Ford launched the 2021 F-150 in June last year, but the Raptor didn’t make its debut. Fast forward to the present day, and the truck has finally arrived. It’s not just us enthusiasts waiting for it to be unveiled; so is Ram. The automaker took a dig at Ford when it teased the Raptor on Twitter a few days back. However, this has just made the wait for the new truck all the more exciting.

The live stream was quite a bummer and felt more like a commercial, but Ford has released some information about the new Raptor. It features changes inside out, and probably under the hood, too. Ford has retained the same V-6 mill, but the power outputs are yet revealed.

What’s New On The Outside?

ids=968795,968796

no_overlay=false

before_label=2021 Ford F-150 Raptor

after_label=2020 Ford F-150 Raptor>

The 2020 F-150 Raptor is offered in SuperCab and SuperCrew body styles with a 5.5-foot bed. This time, however, it will be offered only in the SuperCrew avatar. This is something we’ve known for a long time now, so no surprises there. It will feature a high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloy and composite body. It is based on the 2021 F-150 but with a few Raptor-specific changes.

It continues to have a tougher, more muscular look than the standard F-150. The hood comes with a power dome and breathes better thanks to the functional side air vents. The grille is blacked out and headlights are wider. The skid plate is also wider than before, thus offering better protection. At the rear, the taillights are blacked out.

The truck will come with three different 17-inch wheel options and two different tire sizes – 35- and 37-inch rubber, both of them being BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2s. These are the ratings when the Raptor is equipped with the 35-inch tires:

Ground Clearance

12 inches

Approach Angle

31 degrees

Departure Angle

23.9 degrees

Breakover Angle

22.7 degrees

And, these are the ratings when equipped with the 37-inch tires:

Ground Clearance

13.1 inches

Approach Angle

33.1 degrees

Departure Angle

24.9 degrees

Breakover Angle

24.4 degrees

What’s Different On The Inside?

The 2020 F-150 Raptor used to be offered with fabric seats as standard and leather seats can be had as optional. This time, you can also have Recaro bucket seats. The new Raptor will have more premium touches. There are carbon fiber packages available, too. A new 12-inch touchscreen system replaces the eight-inch touchscreen from the present model. It will run on the SYNC4 infotainment system and will support over-the-air updates. Even the eight-inch instrument cluster is swapped with a 12-inch digital display behind the new steering wheel. A 360-degree camera will be offered, too, as an optional accessory.

The Same Engine, But New Suspension System

In the previous iteration, the Ford F-150 Raptor came with a 3.5-liter, twin-turbo V-6 EcoBoost mill that made 450 horses and 510 pound-feet of torque. Power was sent to all the wheels via a 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission. The company has retained the same engine and transmission for the 2021 model year Raptor, but the power outputs are not yet announced.

The new Raptor will feature a new five-link rear suspension developed specifically for it. The suspension system features longer trailing arms, a Panhard rod, and 24-inch coil springs. FOX Live Valve internal bypass shocks with adjustable position-sensitive damping will also be available. An electronic locking rear differential comes as standard whereas a Torsen front limited-slip differential with 4:10 final drive ratios can be had for extra moolah.

2021 Ford F-150 Raptor
Ford

Ford will also offer a new three-inch exhaust system with active valves. It will come with four sound level modes - Quiet, Normal, Sport, and Baja. The Terrain Management System is a lot more elaborate now with more options to play with. Trail One-Pedal Drive is also offered on the new Raptor. We saw this on the Bronco as well, wherein the feature lets you accelerate and brake using a single pedal for speeds of under 20 mph.

The towing and payload capacities are rated at 8,200- and 1,400 pounds, respectively, which is an increase of 200 pounds. Apart from this, the Blue Oval is offering a ProPower On Board generator with two kW of exportable output, too.

How Much Does The New F-150 Raptor Cost?

Ford has not announced the price of the 2021 F-150 Raptor yet. The 2020 F-150 Raptor came with a starting sticker price of $53,455 for the SuperCab version. The SuperCrew version commanded a premium of around $3,000. Keeping that in mind, the price for the 2021 F-150 Raptor should be around $59,000.

