By Steve Janes
Five new models will help complete the line of Polaris Off-Road vehicles for 2021. Two new RZRs (Trail and Trail S), two new Rangers (Big Game Edition and Waterfowl Edition) and a Sportsman 850 Ultimate Trail model have been released to round out the 2021 model line.
“Our focus is centered around think outside,” said Steve Menneto, president of Polaris Off Road. “It’s a way of life for us at Polaris. It drives and supports our goal.”
Noting that there has been significant growth in recent years, with much of the grown occurring with Latinos (up 70 percent), women (up 55 percent) and Millennials (up 40 percent), Polaris has set its goal to increase its customer base by 50 percent during the next decade.
“Industry growth is across all product lines,” Menneto said. “People want to be outdoors with family.”
Menneto said the recent events with Covid-19 has driven more people to explore different activities, with many seeking ways to get farther out in nature and farther away from the masses. The introduction of new products will help attract more customers to the motorized recreation industry. Polaris has been releasing various changes and innovations to the 2021 product line. These recent changes will help round out a few of the gaps and offer some more specialized vehicles for user groups.
“We listen to customers,” he Menneto said. “Everything starts at the customers. We are constantly getting feedback from our customers, as well as from our partners within various user groups.”
This past August Polaris introduced numerous new products and innovation for 2021. “We continue doing this today with new product news and purpose-built limited additions,” he explained.
Starting On The Trails
The next evolution in trail adventure starts with the 2021 RZR Trail and Trail S lineup. Offering all-new styling, leading trail capability, improved rider comfort and unmatched off-road technology in both the 50-inch-wide RZR Trail and 60-inch-wide RZR Trail S models, Polaris has made the industry’s undisputed leader in trail riding even better.
Polaris started a recreation sport side-by-side market with the launch of the Polaris Ranger RZR 800 in 2007. Since then, Polaris has led the way in trail performance and remained the market leader of the trail segment. With the all-new RZR Trail lineup, Polaris demonstrates that its commitment to innovation and meeting the needs of riders is stronger than ever.
“The RZR Trail was already an incredible, purpose-built machine,” Menneto explained. “However, with the feedback of our owners we’ve refined and elevated the experience, with an emphasis on comfort and ergonomics. The RZR Trail and Trail S lineup offer an unmatched combination of trail agility and advanced technology to give customers more value for a better ride experience.”
These two models are designed to provide all day comfort and performance. Often when RZR riders head out for a ride, they plan to take the better part of the day. They want to be able to sit in comfort and enjoy a smooth ride.
Polaris has designed smaller diameter steering wheel for more clearance from door, giving you plenty of arm and elbow room. The steering wheel is also moved down and back to allow a better fit for the rider. Not only do you get great interior ergonomics, but the new dash design delivers better storage and easier access.
A new wrap-around roll cage offers more head room while providing some coverage for your rear storage area.
The RZR Trail and Trail S models feature all-new styling and have a narrow stance and the shortest wheelbase, making it easier for riders to maneuver on twisting trails and windy routes. Combine that with class-leading power-to-weight, turning radius and fast engaging all-wheel drive, riders will be able to quickly accelerate between corners and choose their line around obstacles for the most agile trail ride ever.
On top of designing one of the most capable trail vehicles, Polaris Off-Road has further refined rider comfort with a new adjustable steering wheel position that repositions rider posture to have shoulders comfortably back against the seat. Keep trail debris out of the cab with new, sturdy full doors and receive more rear coverage from the factory with the new wrap-around roll cage. Add best-in-class suspension travel and ground clearance to soak up the bumps for a plush ride, and RZR Trail and Trail S make the last mile feel as comfortable as the first.
To further elevate the ride experience, both the RZR Trail and Trail S comes with three trims to accommodate the respective needs, desires and budgets of Polaris customers. One both of the respective models, the Sport trim comes with a White Lightning color scheme. The Premium trim features Polaris Blue color scheme. The Ultimate trim has the Stealth Grey color scheme.
In the top trims, Polaris is now offering the most advanced off-road technology to the trail segment. Ride Command is an integrated, seven-inch glove-touch display that offers access to features like maps to help discover new trails, GPS to support navigation and Group Ride so your crew can stay connected and out of each other’s dust. RZR Trail and Trail S also offer the first-ever factory audio from Rockford Fosgate for this segment, allowing riders to easily share and enjoy music on the trail. To keep the ride going, the new LED headlights and accent lights will light up the trail even after the sun sets.
