2017 Ford F-150 Raptor: More Power, More Speeds, More MPG


Ford Motor Company has issued specifications for its 2017 F-150 Raptor off-road performance pickup, and you can thank the company’s engineers for the attractive numbers.
The next-generation Raptor makes serious gains not just in horsepower and torque, but also in fuel economy. The mileage boost should make those dirt-flinging romps through the countryside just a little bit greener.
For starters, the dealer product document posted to Ford Raptor Forum two weeks ago was right on the money. The high-output version of Ford’s second-generation 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 truly does make 450 horsepower in the Raptor, and cranks out an impressive 510 lb-ft of torque.
Stock versions of the upgraded mill make 375 hp and 470 lb-ft. To put the Raptor’s boosted output into context, the previous generation housed a 6.2-liter V8 making 411 hp and 434 lb-ft. The model’s torque-to-weight ratio improves by 21 percent.
A 10-speed automatic transmission co-developed by Ford and General Motors (and designed for high-torque applications) comes standard. Between the extra cogs, the newly refined engine, and the aluminum bodied F-150’s 500-pound weight loss, the 2017 Raptor is a far more efficient machine than before, even if the numbers don’t look that way to your average economy car driver.
Ford claims an EPA-rated 15 miles per gallon in the city, 18 mpg on the highway, and 16 mpg combined. Those numbers aren’t likely to make a new buyer cheer, but owners of 2014 Raptors will sit up and take notice. The automaker claims a 23-percent increase in combined fuel economy.
Sporting a more capable suspension and Ford’s six-mode Terrain Management System, the 2017 Raptor will carry an MSRP of just under $50,000.
[Image: Ford Motor Company]
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The picture looks like an extended cab with the tiny (5'?) bed of the crew cab. That would make for a very short truck, possibly the same length as a regular cab with the 6 1/2' bed? Which is very good for off-roading. Not so useful for hauling, but nobody buys a Raptor to haul, anyhow.
And, thus, the future of YouTube "Raptor Fail" videos is assured.
Y'know if only I could tell by looking at the grill exactly who makes this truck???????
"performance pickup" is an oxymoron. The expression "it drives like a truck" is pejorative - for good reason. There are lots of cars that can be described as "performance" vehicles, but not a single truck. The laws of physics do not permit such a thing to exist.