ALL-NEW FORD F-150 RAPTOR NAMED 2017
FOUR WHEELER PICKUP TRUCK OF THE YEAR
DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 31, 2017 – Add another trophy to the 2017
Ford F-150 Raptor showcase. The all-new Raptor topped a seven-vehicle
field to be named 2017 FOUR WHEELER Pickup Truck of the Year. Earlier this
month, Raptor took home Best Pickup Truck of 2017 honors from Cars.com.
“The all-new 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor is the truck equivalent of an
amusement park thrill ride,” said Ken Brubaker, FOUR WHEELER editor.
“Compared to its predecessor, which also had a very commanding stance, the
new Raptor has more ground clearance and a significantly wider track that
makes it look incredibly aggressive. The excitement continues when you
fire up the high-output twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine and stab the
throttle.”
In earning the FOUR WHEELER award, the F-150 Raptor scored high marks in
weeklong testing that challenged the truck to harsh conditions including
sand, rocky trails and snow covering about 1,000 miles of off-road
terrain. Raptor also scored high in track testing in Southern California,
with its high-output EcoBoost® V6 propelling the truck to best-in-field
0-to-60-mph and quarter-mile times.
The purpose-built, off-road Raptor builds on the success of its
predecessor with performance gains and new technology that didn’t go
unnoticed by FOUR WHEELER judges. With a high-output 3.5-liter EcoBoost
engine generating 450 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque, first-in-class
10-speed transmission, a six-mode Terrain Management System,™ and a
high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body that saves 500 pounds
over the previous model, the all-new F-150 Raptor stands alone among
high-performance off-road trucks.
The 2017 F-150 Raptor’s competition-proven chassis also sets the
performance bar with its second-generation BF Goodrich KO2 tires designed
exclusively for the truck’s extended off-road capabilities. In addition,
upgraded FOX Shocks (jointly engineered by Ford Performance and FOX) are
44 percent larger with 3-inch diameter shock canisters (2.5-inch
previously) and nine-stage bypass damping delivering improved suspension
control. The new shock design enables an increase in suspension travel to
13-inches at the front and 13.9-inches at the rear (a 0.8-inch front and
1.9-inch rear increase in wheel travel compared to its predecessor).
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