Source: Motortrend
One year after the reveal of 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCab, the Dearborn automaker has revealed the roomier SuperCrew model. The 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCrew model’s 145-inch wheelbase is 12 inches longer than the SuperCab’s bodystyle. All of that additional length has been reserved for the rear cab area, which “provides rear passengers with more legroom and comfort on the trails and more space to stow gear” than the SuperCab model, according to Ford.
“F-150 Raptor means superior off-road capability, from rock crawling to sand running,” said Dave Pericak, Ford Performance global director. “With the addition of SuperCrew, F-150 Raptor customers can leave the pavement behind – without sacrificing comfort and space.”
Like the SuperCab model, the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCrew is powered by the new, second-generation high-output twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6. The truck also features a new dual exhaust system. A new 10-speed automatic transmission backs the engine.
While Ford hasn’t revealed exact power figures for the new engine, Raj Nair, Ford group president of global product development, suggested the engine would make 450 hp. That’s 39 hp more than the first-generation Raptor’s 6.2-liter V-8 (411 hp, 434 lb-ft of torque). We expect the EcoBoost engine to make more torque than the previous V-8 as well.
Ford says the 2017 Raptor, which is based on the aluminum-intensive Ford F-150 that debuted for 2015, is up to 500 pounds lighter than the first-generation Raptor. The lighter weight and more powerful EcoBoost engine are said to make the truck quicker and more agile off-road.
The 2017 F-150 Raptor pickup’s purpose-built fully boxed frame is said to be even stronger than that in the standard 2015 and newer F-150. In addition to its stronger foundation, the 2017 Raptor also features a 6-inch wider body for enhanced off-road stability. That wider body houses a set of 17-inch wheels wrapped in next-generation BFGoodrich All-Terrain KO2 off-road tires.
Much of the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor’s off-road prowess is partly due to its all-new four-wheel-drive system featuring a torque-on-demand transfer case. The new Raptor’s transfer case combines a clutch-driven, on-demand all-wheel-drive system with a mechanical-locking four-wheel-drive system that routes power between the front and rear axles.
The all-new Terrain Management System features six preset modes (Normal, Street, Weather, Mud and Sand, Baja, and Rock) for different terrain and is said to be an “advanced, easy-to-use off-road mode driver-assist technology” making it “easy to drive off-road across varying terrain.”
A Torsen differential is available for the front axle, which can route power side-to-side to increase its surefootedness over obstacles or up steep grades.
Like the first-generation model, the new Raptor features Fox Racing Shox with custom internal bypass technology. This time around the front and rear shock canisters’ diameter has increased from 2.5 inches to 3.0 inches. Ford says the new shocks have more suspension travel than the previous model’s 11.2 inches front and 12 inches rear travel.
The 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor will be built at the automaker’s Dearborn Truck Plant and will go on sale in fall of 2016 in the U.S. and Canada.
