While the regular 2022 Ford Bronco can combine just about any powertrain, suspension and wheel combination in both the four-door and two-door configurations, the new Raptor version is restricted to the four-door only. And naturally, we were curious as to the reasons, particularly when the two-door would seem to be lighter, and its smaller size could aid in tighter off-roading.
A Ford representative told us that one of the key reasons was for high-speed stability off-road. The four-door’s longer wheelbase helps it cope better with bumps and “whoop” sections of off-road trails. And since the Raptor is not just a crawler, where the two-door would have some advantages, the decision was made to use only the longer body style.
Being longer has other benefits, too. With more space between the wheels, Ford was able to move the muffler to the middle, which then freed up space at the rear. That allowed the fitment of the towing brace that gives the Raptor the best towing capacity of any Bronco. Not only is that a good bullet point on a list of features, but it has real potential use for buyers that Ford says are liable to bring along a trailer for camping or for carrying other off-road toys.
Speaking of buyers, Ford said that more premium Bronco buyers tend to gravitate to the four-door. They also expect many Raptor buyers will want to bring along friends for off-road outings, something which would make a two-door less than optimal. Even more so if those folks wanted to bring luggage as the two-door has 13.2 fewer cubic-feet of space.
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Source: www.autoblog.com