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It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of the Ford F-150 Raptor's awesome off-road abilities. Anyone who caught the short videos we recently featured must have surely marveled at how this tough truck sticks to any surface like glue.
As we mentioned a few weeks back, part of the credit goes to the specially designed tires. But the new Ford truck also packs an impressive six-mode terrain management system. It begins with Normal Mode, which lets the F-150 behave like a sedate vehicle used for mundane daily duties in and around the city.
Sport Mode is for times when the driver feels like driving the Raptor like he would his Mustang. It sharpens steering and throttle response as well as gear changes. Plus, the transmission holds gears longer for optimum engine performance. This is best used on twisty mountain passes where roads are just a bit more demanding.
When things get a bit slippery, the driver can switch to Weather Mode. This automatically activates 4 Auto and AdvanceTrac, and tunes accelerator and gearshift responses for inclement weather. Similarly, Mud/Sand Mode is there to help you out off the beaten path by setting steering response to "comfort," turning on 4 High and the electronic locking differential, and engaging the optimized AdvanceTrac.
Those who want to live out their Baja 1000 racing fantasies can easily stick the system into Baja Mode. This setting runs on 4 High and programs AdvanceTrac to kick in only when absolutely necessary. Throttle response is made even quicker, while transmission timing is optimized to hold gears longer. It’s the perfect way to tread those desert trails at a fast clip.
If you’re aching to go rock-climbing, the Rock Crawl Mode will happily oblige. It engages 4 Low, along with gearbox and steering responses that are tuned for greater control while you traverse the trickiest terrain. To ensure that you can see where you’re going, the front camera is switched on and stays activated up to 24kph. Stability and traction control as well as AdvanceTrac can be switched on and off interchangeably, depending on the driver’s whim and the terrain he intends to take.
Check out the short video above, and gawk at the truck’s amazing capabilities.
