The Polaris range of RZR (Razor) side-by-side vehicles are more capable than any SUV on the market and more fun than probably should be legal.
Polaris is a big and fast-growing off-road vehicle manufacturer in northern USA which has been making great in-roads in Australia, even though their vehicles can't be driven on the road.
But if you have somewhere private to drive them, they are the best fun you can have sitting down. Polaris has been introducing one new RZR vehicle each year since 2008, but this year they are adding the RZR 570 narrow-body single-cylinder model, plus an off-roader all the family can enjoy at the one time, the RZR XP 900.
VALUE
While ATVs can be imported without any duty, there is a 5 per cent impost on side-by-side vehicles. This seems strange as there is no Australian manufacturer to protect. The RZR 570 is the new adult-sized entry level model at $12,995. About the same price as some dirt bikes.
At the top end of the fleet are the new XP 900 models that range from $23,495 for the Xtreme up to the XP 4 900 LE four-seater which is coming next month (MARCH!) but is yet to be confirmed on price.
They also come with a two-year warranty with unlimited kilometres which is quite generous considering the bashing such off-road vehicles will no doubt encounter. Service intervals are also a generous 100 hours.
TECHNOLOGY
The adult entry model has a 567cc single-cylinder, double-overhead-cam, fuel-injected engine, while the RZR XP 900 has a 875cc twin strong enough to carry four adults up most hills.
To complement the new single-cylinder engine, the on-demand four-wheel-drive RZRs come with a new continuously variable transmission to keep the revs in the optimum power band so they don't lose momentum in sand, mud or on ascents.
The all-wheel drive is an on-demand system with low and high range. It is switchable to two-wheel drive on the fly. Both have independent rear suspension with 22.9cm of travel on the 570 and a whopping 35.6cm on the 900.
SAFETY
They come with seatbelts and roll-over protection cages and you can option them up with a roof, doors and even stereo systems. Brakes are huge discs more than enough to stop a car, let alone these lightweight buggies.
DRIVING
Polaris drove to the middle of the Mojave Desert in California to demonstrate their large-capacity machines. The terrain here varies from rock-crawling over boulders to sharp gravel tracks and high-speed gritty sand trails with 1-1.5m whoops that can send an unsuspecting driver and machine into a cartwheel.
Our mission was to drive 50km/h at high speed across this terrain to a tavern for a chilli-cheese-dog lunch, then back again without losing said lunch. These vehicles have conquered the Baja 1000 desert race, so this trip should be a breeze.
At about 10km/h we come upon our first series of whoops which we don't see until the last second because the bright late-morning sun bleaches out the white sand. First reaction is to slam on the brakes and the vehicle responds with rapid deceleration.
We still hit the first trench way too fast and brace for the expected crunch up front and corresponding bunny hop in the rear. Surprisingly, it dives in and out with few histrionics. Our Polaris instructor advises us not to back off. Hit the whoops at speed, he says.
Bravely we attempt the next set without hitting the brakes and are astonished at how much better it handles the obstacle. Even a set of offset whoops that hit left and right at different intervals does not send the buggy into a corkscrew to hell. There is also little kickback in the power steering of the top-spec model.
This is Baja racing for dummies. The four-seater scrapes over one whoop because of the longer wheelbase, while the two-seater clears it with no problems. At the end of our journey, even those ageing test drivers among us with bad backs have no complaints. The seats are comfortable and the passengers have not experienced one sideways head clash all day.
VERDICT
If you have access to private land, ditch the expensive four-wheel drive and grab one of these buggies. The RZR XP 900 will be on show in the inaugural season of the Australian Rally Championship Side By Side Challenge this year.
Ranger RZR
Price: $12,995 (570), $23,495 (XP 900), $24,995 (900 LE)
Warranty: 2yrs, unlimited km
Service: 100 hours
Engine: 570cc single (570), 875cc twin (900)
Transmission: CVT, on-demand AWD
Brakes: hydraulic discs
Fuel: 27.4L tank
Dry weight: 440kg (570), 539.8kg (900)