Final Thoughts

Ford subtly mentioned in its premiere video that there’s “more to come in 2022”. It’s for the Raptor R, but there’s no other information beyond that. Ford did not mention when the new Raptor will arrive at the dealerships, but given that it refers to it as the “2021 F-150 Raptor”, we hope to see it in the coming months.

FAQ

Q: How Much Power Does The Nissan Maxima Have?

The Nissan Maxima is powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 that delivers a total of 300 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 261 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm. These numbers are pretty impressive considering the Hyundai Sonata’s 1.6-liter Turbo-Four is good for just 180 horsepower and 196 pound-feet of torque. The Honda Accord and its 1.5-liter four-banger comes a little closer with 192 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque, but the Maxima is still much more powerful.[a]

{1{[q]What Kind of Transmission Does The Nissan Maxima Have?[/q]}1}

[a]If you’re someone who prefers the feel of a manual transmission or at least the definitive shift of a good, hearty automatic transmission, then the Maxima will surely disappoint you with its Xtronic CVT. The same story goes for the Honda Accord, which also comes standard with a CVT. The least powerful of the bunch, the Hyundai Sonata has an eight-speed automatic, so that might be your best bet if you’re not into the whole CVT revolution.

Q: What Kind of Fuel Economy Does The Nissan Maxima Get

Believe it or not, the Nissan Maxima can hit 60 mph in six seconds flat. According to [Motor Trend,-> https://www.motortrend.com/cars/nissan/maxima/2020/2020-nissan-maxima-platinum-reserve-first-test-review/] it can also run the quarter-mile in 14.6 seconds at 97.8 mph! In comparison, the Hyundai Sonata runs up to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds and can do a quarter mile in 15.9 seconds if you’ll believe what [carindigo->https://www.carindigo.com/hyundai/sonata/0to60] is talking. According to [Car and Driver,-> https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15076902/2018-honda-accord-15t-automatic-test-review/] the Honda Accord with the 1.5-liter can run to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds and hits the quarter mile in 15.7 seconds. So, as you can see, the Maxima with is major power superiority complex is quite a bit faster than the competition. If you want a family sedan that can move, it’s not a bad choice.

Q: Is the Nissan Maxima Spacious

The Nissan Maxima might offer impressive power for its class and price point, but it also suffers from subpar fuel economy that comes in at 20 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 24 mpg combined. It’s not horrible, of course, but the Hyundai Sonata manages 27, 36, and 31, respectively while the Accord comes in at 30, 38, and 33 combined. Needless to say, if fuel economy is a big deal to you, the Maxima probably isn’t the best car for you.

Q: How Much Cargo Room Does The Nissan Maxima Have?

The Nissan Maxima does exert a certain scent of spaciousness, but the truth is that it is inferior t both the Hyundai Sonata and Honda Accord, with the exception of one place – front leg room, where it still falls short of the Sonata but beats out the Accord by a few inches. Otherwise, the Sonata and Accord offer more space in every category, check out the table below to see the full breakdown:

Q: Nissan Maxima Infotainment System

The Nissan Maxima offers 14.3 cubic-feet of cargo room, which is – in general – enough for most people who are interested in driving a sedan. In comparison, though, you’ll find you have a little more space for carrying goodies in the Sonata at 16.3 cubic-feet or the Accord, which has 16.7 cubic-feet.

Q: How Big Is the Nissan Maxima

The Nissan Maxima’s infotainment system is, if nothing else, adequate for what most people need. Main features include two USB-C ports, two USB 3.0 ports, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Outside of this, the system is rather dated, even when compared to cheaper sedans in this segment. Audio quality is decent, especially in terms of bass, while the stereo and touchscreen is tolerable. You can control most features of the system via voice control, however, that system is also dated and can be picky about word choice and phrasing. Ultimately, it’s best to avoid it unless you really want to train yourself to use its specific commands.

Q: How Much Does The Nissan Maxima Weigh?

