The Ford Ranger Raptor has the makings of becoming one of the most popular Ford pickups in the industry. It’s essentially a smaller and presumably more affordable version of the F-150 Raptor. But as fascinating as the Ranger Raptor is, there is one point of contention surrounding the Ranger Raptor, specifically the absence of a gas-powered V-6 unit. Well, don’t get your hopes up because Ford doesn’t appear to have any plans of offering the Ranger Raptor with a gasoline or diesel-drinking V-6.

A Diesel-Only Drivetrain Makes Sense in Most Markets

It’s a bitter pill to slow, especially considering how a V-6 unit, gas or diesel, has done wonders for the Ford F-150 Raptor. But as much as there are people who are clamoring for it, those numbers, according to Ford, are dwarfed by those who don’t want it.

Trevor Worthington, Ford’s head of development for the Asia-Pacific region, laid all the cards on the table in a conversation with Australia’s CarAdvice. According to Worthington, a V-6-powered Ranger Raptor wouldn’t work because most Ranger buyers prefer a small-displacement diesel engine.

"Well, we haven't looked at that one," Worthington said, referring to a V-6 option for the Ranger Raptor, "because as I've said this morning, the vast majority of the 200 markets that we sell Ranger, and when I say a vast majority I mean 99 percent are all-diesel markets. It'd be like turning up with something that people wouldn't even consider buying."

If there is a silver lining to Worthington’s comments, it’s that he’s largely referring to a market that has vastly different needs than the market here in North America. It’s entirely possible that when the U.S.-spec Ranger Raptor arrives, a V-6 engine could be offered. That’s far from a certainty at this point, but any outcome that doesn’t involve the Ranger Raptor getting shut out of the option for a V-6 is welcome news.

If anything, Ford might find it difficult to sell the Ranger Raptor in this market with only a 2.0-liter diesel engine under its hood. That setup, complete with its 210-horsepower and 369 pound-feet-of-torque output, may go over well in the Asia Pacific, but it’s unlikely to get the same reception from a market that values having options to choose from. If the Ranger Raptor does make its way to the U.S., there’s a roadmap where it arrives with a V-6 in tow.

Then again, there’s another roadmap where the Ranger Raptor doesn’t arrive at all. That’d be two-times the bummer.

References

Ford Ranger Raptor

Read our full review of the 2019 Ford Ranger Raptor

Ford F-150 Raptor

Check out our full review of the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor}

Ford Ranger

Read our full review of the 2019 Ford Ranger}