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."

Ford said it will begin taking orders for the Bronco Raptor in the spring and deliveries will begin in the summer.

Ford first introduced the Bronco in 1966 and sold them for 30 years until it discontinued the model in 1996. The automaker resurrected the SUV last year in styling reminiscent of the 1960s and early 1970s models.

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