The Nissan Maxima has been classified as a large or full-size vehicle since the third generation was introduced in 1989, however, it’s commonly referred to in the industry as a midsized car because it kind of sits right on the line. It also sits above both the Sentra and Altima, making it the largest and most expensive non-electric car in Nissan’s lineup outside of the 370Z and GT-R. It measures 192.8 inches long, 73.2 inches wide, and 56.5 inches tall. All these figures come so close to those of the Hyundai Sonata and Honda Accord that the difference between them all is negligible at best. In terms of garaging, you’ll need a decent 1.5-car garage to park comfortably, but if you have a deep enough one-car garage, you can probably make it work as long as you don’t want to have space for anything else.

Q: What Tires Do I Need for the Nissan Maxima

The Nissan Maxima tips the scales at 3,612 pounds, making it nearly 300 pounds heavier than the Hyundai Sonata, and more than 400 pounds heavier than the Honda Accord. Part of this weight difference comes courtesy of the larger and naturally aspirated V-6 engine, but even with a more modern turbocharged inline-four, the Maxima would still be the heaviest of the bunch.

Q: Is the Nissan Maxima Better Than The [Hyundai Sonata->art185285]?

The Nissan Maxima Platinum comes standard with P245/45R 18-inch tires. The Hyundai Sonata also comes with 18-inch wheels and tires, while the Honda Accord can be had with 19-inch wheels and tires in certain trims.

Q: Is the Nissan Maxima Better than the [Honda Accord->art176858]?

From the get-go, you’ll find that the Hyundai Sonata is an interesting vehicle. It doesn’t have the super-sleek headlights like the Maxima, but it does feature a muscular and sporty front end. The latest iteration of Hyundai’s grille, however, is oddly reminiscent of Audi’s current design, but we’ll let the Korean brand slide on this one as the design is still somewhat unique and it really fits the Sonata Well. The Sonata does, however, have more of a four-door coupe appearance and the body lines almost make it look like it has a light upward ark. The Sonata’s interior is fairly nice, but unless you spring for the range-topping trim line, you’ll find that the materials aren’t quite as good as you’ll get in the Maxima – and understandable scenario given the two different price points. Hyundai’s technology is a little more advanced at this stage as the Sonata is quite a bit newer, but unless you’re huge into technology and want the latest in infotainment goodness, it won’t make much of a difference to you.

Under the hood, the Sonata boasts a 1.6-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder that’s good for just 180 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. That comes at a deficit of 120 ponies and 66 pound-feet of torque compared to the Maxima. Naturally, it’ll take you about 2 seconds longer to get to 60 mph in the Sonata, but the big benefit here is the fuel savings that come along with that turbo-four. Where the Maxima delivers 20 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 24 mpg combined, the Sonata kicks its ass with 27, 36, and 31, respectively. The Sonata is also cheaper, starting at just $23,600 and maxing out at $33,500 before options, taxes, and delivery fess.

Q: Should you buy the Honda Accord or the Nissan Maxima?

The Honda Accord has grown over its life from a compact car into being classified as a midsized car, which is also why it’s a little funny that the Nissan Maxima is billed as a full-size because the Accord is just 0.6 inches shorter in length but is wider and taller than the Maxima. Oddly enough, the Accord generally boasts more interior room and passenger space and beats the Maxima out in terms of cargo room by more than two cubic-feet. Interior materials and fit and finish are very nice as Honda has gone out of its way to make the Accord as nice as possible without making it too expensive or imposing on its performance/luxury arm Acura.

Under the hood of the Accord sits a 1.5-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder that delivers a decent 192 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. Much like the Sonata, the Accord is largely underpowered compared to the Maxima but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing if fuel economy is important to you. With a rating of 30 mpg in the city, 38 mpg on the highway, and 33 mpg combined, the Accord becomes a very attractive option, especially considering you can get a range-topping model for less than it’ll cost you to get into the base Maxima. Hondas are also notoriously reliable, so you also have that on your side as well. The entry-level accord commands $24,020 while the best you can get comes at $36,250 before options, taxes, and delivery.