Four Wheeler, the world’s foremost 4×4 authority considering that 1962, has selected the 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor as the winner of its 33rd once-a-year Pickup Truck of the 12 months award.
4 Wheeler’s Pickup Truck of the Yr award function is an invitation-only competitiveness that is open up to all-new or noticeably revised pickups for the upcoming design calendar year. For 2022, the field of motor vehicles incorporated 6 entries: Ford F-150 Raptor, Ford F-150 Tremor, Ford Ranger Tremor, Nissan Frontier Professional 4X, Toyota Tacoma TRD Professional, and Toyota Tundra TRD Pro.
“For the 2021 product calendar year Ford has again lifted the bar on the F-150 Raptor’s general performance, generating the truck equivalent of a occupation overachiever,” claimed Four Wheeler Editor Ken Brubaker. “The truck has multifaceted abilities certain to please any driver. The 2021 Raptor confidently climbs rocks, muscle tissues through mud, absorbs significant whoops, and, very well, dominates each and every other kind of off-highway terrain. On leading of stunningly quick and agile overall performance, the Raptor oozes a visual mindset that is one particular-of-a-kind.”
How We Examined
The opposition commenced in the Los Angeles spot with ramp journey index (RTI) tests to gauge each and every vehicle’s suspension articulation. Adhering to RTI testing, the pickups were being driven to the Vehicle Club Speedway in Fontana, California, for track tests, which includes -60 and quarter-mile acceleration instances, as well as 60- braking length. Following track testing, the cars were being examined in the mountains and deserts of Southern California and Nevada. Judges integrated personnel from various truck and 4×4 brands like 4 Wheeler, 4-Wheel & Off-Road, and Truck Development, along with an esteemed group of previous 4 Wheeler staff and off-road field authorities.
The up coming four days were put in principally in a variety of off-road conditions, together with sand, rocky trails, loose-area trails, rutted backroads, and loose-filth hill climbs. Evening driving was also built-in into the opposition to gauge each vehicle’s lights machines.
Electricity and Effectiveness for Any Terrain
“Ford shook up the pickup planet when it launched the initially desert-bashing F-150 Raptor for the 2010 product yr. Now, more than a 10 years later on and commencing its third-era, Ford carries on to innovate and drive the envelope of off-highway overall performance,” said Truck Development Editor Jason Gonderman. “Thanks in part to new larger sized 3.1-inch Fox Stay Valve dampers, a 1st-for-F-150 five-website link rear suspension, and a host of new off-highway systems, the 2021 F-150 Raptor has lifted the proverbial bar to a degree handful of can hope to attain.”
Off-highway, exactly where the Ford F-150 Raptor truly shines, the truck impressed with its technique and departure angles of 31. and 23.9 levels, respectively, even though also achieving a definitely amazing and most effective-of-the-test score of 617.69 on the 22-diploma RTI ramp. These figures, coupled with the truck’s massive 35-inch BFGoodrich tires, locking rear differential, and Torsen front constrained-slip differential created for a almost unstoppable blend that could effortlessly climb in excess of, around, and by means of any impediment.
Under the F-150 Raptor’s hood was the firm’s time-examined substantial-output 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine. Whilst power output continues to be the identical for this third-era of the F-150 Raptor at 450 hp and 510 lb-ft, Ford’s off-highway tremendous truck was able protected the top place in our functionality track testing. The 2021 F-150 Raptor ran from zero to 60 mph in just 6.16 seconds, and tackled the quarter-mile in 14.89 seconds, crossing the stripe at 93.3 mph. In spite of the Raptor’s significant energy and massive tires, the truck managed a respectable 13.84 mpg normal during the class of just about 850 miles of grueling off-road screening.
A Winner Within and Out
In addition to its great off-highway overall performance, our judges also gave large marks to the Ford F-150 Raptor when it arrived to the two inside and exterior styling. Environment the Raptor aside from other F-150 products is the truck’s exclusive large overall body work, new bedside graphics, aggressive large-clearance front and rear bumpers, and sufficient skid plating. The F-150 Raptor’s know-how packed interior featured refined orange accents all through. And the truck’s optional 17-inch beadlock able wheels gained quite a few enthusiasts as effectively.
“The 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor enjoys all of the comfort and engineering updates of the redesigned ’21 Ford F-150 but normally takes this refresh to the following stage with an all-new chassis sporting enhanced wheel travel, a new coil and backlink rear suspension, and a retuned EcoBoost V-6,” stated 4 Wheeler Information Director Sean P. Holman. “The result is a a lot quicker, more quickly, more able truck that is just as comfortable on a rocky trail as it is blasting down desolate desert roadways.”
Scoring for the award incorporated five weighted groups with 30 p.c Path Performance, 25 % Empirical (RTI, acceleration, braking, rate), 20 % On Pavement (managing, trip high-quality, steering experience), 15 per cent Inside (instrumentation, ingress and egress, seat convenience, storage), and 10 p.c Exterior (visual appearance, stance, body defense).
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