This year turned into a watershed for medium-sized trucks, with Nissan and Toyota unleashing updated versions of the Frontier and Tacoma after what seemed like several decades of stagnation. The stalwart midsizers both got some serious upgrades, with Toyota going as far as to chuck a hybrid drivetrain at the Taco.
The increased pressure meant Ford had to do something, so it pulled out all the stops and brought the Ranger Raptor to the American market. Truck nerds and off-roaders have been clamoring for the baby dinosaur for years, and Ford finally obliged.
For its efforts, The Drive awarded Ford its Truck of the Year accolade for the 405 hp midsizer. Editors praised the Ranger Raptor’s capability, balance, and useful horsepower, calling the Ranger a nicely balanced package, especially when compared to the bananas, 720 hp Ford F-150 Raptor R.
Head over to The Drive to read our buddy Caleb Jacobs’ piece on just what landed the Ranger Raptor at the top of the pile.
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