Ford made the Expedition better-suited to off-road expeditions when it released the Timberline model for 2022. An unverified report claims that an even more off-road-friendly version of the big, three-row SUV is under consideration, and it might receive a familiar nameplate.
Citing anonymous sources, enthusiast website Ford Authority wrote that Blue Oval executives are debating whether to give the Expedition more off-road chops. Precisely what’s in store isn’t clear: we’re guessing that suspension modifications would be part of the package, and it’s reasonable to assume that numerous trim-specific styling cues inside and out would differentiate this version of the SUV from other models.
Interestingly, the publication speculates that the model could land as the Expedition Raptor. If that’s the case, it would likely receive several performance upgrades to live up to the name. Ford currently uses the Raptor nameplate on the F-150, the Bronco and the Ranger, and all three models are considerably more powerful than the truck they’re based on. Speeding across a desert is the Raptor’s claim to fame.
What the rumored Expedition Raptor would be powered by isn’t clear. Ford no longer offers the model with a V8; the only engine available is a twin-turbocharged, 3.5-liter V6 whose output ranges between 380 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque and 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque depending on the trim level. The F-150 Raptor’s 3.5-liter six makes 450 horsepower, and injecting 10 horses into the Expedition’s cavalry should be fairly straightforward, but this is purely speculation. On that note, we don’t expect the truck to get its V8 back.
Ford hasn’t commented on the rumor, and it hasn’t announced plans to expand the Expedition range with a hardcore off-roader.
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