After a full year with Ford’s flagship ute, we can report that the Ranger Raptor lives up to its billing as the ultimate dual-purpose vehicle, though not without some caveats.

The 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 diesel remains a highlight, with 292kW and 583Nm providing effortless overtaking and genuine towing grunt. Over 25,000km, we averaged 11.2L/100km in mixed driving, rising to 14.8L/100km when towing our 2.5-tonne test trailer.

The Fox Live Valve suspension is genuinely remarkable on dirt, soaking up corrugations and ruts that would have lesser vehicles bouncing off the trail. On tarmac, it’s firm but never harsh, and the cabin remains remarkably quiet at highway speeds.

Downsides? The SYNC 4A infotainment system still has occasional lag, the rear seat space is tight for three adults, and we had one warranty claim for a leaking rear diff seal at 18,000km, resolved in a day.

At $89,790, it’s a serious investment, but nothing else combines on-road comfort, off-road capability, and genuine performance quite like this.