Will the Ford F-150 Raptor be launched in PH?

The Ford F-150 Raptor is one truck that many car enthusiasts and members of the motoring media have always wanted to see sold locally. Unfortunately that could never have happened since the Ford F-150 which it’s based was not available. That can all change as today marks the return of the Ford F-150 in the local market.

While we do get a Ford Raptor in the form of the Ranger, it is by no means an F-150 Raptor. It is quite popular though as the Ranger Raptor accounts for maybe just about half of all Ranger sales in the country in the past few months. Does this make the Philippines ready for an F-150 Raptor right away?

First, a little overview of what the F-150 Raptor is. The full size pick-up truck is an off-road optimized version of the standard F-150. It is basically built to go anywhere and over anything it is faced with. It’s also a big stand-out plus its performance remains unmatched by any competitor. 

On the outside, the F-150 Raptor talks business. If the Ranger Raptor looks mean to you, then the F-150 Raptor is something else. Its large flared fenders and huge front grille plus its stance really show where it wants to go. Of course, it’s not all looks. The rear suspension can travel up to almost 350 mm which means it can really absorb jumps and huge bumps on and off the road. Fox Racing shock absorbers also give it more capability off-road while at the same time providing a more comfortable on road experience.

While all those already sound big, what’s under the hood is also important. The F-150 Raptor is powered by Ford’s 3.5-liter Twin-turbo Ecoboost V6 which produces 450 hp and a huge 691 Nm of torque, paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Surely, every other pick-up truck will get left behind.

Coming to the Philippines?

Now that the Ford F-150 is now officially available in the country through local Ford dealerships, one of the most popular questions is whether Ford Philippines will also be introducing the Raptor version in the lineup.

The popular question was answered by Ryan Lorenzo, the marketing director of Ford Philippines. What was the response?

Well according to Mr. Lorenzo, Ford Philippines will be focusing on two F-150 variants they launched for now. Good to note though is that they do listen to their customers so the current variants are just a start and once the market shows demand for the F-150 Raptor, then there’s definitely a chance to see the high-performance truck sold through Ford dealerships. 

In addition to that, he also mentioned that the Philippine truck market is unique in a way. In fact, the Ranger Raptor is performing better in our market compared to neighboring countries, based on sales data. So there is definitely a chance to see the Ranger Raptor and F-150 Raptor co-exist in the local Ford lineup.

For now, we’ll just have to wait and see.