Lucas Bell 
The 2021 Ford Bronco is getting closer to production, and information pertaining to the reborn off-roader continues to leak. It is almost hard to believe that there is something that hasn’t been spilled at this point, however the team at RevMatchTV just reported some big news pertaining to the rumored Bronco Raptor. The truck is slated to debut with an EcoBoost V6 like its F-150 counterpart, however it’s not the one you’re thinking of.
Eric from RevMatchTV recently spoke with a source from within the Blue Oval, who stated that there is indeed a Bronco Raptor model expected to come during the second year of production. This hardcore truck will be powered by an EcoBoost V6, though it is not the 3.5L unit that we’ve grown accustomed to in the F-150 Raptor. The source stated that the motor does not fit into the Bronco’s chassis, and instead the company is opting to use a newer 3.0L EcoBoost unit.
The 3.0L EcoBoost V6 first appeared in 2016 in the Lincoln Continental, and is largely based on the 2.7L Nano engine already destined for the Bronco. An increased bore and stroke as well as a cast aluminum block differentiate the two power plants, allowing the 3.0L to make big power. In the Ford Explorer ST, we see 400 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque, which sounds very appropriate for a Bronco Raptor. In the Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring hybrid SUV, total output is 494 horsepower and a whopping 630 lb-ft of torque. It is possible this is how Ford will introduce their hybrid Bronco in the coming years, but we’re willing to bet it won’t have such a wild amount of power.
That being said, it does seem a bit odd that Ford can’t shoehorn the 3.5L EcoBoost into the Bronco Raptor’s chassis. The engine in the F-150 shares 70 percent of its parts with the unit found in the Ford GT supercar. If the engine was compact enough to fit between the GT’s flying rear buttresses, one would imagine it could fit in a not-so-small SUV. Our best guess is that crash testing regulations are a bigger issue than overall space under the hood. Such as what we see with the Jeep Wrangler and its lack of a Hemi V8 engine offering.
Guess we’ll know for sure soon.
