2026 Ford Bronco Raptor Expert Review
Reviewed by Alex Leanse
For drivers who find the standard Ford Bronco too puny and pedestrian, there's the 2026 Ford Bronco Raptor. Ford starts with a four-door Bronco and fits a new engine, buff bodywork, and a slew of hardcore hardware to create the best factory-built off-road rig available today.
Rivals to the Ford Bronco Raptor include the Rivian R1T, Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, and Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro.
What’s New
Ford introduced the standard Bronco for 2021 and the Raptor model for 2022. It’s possible that the Bronco lineup will get a refresh for 2026, with exterior and interior design updates, more features, and an expanded range of trims. The Bronco Raptor would likely keep its fundamental hardware but adopt design updates and feature changes applied to the standard Bronco.
What We Think
Part of the fun of getting an off-road SUV like the Ford Bronco is modifying it out for your ideal performance or style. But when there’s a factory-built rig as epically impressive as the Bronco Raptor, is going aftermarket pointless?
The Bronco Raptor may be the most capable stock off-road vehicle ever made, packed with hardware and software that lets it crawl rocks, fling mud, and send jumps with aplomb. When we compared the Bronco Raptor to the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, the Ford rolled away with the win.
Though the 2026 Bronco Raptor looks are appealing—it seems more like a full-scale toy than an actual car—the design presents challenges in real-world driving. In particular, the SUV’s extreme width makes fitting into lanes and parking spots tricky.
The Raptor’s engine is merely decent, too, feeling strained and not sounding nice as it delivers terrible fuel economy.
Driving refinement is in some ways improved over the standard Bronco, like the comfortable ride afforded by its many chassis enhancements. However, the cabin still feels a bit chintzy and is loud at highway speeds—not exactly what you want for a roughly six-figure vehicle.
Still, if you’re ready to drop that kind of coin on building out your dream off-road SUV, spending it on the epic Bronco Raptor might be a better choice.
Is the Bronco Raptor a V-6 or V-8?
The 2026 Bronco Raptor is equipped with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine that makes 418 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. A 10-speed automatic transmission routes that output to standard 4WD. In MotorTrend testing, the Bronco Raptor launched from 0–60 mph in 6.8 seconds. Fuel economy is unsurprisingly terrible, measuring in at 15/16 mpg city/highway.
Although the Bronco Raptor would be even more badass with a V-8 engine, Ford says a V-6 is the biggest the platform can fit. We’ll still hold hope that Ford’s engineers will find a way to stuff the F-150 Raptor R’s supercharged V-8 into the Bronco at some point in the future.
Bronco Raptor Off-Road Upgrades
The standard Bronco is impressively off-road capable to begin with, but some trails are so challenging that even the Bronco Sasquatch doesn’t have what it takes. The Bronco Raptor is equipped to take those trails on.
Beyond its engine, the Bronco Raptor gets extra chassis bracing, new Fox Live Valve internal bypass shock absorbers, forged upper and cast lower front control arms, a Dana 50 Heavy Duty rear axle, and underbody protection in the form of skidplates and an upgraded differential cover, among many other changes.
The off-roader rolls on huge 37-inch all-terrain tires, which can be wrapped around beadlock-capable wheels, and which necessitate fender flare extensions to cover up the track width increased by nearly 10 inches.
Safety Features
The 2026 Bronco Raptor comes equipped with front automatic emergency braking, emergency evasive steering, lane keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high-beams as part of the Ford Co-Pilot360 suite of driver-assist and active safety features.
Cargo Space and Interior Room
Due to its additional bracing structures, the Raptor has slightly less cargo capacity than the standard Bronco. Still, it’s reasonably spacious for an SUV of its size.
Technology
Tech features in the Bronco Raptor are like any other high-end Bronco model. There’s a 12.0-inch digital gauge display and 12.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and built-in navigation with integrated trail maps.
The Bronco Raptor has a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium audio system, 360-degree camera, and digital rearview mirror.
There are USB ports in both rows of seats, but a wireless charging pad is not available. Pre-wired auxiliary switches are there for any aftermarket accessories.
How Much Is a 2026 Bronco Raptor?
Expect pricing for the 2026 Bronco Raptor to start just below $100,000. For reference, a well-equipped Bronco Badlands four-door with the V-6 engine and Sasquatch package can be had for well under $70,000.
