Lucas Bell 
(Update: an earlier version of this story simply cited Ford’s official announcement yesterday regarding the 2021 F-150 trim levels. Absent in that announcement was the Raptor version, which is the information we used to form our original report. However, according to Ford, there will in fact be one. The post is updated to reflect this information.)
A few months ago, reports surfaced of a VIN-decoder for the 2021 Ford F-150, and it offered up some interesting information about the upcoming F-150 Raptor. At that time, there were two important things to note: the first being that the SuperCab body style will be dropped moving forward, as well as the possibility of the Raptor joining the lineup this year. Well, official word from Ford now confirms that there will not be an all-new 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor.
Yesterday, Ford officially announced that the 2021 F-150 lineup will at least feature the XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum and Limited trim levels. A Raptor was not in the announcement, but Ford must have been saving a few rounds in the clip for later this year.
Information that comes from these manufacturers VIN decoders, like anything in this industry, is subject to change. While Ford may have originally been planning to push out the off-roading model this year, it’s clear that 2020 hasn’t been kind to America’s automakers. Perhaps delays related to production have resulted in the Raptor being pushed back. How it plays out remains to be seen.
As we look for an official 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor announcement, the timing appears to be more aggressive than what the automaker has done in the past. With the 12th and 13th-generation F-150, the Raptor version was not available at launch, and appeared on the scene at least one model year after the all-new truck entered the market. We can easily speculate that there will at least be a 2022 Ford F-150 Raptor, which would balance out the electric F-150 already confirmed for the same year.
The segment that has so long been dominated by the Raptor has seen new competition spring up, with the 2021 Ram Rebel TRX offering the greatest threat to Ford’s throne. We’ve just learned that Ram will be unveiling the truck by the end of the summer, which will give cross shopping buyers plenty of alone time with the new offering. In the end then, Ford might just have some serious work to do to make the next F-150 Raptor a class-leading machine once again.
