Despite the unprecedented popularity of pickups in North America, Ford believes that bringing the Ranger Raptor here would be cost-prohibitive.

Ford’s decision may also have been swayed by the fact that the global Ranger Raptor utilizes the 2.0-liter turbo-diesel, an option that is not offered or certified for North America.

Though we’re disappointed the Ranger Raptor won’t roam our shores anytime soon, the decision does make sense from Ford’s perspective.

According to Salenbauch, F-150 Raptors are only sitting on dealer lots for an average of 20 days. With plenty of buyers willing to shell out at least $54,350 for those, there’s not much incentive for Ford to offer a cheaper, less profitable off-roader.

That said, as hot as truck sales are in the U.S. right now, withholding any variant from North American buyers does raise an eyebrow. Currently, the most expensive U.S. Ranger is the 4WD Lariat, which starts at $39,480. A Ranger Raptor would likely slot in a couple thousand above that.

Ford hasn’t ruled out the possibility for the Ranger Raptor to be sold in the U.S. at some point. In the meantime, if you’re still looking for a midsize off-road-ready pickup, you do have other options. Chevrolet’s Colorado ZR2 starts at $42,290, and Toyota will sell you a TRD Pro Tacoma for $46,410. – autoweek.com