Ford Ranger Raptor X Reminds Us Of Truck's Forbidden Fruit Status

The Ford Ranger Raptor, no matter how much Americans want it, isn't happening on US shores. The little brother of the F-150 Raptor has become a staple offering of the Blue Oval in other parts of the world except for North America and now, Ford Australia has officially teased a sort of an upgrade to the diesel-powered truck called the Ranger Raptor X.

It's a salty reminder of the Ranger Raptor's current forbidden status, but we're happy to report that Americans who want a smaller, off-road-ready truck aren't exactly missing out.

For starters, the Ranger Raptor X is mostly an appearance package based on the information released by Ford Australia. To give the midsize pickup an upgraded look, it gets a pair of extended leg sports bar and a set of blacked-out 17-inch alloys wrapped in 33-inch BG Goodrich All-Terrain tires. Inside, red stitches have been added to amplify the truck's sporty appeal.

Meanwhile, the Ranger Raptor X gets red front tow hooks that complement the bevy of decals that the truck comes with. The racing stripes are similar to the color theme of the 2021 Ranger Tremor that was introduced last year for the US.

The Ranger Tremor is practically the Ranger Raptor for the US market. Enjoying the benefits of the off-road package that it comes with, the Tremor carries enough toys for a standard off-road enthusiast as we've discovered in our First Drive Review. Then again, if you're looking for the hefty 369 pound-feet (500 Newton-meters) torque output offered by the Ranger Raptor, the Ranger Tremor's a tad short in that regard.

According to Ford Australia, the 2021 Ranger Raptor X is scheduled to arrive in July 2021.