Ford Raptor designed to change power equation

Dubai : Besides its reliable passenger cars and medium-sized SUVs, the Ford Motor Company has also showcased a real monster in the Ford F-150 Raptor SVT at the Dubai Motor Show this year.

And the Raptor SVT has not been lost on the crowds. SVT stands for Special Vehicle Team, the Ford department dedicated to out-and-out four-wheel concepts, and the Raptor, of course, is a bird of prey with sharp talons. So what to expect from the special F-150 version?

It features an extremely powerful 6.2-litre V8 producing 400 hp, which is big power for dune bashing in any style.

Push-button convenience

The car has a six-speed automatic transmission and special suspensions designed for heavy-duty offroad experiences. To create it, SVT teamed up with Fox Racing, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance shock absorbers and racing suspensions.

The off-road mode of the Raptor can be activated with the push of a button, and it changes the engine's throttle map. That's intended to give it linear throttle response, like a race truck, instead of high power at the beginning and tapered at the end, like a street truck.

Ford has done a great job with this car, but how does it comply with its comittment to produce "greener" and more fuel efficient cars in the future?

"We have to have a portfolio of different cars, a combination of vehicles for the market. Such cars like the F-150 Raptor are not our main product line, but they are part of the portfolio. Most car companies are doing it that way," Sue Cischke, group vice-president for sustainability, environment and safety engineering at Ford, told Gulf News.

The Ford Raptor's pricing starts at around $42,000 (Dh154,476) for the most powerful version with the 6.2-litre engine. Ford's racing department has developed an XT version of the Raptor which comes with a 500hp engine. For this extraordinarily powerful version, buyers will have to shell out around $100,000.