2017 Ford F-150 Raptor: EcoBoost Desert Destroyer

Since 1948, the Ford F150 has continued to prove why it is the most reliable pickup truck in Utah and on the market in general. Now available with different body options and engine sizes, each model comes equipped with top-of-the-line towing capacity, storage room and luxury interior. It’s no secret why the Ford F150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the United States for the past 32 years. 

As the power and reliability of the F150 became renowned among truck fanatics across the globe, more adventurous drivers began demonstrating recreational uses for their pickups (in addition to the intended labor and towing usage). In 2010, Ford Motor Company took notice of this growing demographic and created a new addition to the Ford F-Series: The SVT Raptor, which is available from Utah to the East Coast. 

The Ford F150 Raptor is manufactured specifically for off-road use. It features a wider body than the traditional F150, and it has a full set of FOX shocks with 11.2 inches of front suspension travel, and 12.1 inches of rear travel. 

This increased level of clearance allows for more off-road potential and makes conquering rocky, treacherous obstacles, such as the mountains in Utah, a breeze. Ford’s Special Vehicle Team managed to create a monster of a pickup able to withstand terrible economic years and the Baja 1000 desert race. 

The previous models have received critical and commercial praise, and the new, lighter 2017 F-150 Raptor is expected to do the same. Ford has strategically withheld many details of the truck, but photos and testing videos have been released. The videos circulating throughout the Web currently show the truck ripping through desert terrain like a scene from “Mad Max: Fury Road.”  

Aside from a slightly wider and lighter body, the biggest difference from the older models is the engine. Critics and consumers have expressed mixed emotions regarding Ford’s decision to incorporate the 3.5 liter V-6 EcoBoost engine with twin turbochargers and direct fuel injection. One of the key selling points for the older model raptors is the roar of the iron-block V-8 engine. 

In addition to the new engine, the 2017 Raptor will include the first application of Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission and a new four-wheel-drive transfer case. This all-wheel-drive feature will work in harmony with a terrain-mode system to form the vehicle for various types of terrain and conditions. It will be controlled via steering-wheel buttons. 

The latest F-150 Raptor will be released around the nation in 2016. To purchase the latest Ford vehicles, visit your local Ford dealers in Utah or a location near you for the best rates. 

Broc Waring is a automative writer reporter for Fusion 360, a Content Marketing Agency. Information provided by Henry Day Ford.