The incredibly potent Ford Ranger Raptor has just been launched in Asian markets and is bound for Australia next. Although the variation featured in these photos, in Lightning Blue, is only for the Thai and Pacific markets, it’s very likely that North America will have a crack at Ford’s off-road mini-monster at some point very soon.

Prior to unveiling the U.S.-spec 2019 Ranger in January, it became common knowledge that Ford had given the “green light” to its Ford Performance division to build a baby brother for the iconic F-150 Raptor. Now that official photos of the (Asian) production-ready version have been released, we can see the family resemblance. It looks very much like its big brother, minus the F-150 version’s amber marker lights on the satin-grey grille. The flared fenders are produced from composite materials to shrug off light impacts, with enough extra room inside to accommodate long-travel suspension. The modified rear bumper integrates an integrated tow bar and two recovery hooks.

If you can flip the right-hand-drive seating position to the other side in your mind and add a higher-rpm tachometer, it’s easy to imagine what a U.S. Ranger Raptor’s interior would look like.

Under the hood is an all-new twin-turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel inline-four, which Ford likely won’t bring to our shores. Expect any North American model of the little Raptor to be powered by Ford’s 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6, with outputs similar to the 335 horsepower and 380 lb-ft that the engine makes in the 2019 Edge ST. Like the F-150 Raptor, the rowdiest Ranger uses a 10-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive, and six driving modes (including a Baja setting that relaxes the traction control for ripping across the desert).

Engineers have reinforced the Raptor’s frame and added Fox Racing Shox to handle the punishment of high-speed impacts. The rear suspension has also been upgraded with coilovers and a solid axle with a Watt’s-link system. Ford has not specified wheel travel, but since the ability to execute sweet jumps is a Raptor hallmark, expect it to be generous. A Watt’s linkage helps control the live rear axle’s lateral motion, while more high-strength steel and integrated tow bars are baked into the Ranger’s frame.

Compared with the Ranger FX4 sold in Australia—which is the most aggressive off-road version of the currently available truck—the Ranger Raptor’s overall height is raised by 2.0 inches, while ground clearance is 1.8 inches greater, for a healthy total of 11.1 inches. Ford stretched this Ranger’s front and rear tracks by 5.9 inches, although overall width increases by just 0.7 inch. A 32-degree approach angle and 24-degree departure angle (increases of 3 degrees each over the FX4) will no doubt test the 33-inch BFGoodrich 285/70R-17 tires and front skid plate. Stopping ability is enhanced by front and rear brake rotors that are 0.4 inch larger in diameter than those of the standard Ranger.

Stay tuned to these pages for more information on the Ranger raptor and when we can expect to see it join Ford’s truck lineup here in Canada.