Ford announced to the public its newest SUV, based on desert racing trucks and part of the Built Wild brand: the Ford Bronco Raptor.
Compared to a base Bronco four-door, the Raptor is 9.8 inches wider, sits 4.8 inches higher off the ground and rests on 37-inch tires. Black fender flares cover the off-road tires.
Ford said it can move across sand dunes at “highway speeds" and crawl over rocks, and is “the most powerful street-legal Bronco ever.”
With a 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission, owners can shift gears utilizing steering wheel-mounted paddles. A manual transmission option is not available.
The vehicle carries a twin-turbo 3.0-liter EcoBoost engine capable of producing at least 400 horsepower. The exact horsepower number will be unveiled at a later date.
Protecting the engine, transmission and other parts are heavy-duty metal plates underneath the four-door body.
One of the seven driver-selectable modes features a tuned Baja Mode that activates a turbo anti-lag calibration. This maximizes performance over desert runs at high speeds. Also included are Trail Control, Trail One-Pedal Driving and Trail Turn Assist.
The dark interior houses seats made from Black Onyx marine-grade vinyl and a rubberized washout flooring.
For infotainment technology, a High Package includes SYNC4 with a 12-inch touchscreen and swipe capability, enhanced voice recognition and information on-demand.
Interested buyers can place orders beginning in March, but Ford says a majority will go to existing reservation holders based on original reservation timestamps.
CNN Business reports the starting price will be approximately $70,000. The vehicle will be available in the summer of 2022.