After showing the world an extreme performance version of its Ranger, the Ranger Raptor, Ford isn’t completely dismissing the idea of doing a Raptor version of its family-friendly Everest SUV as well.

In an interview published by Australian website Drive, Ford Performance head engineer Jamal Hameedi says that the priority now would be to develop a petrol version of the Ranger Raptor for the US market, but doesn’t dismiss why Ford can’t do an Everest Raptor.

Drive quotes him as saying:

“There is no reason we [Ford] wouldn’t do an Everest Raptor.”

“The first F-150 Raptor was way beyond our wildest dreams in terms of success, and that success spawned a Ranger Raptor. So, to do an SUV is a little more difficult because you have to figure out how to deal with the rear suspension. In the form of a bodyside outer it’s not just a box outer [and that] poses a unique challenge in how you package that.”

This is a sentiment somewhat echoed by Ford Asia Pacific President Peter Fleet.

With the Ranger Raptor being the first Ford Performance model designed especially for Asia Pacific, Fleet says that they’re keeping an eye out for other high-performance models to be marketed under the Ford Performance range. He’s especially buoyed by the overwhelming response the Ranger Raptor has had in markets across the Asia Pacific region.

Furthermore, he doesn’t deny that performance SUVs could help carve a bigger market share for Ford in the region, though he dismisses the idea of having an Everest Raptor because the “Raptor brand” is synonymous with pickup trucks.

So something along the lines of an Everest Sport, maybe?

Going back to Drive’s interview with Hameedi, an Everest Raptor may come out somewhat milder than its Ranger Raptor sibling. The Ford Performance head engineer says that the Everest’s rear body is harder to work with compared to the Ranger’s, although shoehorning a stronger, reinforced chassis along with a raised ride height and the Fox Racing Shox is more than possible.

Source: Drive