Ford is denying us the pleasure of owning a Ranger Raptor in the U.S., but aftermarket companies are cashing in on this opportunity. One such company is South California-based aftermarket tuner Automotive Performance Group, who’s offering a conversion package for the Ranger that may not make it a Raptor, but surely fills the void to a certain extent.

Called the Prorunner Series 1 Package, it comes with a new body kit, carbon fiber fenders, axle shafts, and a lot more stuff. With this package equipped, you can finally take your Ranger to bash the dunes, or through treacherous paths that were close to impossible to tackle with the stock Ranger.

Up front, the stock grille remains as it is, but APG has widened the body by 10 inches using aerospace-grade carbon fiber for the fenders. The stock bumper has been swapped for a short all-aluminum unit that greatly increases the approach angle of the truck. It looks tough and is capable of housing a winch and has cutouts for parking sensors. If you want to retain the stock fog lamps, APG offers light brackets along with steel D-ring pass-through mounts. Additionally, you can also purchase a Warn M8000s winch for the front bumper from the company, as this doesn’t come as part of the package.

The side profile looks absolutely massive. Thanks to the extended fenders, the truck is capable of riding on 35-inch wheels. Again, the ones you see here do not come in the Series 1 package and need to be purchased additionally. APG has reworked the complete suspension layout by including wider upper and lower control arms, a tie rod extension kit, extended CV axle shafts, front hub centric wheel rings, front OEM coil-over spacers, and rear-wheel adapters with additional lug nuts to give it an aggressive stance and make it a dune basher. With this setup, the truck now has a 12.5-inch suspension travel range.

Not a lot of changes in the rear, except for the bedside replacement on both sides. These, too, are wider carbon fiber replacements that add to the aggressive styling of the truck. APG says it has also replaced the stock gas door with a carbon fiber unit coupled with a fuel neck extension kit. The rear bumper doesn’t come as part of the package, which is pretty silly actually, but APG is offering it as an optional accessory. It will be an aluminum bumper with D-rings. The parking sensors and tow connections are retained as it is. It would’ve been nice if LED headlights and taillights were offered as well.

Other than the components that come as standard on the Series 1 conversion package, APG has also the following that can be purchased additionally:

The aftermarket tuner charges $4,375 for installation alone. This brings the package price to $15,948. The price for the optional equipment isn’t revealed, but with everything included, it should be in the ballpark of $22,000.

Speaking about the Ford Ranger itself, it has been a vital moniker for the company with a rich history. The Ranger badge has been used on three different models to date with the first being way back in 1958. The Ford Ranger pickup truck was launched in 1983, succeeding the 10-year old model called the Ford Courier.

The pickup truck did quite well for almost 20 years before disappearing from the States in 2011. However, realizing the potential of the truck, Ford decided to revive the moniker in 2018. It’s still surprising to see that Ford has not brought the Ranger Raptor to the States yet. The company will be getting it here soon, but this should’ve come with the introduction of the truck itself.

APG’s conversion kit doesn’t make any changes to the Ranger’s cabin. But, how is the stock cabin? What makes the Ranger a strong competitor in the segment is the space and comfort that help it supersede its rivals by a fair margin. The seats are comfortable and cushiony, and there is enough legroom and shoulder room even at the rear.

With that said, the Ranger’s cabin quality is something Ford should work on. The center console, door panels, and the dash have hard plastics and do feel inferior to the likes of the Colorado and the Tacoma. As is with any Ford, there is a palette of top-class features to choose from, but most of them are optional. I dare say that the Ranger comes in bare-bone form in the lower trims. However, if you are ready to splurge extra moolah, Ford will pamper you with features like:

Power is sent to the rear wheels via an excellent 10-speed automatic transmission system that covers up for the lack of engine options in the lineup. The Ranger can be availed in an all-wheel-drive version as well. This engine is quite versatile and has enough punch in it for any of your activities. It comes with a locking rear differential and independent suspensions at the front and rear. However, the Ranger is not an off-roader by any means. And, that is where the APG package comes into play and makes the Ranger a true all-rounder.

In the European models, it features a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder diesel engine that makes just 213 horses and 368 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to the wheel via the same 10-speed automatic transmission. The Ranger Raptor takes 10.5 seconds to hit the 60 mph mark from a standstill, which itself is a testimony to the fact this is the off-road version that cares about its antics on beaten paths than in a straight line. It comes with a reinforced chassis, an electronic rear-axle lock, Fox racing shocks, and an underbody guard amongst other things. It uses a different set of bumpers when compared to the standard Ranger for better approach and departure angles. The towing and payload capacities, however, are lower than the Ranger’s.

While we are still waiting for the Ranger Raptor to arrive, it’ll be worth looking at this package by APG if you are looking to purchase a proper off-roader in the coming months. In terms of drivability, APG says that the on-road dynamics aren’t hampered with this conversion, but the off-road performance is maximized considerably. Even the driver assist systems are not hampered by any means. The setup in itself looks mean and aggressive and should be great for off-roading. There is no word if it’ll void the standard warranty or not.

What are your thoughts about this conversion kit from APG? Share them with us in the comments section below.

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