The Ford Ranger Raptor has a cult status among the bakkie community, but how many have actually been sold in SA so far?

The second-generation Ford Ranger Raptor has been on sale since March 2023 and it has proven a hit, both on social media and in the sales charts. From launch up until the end of June 2023, 1 973 Raptors have found homes in South Africa.

What’s not to like? Just look at it, with the massive grille, oversized arches hiding large and all-terrain wheels and let’s not forget that specially-tuned Fox offroad suspension. Under the bonnet is a 3.0-litre, twin-turbo petrol V6 engine which has a whopping 292 kW and 583 Nm of torque, all of which is directed to the permanent 4-wheel-drive system via a specifically calibrated 10-speed automatic transmission.

As a reminder, it was only the first-gen diesel-powered Raptor that was manufactured in South Africa, at Ford’s facility in Silverton, Pretoria. These new petrol-powered Raptors are fully imported, from Ford’s factory in Thailand.

Ford Silverton: building standard Rangers for us and the world

With the Raptor (and Everest SUV) now coming in from overseas, the Silverton Assembly Plant has been ramped up for next-gen Ranger production, as well as Volkswagen Amarok. With a three-shift 24-hour production cycle, the plant is able to make 720 bakkies per day.

A total of 33 841 Rangers have been built at the Silverton plant from the middle of November 2022 up until June 2023, with these vehicles destined for local consumption and export. The engines for these vehicles have been coming from Ford’s engine facility in Struandale, near Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.

Should you fork out extra for the Raptor, or is the new V6-powered Ford Ranger Wildtrak enough to satisfy most of your needs?

MORE: Want to buy a new or used Ranger?