Ford begins exporting Raptor to China
Ford Motor Co. has started shipping its 2017 F-150 Raptor to China, marking the first time the Dearborn-based automaker has ever exported a U.S.-built F-Series truck to that country.
Ford announced last year plans to begin sending limited numbers of its off-road performance pickup overseas. But Chinese truck enthusiasts for years have purchased the truck on the gray market outside of authorized dealers, typically paying as much as four times the U.S. sticker price for the vehicle.
The new Raptor is being built at the Dearborn Truck plant. Ford had previously discontinued the truck in 2014.
“Ford is one of America’s top exporters, and F-150 Raptor’s appeal and unmatched off-road performance has earned the truck a loyal following around the globe,” Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of The Americas, said in a statement. “Export to China enables us to bring a new group of enthusiasts into the Ford family.”
The Raptor is six inches wider than the F-150, and is powered by a 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine that gets more than the 411 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque that the previous model’s 6.2-liter V-8 produced.
The beefed-up F-150 also has a Ford Performance-engineered high-strength steel frame with custom Fox Racing shocks with higher ground clearance and full dual-performance exhaust system. The Raptor, like the F-150, is built with aluminum, which saves some weight.
The truck’s Terrain Management System includes six driving modes: normal; street; weather; mud and sand; baja; and rock.
“Raptor’s unique looks and capability have generated amazing buzz at every auto show we’ve brought it to around China,” said David Schoch, Ford group vice president and president, Ford Asia Pacific. “F-150 Raptor is another example of our commitment to offer a wide range of vehicles for customers in China — everything from SUVs to high-performance cars and trucks.”
The Raptor is one of over a dozen new performance vehicles Ford has planned over the next three years. It’s part of the same lineup as the Ford GT, Focus RS, Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT350R.
Ford recently announced at the 2017 North American International Auto Show that the company would be releasing an all new Ford Ranger and Ford Bronco by 2020.
ithibodeau@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Ian_Thibodeau