It is possible to buy a Ford bakkie in South Africa that can outperform a hot hatchback like a VW Polo or Golf GTI.
Local motorists will likely be familiar with the Ford Ranger and its high-octane flagship – the Raptor – but there’s actually an even larger version of this vehicle known as the F-150 Raptor.
The F-150 is not officially sold in South Africa, as the full-size pickup is primarily built for the North American market in the United States and Canada, but a handful of units have still made it to our shores thanks to private buyers and dealerships specializing in imported models.
We recently came across a Ford F-150 SVT Raptor on AutoTrader, which is currently retailing for a cool R1,799,995 as of the time of writing.
A monster on wheels
The Raptor listed on AutoTrader is from 2017, meaning it’s an older model as the F-150 entered its 14th generation in 2021.
Of course, there’s nothing geriatric about its performance, as the Raptor is practically new with only 3,100km on the clock.
The main attraction of the Ford is that it comes with a 6.2-litre, naturally-aspirated V8 petrol engine – something you’re unlikely to see on many other cars in South Africa, especially bakkies.
This gives the double cab a daunting power rating of 306kW and 588Nm; the end result being it can sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 170km/h despite its hulking size.
As a point of reference, the popular Polo and Golf GTI hot hatches eclipse 100km/h in 6.7 and 6.4 seconds, respectively.
It’s also worth pointing out that the SVT in the F-150’s name stands for Special Vehicle Team, which was Ford’s sports division before it was merged into the Ford Performance brand we have today.
Naturally, the downside of this performance is its fuel consumption, as the American can certainly be called a gas guzzler with an average consumption of 15.6l/100km.
As far as its bakkie credentials are concerned, the monolithic Raptor has a four-wheel-drive system linked to a 10-speed automatic gearbox, and a ground clearance of 292mm.
It can also tow 3,500kg and haul 544kg in the load bed.
The carrying capacity is quite low for a pickup, but this is because Ford’s Raptor models are fitted with special racing suspension and shocks that greatly improve the ride quality off-road, but aren’t as good for supporting heavy loads.
To briefly touch on its size, the F-150 is clearly made for the much wider roads you’ll find in the States, as it measures a colossal 5.8 metres in length, 2.4 metres in width, and 2.1 metres in height, making it larger than the Ranger Raptor in every dimension.
2017 Ford F-150 Raptor
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