Details have been dribbling out for the past year, but finally the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor has broken cover at the North American International Auto Show, and it’s quite literally more truck than its predecessor. In addition to boasting a 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6 with 411 horsepower and 434 lb-ft of torque, the 2017 Raptor also gets a 10-speed automatic transmission and a four-door Supercrew version for the new generation of off-road ready pickups.
That’s only scratching the surface of what’s new for the 2017 Raptor, which has become not just lighter, but smarter and more refined too.
That starts with the all-new four-wheel drive system, including a new transfer case, which Ford says combines the “best attributes” of a clutch-driven on-demand all-wheel drive system with the rugged reliability of mechanical-locking four-wheel drive. This also includes a new Terrain Management System that lets the driver choose between six preset driving modes to crawl through a variety of terrain and obstacles. These modes include Normal, Street (for high-performance on-road driving), Weather (for rain, snow, or ice), Mud (for muddy or sandy backroads), Baja (for high-speed desert runs), and Rock (for low-speed rock crawling).
Ford has also upgraded the front and rear shock canisters from 2.5 to 3 inches for better performance and more suspension travel than the current Raptor’s 11.2 inches front/12 inches rear. The 2017 Raptor will also launch with the aforementioned Supercrew trim, which adds 12-inches of length and a lot more comfort for all your buddies. Despite all these new features and extra room though, Ford says that the 2017 Raptor is up to 500 pounds lighter than its predecessor, while also making more power.
That sounds like an equation for fun if you ask us.