Ford New Zealand has further expanded its Ranger lineup (yes, that is possible) with the reintroduction of the 2.0-litre BiTurbo Raptor model.
The diesel Raptor never went away in some other markets, but with the change to the so-called "next gen" model last year, Ford elected to drop the four-cylinder model and concentrate on the raucous twin-turbo petrol V6 version.
The company is stressing the petrol Raptor continues, and the diesel is simply an additional engine option. The 150kW/500Nm engine is in full EU Stage 6 Emission specification, using AdBlue. Aside from giving buyers more choice, it also allows Ford to build on the Raptor brand while minimising its CO2 for the Government's Clean Car Standard.
The company is stressing the petrol Raptor continues, and the diesel is simply an additional engine option.
The Raptor BiT is $86,490, a handy $9500 reduction on the petrol V6 model. Although with half the power, remember. Orders are open now, with deliveries from October.
In the same vein, the Ranger Sport 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 (a favourite with DRIVEN Car Guide, it has to said) has moved to the BiT engine exclusively, and Ford has introduced a 2WD option.
The Sport 4x2 is $59,990, while the 4x4 is $69,990 - $6k cheaper than the Wildtrak with the same engine.
Fieldays (June 14-17, Mystery Creek, Hamilton) also marks the NZ debut of the Ranger Wildtrak X (above) and Platinum models.
The limited-run $80,990 Wildtrak X BiT features some of the Raptor's off-road suspension technology and the full-time AWD system. It's $5k more expensive than the standard BiT model.
Also new at Fieldays is the $88,490 Ranger Platinum (above), a luxury-oriented version that matches the specification of the Everest Platinum SUV. It's only available with the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine.