When it was first announced, the Ranger Raptor was a bittersweet addition to the saturated New Zealand ute market. It was a hardcore off-road version of the extremely popular Ranger, but it was missing the displacement of its American siblings.
Despite the four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel lump not delivering the same power as the trucks that have previously worn the Raptor badge, the Ranger Raptor has proven itself to be an extremely capable off-roader.
To round out his mid-life crises purchases, Richard Hammond has decided to pick up one of these off-road brutes, and use it for his family logistical duties.
After taking his teenage daughters to the mall, and navigating through some regular tarmac roads to get there, Hammond decides to take a path less travelled back home — and this is where it gets good.
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Despite the fact that his daughters showed absolutely no interest in taking the muddy shortcut back home, the Grand Tour host hits it with a hiss and a roar of the bi-turbo engine, and the results are magnificent to watch.
Thanks to the serious suspension upgrades, the Ranger dances over the muddy track with ease, before it gets stuck in a muddy rut — which is probably down to the fact that it was in 2WD.
Despite the exhilarating ride, Hammond's daughters look less than impressed with the results of the bumpy shortcut that was taken to get home