Swing by your local Ford dealer today, and it’s hard to miss the fact that the automaker is courting the off-road enthusiast demographic. There are rugged SUVs and pickups of all shapes and sizes in the lineup already, and if Ford CEO Jim Farley is to be believed, this trend won’t be dying down any time soon. Farley has said that his company wants to be the “Porsche of off-road” and that Ford isn’t in the business of making “boring” vehicles. Those are some pretty exciting claims, but can the Blue Oval back them up with exciting models? Let’s take a look at what Ford has done already to stake its claim to this segment, what it’s planning on doing next, and what it should do if it really wants to spice up its off-road offerings.
Rugged Raptor
The 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor was by no means Ford’s first foray into off-roading, but it’s hard to understate the truck’s importance in the modern landscape of off-road vehicles. Before this trim debuted, the Special Vehicle Team was best known for lightning-quick variants of Ford models, but the secret sauce for the Raptor was a purpose-built suspension system with beefy Fox racing shocks: the kind of thing you used to need to add to your truck after the factory was done with it. But perhaps the most revolutionary part of the Raptor wasn’t any one component but rather the fact that Ford went all in adding upgrades wherever it could, from a wider body to a special electronic stability control system to a remapped transmission designed to deliver thrilling performance.
Ford made a bold move by introducing the F-150 Raptor: a Car and Driver article from 2009 emphasized the fact that there were no contemporary peers to compare the Raptor to and called it “the most radical pickup truck ever.” Today, of course, there are plenty of rugged trucks that directly compare to the Raptor since its success kicked off a trend that led to the creation of the Chevy Silverado 1500 ZR2 and Ram 1500 TRX (may it and its HEMI V8 rest in peace). It’s also led to a trend within Ford’s lineup itself, which now boasts the Ranger Raptor and Bronco Raptor.
Bucking Bronco
Speaking of the Bronco Raptor, let’s take a look at the rebooted Bronco, shall we? When the latest generation debuted for the 2021 model year, it was certainly exciting for fans of the nameplate and off-roaders looking for something a little more practical for daily driving than the capable but notoriously problematic Jeep Wrangler. The Bronco is definitely coming for the Wrangler’s demographic, with a similar shape, serious off-road chops, and even removable doors.
On top of the practical stuff, the new Bronco has something else going for it: style. If you’re going to be the “Porsche” of something, you’ve got to look cool while doing it. The Bronco’s design has been solid since day one, but it really came into its own for the 2023 model year. The Heritage Edition that debuted that year gave the SUV a retro look with white accents that really make it stand out in a crowded OHV park. The Free Wheeling package for the 2025 model takes a similar approach, this time turning to the style of the 1970s with a sunset-inspired set of stripes gracing the exterior. The fact that the Bronco has such fun (one might even go so far as to say whimsical) styling options is unique—it’s not afraid to have a look that evokes adjectives beyond “rugged” or “bold,” and that’s not something to take for granted in today’s market.
Going Electric
Most of Ford’s off-road options are powered by gasoline, with powerful engines that roar and purr when you push them to their limits. However, the brand is also starting to play around with off-road EVs. Electric motors deliver higher torque at low speeds than internal combustion engines, so it’s not a bad idea to use them to power off-road vehicles. That can come in handy if you have to navigate an obstacle-ridden trail slowly or, say, crawl over a big boulder. But Ford’s first major foray into a rugged electric model is focusing on another advantage: lightning-quick acceleration.
The Mustang Mach-E Rally takes the electric SUV bearing the Mustang name and gives it a suspension lift, a rear spoiler, and an exclusive drive mode (called RallySport). This EV might not be ready to conquer a mountain, but it can certainly kick up gravel with ease. Its low center of gravity keeps it stable while sliding through mud, and its available racing stripes add some cool factor.
In the future, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the F-150 Lightning get its own off-road treatment. Since the original, gas-powered F-150 SVT Lightning was named for its need for speed, it would be fitting to see a future trim focused not just on off-roading but on off-road racing like the Mach-E Rally. Ford has already shown off a demonstration vehicle called the F-150 Lightning Switchgear, which has unique bodywork, beefy suspension, and a wider track.
Upcoming Mustang Raptor
Soon, you won’t have to go electric to get an off-road Ford that really puts the focus on racing. That’s because there are rumors that a Mustang Raptor is set to debut for the 2026 model year. While we don’t have many details yet, we don’t need many to get excited about the concept. Mixing a pony car with Raptor features is appealing on its face and follows Porsche’s own 911 Dakar off-road model. Getting a true car bodystyle in on the fun is an interesting move since just about all of the off-road warriors on the market today are trucks and SUVs. For racing, of course, the sleek silhouette of a car is an asset that has the potential to make this Raptor a force to be reckoned with.
What Should Come Next?
Looking at the off-road Ford models that already exist, it seems like Farley is serious about his goal of becoming the segment’s Porsche. While there are plenty of examples of automakers going for a rugged aesthetic instead of actually providing rugged capability, the offerings from Ford are committed to real off-road excellence. Not only do they have well-built versions of the standard fare (suspension systems, skid plates, transfer cases, etc.), but they also bring some unique features to the table, like specially-tuned drive modes for different terrains and Trail Control, an off-road version of cruise control that lets you focus on steering when navigating a difficult environment at low speeds.
But while Ford has made a great effort so far, there is one thing we would like to see in the future: more originality. Relying on well-known names like Bronco and Mustang is a good strategy for bringing in drivers who like what they know, but it can also be limiting. An off-road model built whole cloth from the wheels up has the potential to really think outside the box and not make the designers and engineers feel beholden to what an established nameplate is supposed to be.
That’s why we’re very excited about the mysterious “off-road supercar” that Ford supposedly has in the works. We would love to see something that takes all of the things Ford has learned from building Raptors and Broncos and rally cars and puts them together in a new way. Hopefully, we can get something that captures the feeling we had in 2010 when the first Raptor changed the game for factory-produced off-road vehicles.
