R1-million bulletproof upgrade for Ford Ranger Raptor in South Africa

A South African company has introduced a new package for the Ford Ranger Raptor valued at over R1 million.

SVI Engineering is a firm based in Gauteng that specializing in developing armour solutions for the nation’s most popular cars, from bakkies to SUVs and hot hatchbacks.

The latest vehicle to receive this treatment is none other than the Ranger’s high-performance flagship, which can now withstand shots fired by an assault rifle.

SVI is now offering three different protection levels for the Raptor, which cost as follows:

• “SVI LITE” B2 partial armour – R64,950 per closure
• 360-degree B4 discreet armour – R588,730
• 360-degree B6 discreet armour – R891,735

Importantly, these figures exclude the purchase price of the car, which currently starts at R1,270,000.

These figures also do not include VAT, which adds 15% to the listed price.

With VAT factored in, the true price looks like this:

• “SVI LITE” B2 partial armour – R74,692 per closure
• 360-degree B4 discreet armour – R677,039.50
• 360-degree B6 discreet armour – R1,025,495.25

This means that anyone who wishes to purchase the Raptor with the best protection available will need to spend a whopping R2,295,495.25.

Ultimate protection

The Raptor proved to be more of a challenge to modify than the standard Ranger, as its bespoke FOX rally suspension was initially deemed unsuitable to support the weight of the armoured components.

“The technical solution, of course, is to increase the Raptor’s GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass), a process we’ve now successfully completed with the full blessing of Ford,” explained SVI Business Development Director, Nicol Louw.

“As standard, the Ranger Raptor’s GVM is 3 130 kg, while its official payload is listed as 670 kg. However, in consultation with both Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa and FOX’s suspension experts, SVI set about safely increasing these figures, ultimately paving the way for B6 armour.”

Ultimately, SVI was able to preserve the Raptor’s defining suspension system, though the FOX shock absorbers now work in conjunction with a set of uprated springs.

The vehicle’s new GVM clocks in at 3,499kg, meaning drivers can still operate it on a standard Code B licence.

The payload capacity has also been increased to 1,039kg, opening the doors to the full B6 treatment.

Vehicle armour is typically split into two categories – B4 and B6 – which refer to the types of weapons and ammunition it can protect against.

B4 armour can protect against handguns up to a .44 Magnum in calibre, while B6 covers everything up to assault rifles, including common examples like an AK47, R1, and R5.

B6 is the highest grade of armour available to civilians without the need for a special permit.

On the Ranger, this solution provides 360-degree protection thanks to the use of additional plates and replacement materials.

The standard glass is replaced by 38mm-thick bullet resistant glass, and most of the bodywork is reinforced by high-grade steel plates.

SVI has also reinforced the footwells and taken care to overlap materials to minimize ballistic gaps.

Critical components like the engine, battery, and brake system are also shielded.

While this has understandably added a lot of weight to the vehicle, the powertrain itself is unmodified, since the Raptor’s 3.0-litre twin-turbo B6 petrol engine is more than up to the task with its 292kW and 583Nm.

Since SVI’s conversion is approved by Ford, the bakkie’s warranty and service or maintenance plan will not be affected by the modifications.

The entire package, including the price of the base vehicle and the armour solution, can also be financed via Ford Credit at any Blue Oval dealership.

The project build time for the B4 and B6 armour packages takes roughly three months.

SVI Ford Ranger Raptor