Nichola Beckford/Contributor

One of the hottest, most anticipated vehicles of the year now sits in the Kingston Industrial Garage (KIG) showroom, on Spanish Town Road in Kingston.

That vehicle is the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor.

Be prepared to smash open that piggy bank if you want to put this Ford under your Christmas tree.

“We’re asking J$26.5 million for it,” Nicholas Thomas, sales executive at KIG, told Our Today.

In case you believe you can get another one elsewhere, forget it. The Bronco has been on the hard-to-get list since the nameplate was brought back in 2021. A Bronco in Raptor trim is unobtainium, with Ford closing the order books for 2022 and 2023. Demand has been so high that American Ford dealers have been asking upwards of US$25,000 over sticker for the off-roader. The Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the base Bronco Raptor is US$75,000.

What’s all the hullabaloo about? Off-roading and Overlanding have exploded in the United States since COVID-19. The king of this segment has long been the Jeep Wrangler – which is also sold by KIG. The very first Bronco, in 1966, was developed to be a competitor to the Jeep. It was sold in three body styles, two-door wagon, half-cab pickup, and an open-body roadster to match the Jeep CJ-5 available at the time. For the second-generation, the Bronco found its own path, coalescing into a three-door wagon with a removable rear hardtop. As successful as the Bronco had been, it’s most infamous moment came in 1994 when OJ Simpson led the Los Angeles police on a low-speed chase in a 1993 Ford Bronco XLT. By 1996 it had reached its fifth-generation and sales had declined, leading it to be replaced by the larger Ford Expedition.

For the next 25 years, the Jeep Wrangler continued unchallenged in its space. To contest that dominance, Ford returned to the Bronco nameplate in 2021 for a sixth-generation to much success.

How successful?

The very first 2021 Bronco First Edition was sold at auction for a cool $1,075,000. However, they have been unable to meet buyer demand as post-pandemic supply chain issues continue to affect the automotive sector.

Whereas the Jeep has been refining itself slowly over decades, the fresh Bronco uses relatively modern proven underpinnings based on the Ford Ranger, giving it a significant leg up in refinement and technology over the Wrangler. The Bronco has now become a mid-sized Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), sold in two- and four-door configurations. Like the Jeep, it has the ability to be pulled apart for the ultimate next to nature off-roading experience. And, like its rival, the Bronco has been created from the ground up with the mechanical and electronic ability to tackle rough terrain with its Goes Over Any Type of Terrain (G.O.A.T) modes. It also has a wide range of trim levels and can be customised to the buyer content.

In America, horsepower and cubic inches are king. With Jeep dropping their first factory V8 into the Wrangler, it wouldn’t be too long before Ford responded with something above the base 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. Even the optional 2.7-litre twin-turbocharged V6 wasn’t deemed enough by the public. For 2022, Ford announced the Raptor version of the Bronco. Made popular by the original F-150 Raptor, the badge represents the highest performance off-road version of Ford’s pickups and SUVs.

When applied to a model, Ford intends for that vehicle to be viewed as a street-legal version of a trophy truck. This is best denoted by the Baja mode in each of the three Raptor models, F-150, Ranger — only sold internationally, and now the Bronco, referencing the gruelling off-road race. What do you get for the near J$27 million? The Ford Bronco Raptor is sold only in a four-door variant. Like all Raptors, Ford Performance runs through a list to make it earn the Raptor badge. It’s wider, and taller, riding on a newly developed Fox suspension and a 37-inch tyre package, from factory. Everything that needs to be strengthened to handle to the power increase has been strengthened, from axles to the frame itself.

Motivation comes from a twin-turbo 3-litre V6, the bare minimum American buyers can tolerate. Power soars to 400bhp, a 70bhp jump from the next engine down the line. The interior has also got the Raptor treatment to ensure owners know they’re in something special. Ford Performance orange accent trim is everywhere, including the upgraded seats, as well as carbon fibre. Magnesium paddle shifters behind the thicker steering wheel operate the 10-speed automatic transmission.

The Bronco has been developed to match the Jeep Wrangler’s off-road ability while adding in the comfort and refinement buyers want from a modern SUV. Adding the Raptor package to an already in-demand model extends its bandwidth, making it ultra-desirable. So, who’s been good enough all year for Santa to put this under their tree?