The company said the Bronco Raptor will have an upgraded suspension and a fully boxed, high-strength steel frame for off-road durability.  Photo courtesy Ford Motor Company/UPI

Jan. 24 (UPI) — Ford on Monday unveiled a new version of its Bronco sport-utility vehicle, which it called a “desert racing beast” and the most powerful street-legal Bronco it’s ever produced.

The automaker revealed the 2022 Bronco Raptor and said it will go on sale later this year with a sticker price around $70,000.

“Raptor is the apex of our off-road lineup and is now a full lineup with race proven content and design that you can’t get from anyone else,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement. “Only Ford could create a Bronco Raptor.”

Ford said the Raptor’s twin-turbo 3.0-liter EcoBoost engine produces more than 400 horsepower. It also has an upgraded suspension and a fully boxed, high-strength steel frame for off-road durability.

“It’s our ultimate vehicle for hardcore off-road enthusiasts who demand something more,” Carl Widmann, Ford Performance chief engineer, said in a statement.

“Like the Ultra4 desert race trucks, the ‘Raptor of SUVs’ conquers desert dunes at highway speeds and is equipped with competition-level off-road technology and hardware.”