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Cape Town - Earlier in February, Ford unveiled its first Ranger Raptor at a world debut in Bangkok, Thailand.
The automaker also revealed that the Silverton Plant in Pretoria will be one of three locations where the bakkie will be built.
Ford South Africa has yet to confirm when the new bakkie will be launched locally though it will in 2019.
The bakkie will be available with a 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine delivering 157kW and 500Nm.
Ford Performance chief engineer Jamal Hameedi told Wheels24 that the Raptor is not about power, it's about the chassis and the suspension. Hameedi says: "Customers won't be disappointed when they drive this. It's lighter, more powerful and has more torque. It takes a page from the Ford GT that has a little V6 twin-turbo engine that's doing the work and is a more efficient engine.
"There's so much technology now that there's no replacement for displacement."
What do you think of the new Ford Ranger Raptor headed for SA? Email us
Here's what our readers have to say about the new SA-bound bakkie...
One Wheels24 reader, Jaco Louw, says: "I read with interest all the comments and concerns of Ford having “only” a 2.0-litre twin turbo diesel in the Raptor.
"I had a similar concern about them having a 999cc engine in the Fiesta, only to take one for a drive and immediately buying one ! It’s been running faultless since and has more than enough power/torque for my daily commute."Coming back to the Raptor engine: time will tell but I think readers must hold onto their concerns about the “small” engine until they get a chance to drive one."