11k less than the petrol counterpart, you now get a 2.0-litre bi-turbo turbodiesel mill underneath the bonnet, making 210 hp and 500 Nm of torque. Like its predecessor, the oil-burner here is also paired to a 10-speed automatic gearbox, with the drive sent to all four wheels via a new, Raptor-exclusive full-time all-wheel drive system.

But with the lower price, Ford also made some other concessions in its equipment list too. For starters, the diesel variant only comes with a rear-locking diff rather than on both axles, and the Fox shock dampers are also a slightly less performant version with internal bypass, instead of the adaptive Live Valve ones on the petrol Raptor.

With all those compromises, is this still a true-blue Raptor, or is it just a factory dress-up kit? Find out in our full video review above.