Join us in welcoming our new Sales Manager, Aslam Ali to West Coast Ford Lincoln! Aslam has been with us for a short while but has been in the automotive industry for over 30 years. He comes to us with a lot of experience and knowledge and are we thrilled to have him on our team!
Join us in congratulating Ken Homeniuk on his success as Top Sales Person for the third consecutive month in a row. Ken has been working at West Coast Ford Lincoln for four years and prides himself on his excellent and thorough work!
Trail Control can be activated at speeds from 1 mph up to 20 mph, and Raptor is the only pickup that allows the driver to operate Trail Control in all 4×4 modes. The new feature can help overcome steep obstacles by automatically directing torque to each wheel then braking to smoothly bring the truck down on the other side. It also can help in digging the truck out if it happens to get stuck in extreme sand. This new innovation manages throttle and braking, allowing drivers to focus on steering through challenging off-road conditions. It makes taking Raptor through the rough stuff more fun than ever.
In fact, Ford suggests, it could help take the F-150 Raptor into new territories, too. Since Trail Control automatically pushes engine torque to the wheel with the most traction, it can assist in taking drivers over steep obstacles, and then smoothly braking on the other side for a safer dismount. If you get stuck in sand or other conditions, meanwhile, Trail Control’s per-wheel management could even help dig the Raptor out. That means less time outside with a spade in the dirt, Ford says.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen such a system offered, mind. Land Rover has been offering what it calls All Terrain Progress Control on its SUVs for several years now, while Jeep also offers an off-road cruise control on select models, too. Ford, though, argues that its system is superior.
That’s because the 2019 F-150 Raptor will be the first pickup to support using the feature in all of its 4×4 modes. They include 4×4 high and low, with a dual-mode transfer case support both all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive along with electronic lockers. They’re controlled either via the Terrain Management System – which runs the gamut from road use through to mud/sand, sport, and the most extreme Baja mode – or manually.
Also for 2019, the Raptor’s impressive 450 horsepower is going to be even more useful. The big change is to the suspension, with the introduction of exclusive FOX Racing Shox with a new Live Valve technology. A collaboration between the Raptor team and FOX, it keeps the 13-inch front suspension travel and 13.9-inch rear travel but adds a new adjustable damping system.
The 2018 truck used variable damping that was based on wheel travel. The 2019 Raptor, however, uses sensors in the suspension and the body to adapt the compression rates being used in real-time, depending on the terrain being crossed. That, Ford says, pays dividends in handling and comfort, and also helps avoid bottoming out in more aggressive off-road conditions.
Considering one of the F-150 Raptor’s party tricks is taking off over sand dunes, it makes for a fairly unusual set of programming. “Not many trucks need sensors to detect when you are mid-air,” Hermann Salenbauch, global director of Ford Performance vehicle programs, points out. “Raptor sets the dampers to full stiffness to help smooth shock performance as the truck lands.”
Make no mistake: Ford’s Raptor has no equal. If you want to own the most capable, factory-built offroad truck in the world, click the TEST DRIVE button below.