To ensure riders have everything needed to customize their vehicles, a lineup of 29 new accessories are also being launched for the RZR Trail and Trail S models. This brings the total accessories available for the Trail line to more than 60. New accessories were developed with updated style, customizable comfort and premium technology in mind, spanning windshields, roofs, doors, bumpers and more.
RZR Trail
The 50-inch-wide RZR Trail lineup is powered by the 75 horsepower ProStar 900 4-Stroke, DOHC, Twin Cylinder EFI engine equipped with EBS (Engine Braking System). The chassis of the RZR Trail lineup shares a 79-inch wheelbase, 50-inch width, with up to 11 inches of ground clearance with suspension adjustment achieved by the 26-inch tires and 10 inches of suspension travel front and rear.
The RZR Trail is also equipped with a 1.25-inch hitch receiver with a 1,500 lbs rating. The three different trims are: RZR Trail Sport, RZR Trail Premium and RZR Trail Ultimate.
The RZR Trail Sport features full doors, steel rims, Halogen headlights, ZF Twin Tube shocks, Dual-Analog display and 3-position Polaris Pulse Bar. The RZR Trail Premium offers additional features such as Electronic Power Steering, LED headlights and accent lights, aluminum rims, Faster Steering, high performance True On-Demand AWD and color matched seats. The RZR Trail Ultimate combines all the previously mentioned features with Ride Command, Rockford Fosgate Audio, Poly Roof, VersaTrac Turf Mode and FOX 2.0 Podium X Shocks.
RZR Trail S
The 60-inch-wide RZR Trail S has two power options: the Trail S 900 Sport is powered by a 75 horsepower ProStar 900 4-Stroke DOHC Twin Cylinder EFI engine, while the RZR Trail S 1000 Premium and Ultimate trims are powered by the 100 horsepower ProStar 1000 4-Stroke DOHC Twin Cylinder EFI engine. All three models are also equipped with EBS (Engine Braking System).
The chassis of the RZR Trail S shares a 79-inch wheelbase, 60-inch width, with 12.5 inches of ground clearance achieved by the 27-inch tires and 12.25-inch front and 13.2-inch rear suspension travel. It is also equipped with a 1.25-inch hitch receiver with a 1,500 lbs rating. It also features the three different trims: RZR Trail S 900 Sport, RZR Trail S 1000 Premium and RZR Trail S 1000 Ultimate.
The RZR Trail S 900 Sport comes with full doors, aluminum rims, Halogen headlights, FOX 2.0 Podium Shocks, Dual-Analog display and a 3-Position Polaris Pulse Bar. The RZR Trail S 1000 Premium adds to the list of features Electronic Power Steering, LED headlights and accent lights, 2-inch Walker Evans Needle Shocks, Faster Steering, high performance True On-Demand AWD and color matched seats. The RZR Trail S 1000 Ultimate completes the top-end trim with Ride Command, Rockford Fosgate Audio and Poly Roof.
The 2021 RZR Trail and Trail S lineup will begin arriving in dealerships early February 2021.
Pricing: RZR Trail Sport–$13,399; RZR Trail Premium–$15,499; RZR Trail Ultimate–$16,999; RZR Trail S 900 Sport–$15,299; RZR Trail S 1000 Premium–$17,299; and RZR Trail S 1000 Ultimate–$18,999.
Getting Back To Work
They say all work and now play makes for a very long day. However, when there’s a degree of work involved with play, there’s no better way to blend the two than with the Polaris Ranger, the best selling UTV ever made.
The latest addition to the Ranger lineup is two very specialized models—The Ranger Big Game Edition and the Ranger Waterfowl Edition. These are UTVs built with a very specific task in mind, so even though there are a lot of similarities within these two models, and within the rest of the Ranger line, there are also some features that will make each of these respective models shine within their elements.
According to Chris Hendricks, Ranger Product Planning, Polaris has been listening to its customers, employees and industry partners to design activity-specific models.
“Over half of Ranger owners use there vehicle for hunting,” Hendricks said. “We don’t make a Ranger that isn’t a good hunting vehicle. But it has to be capable of extreme terrain and gear-carrying capabilities.”
The latest release of models—The Ranger XP 1000 Big Game Edition and the Ranger XP 1000 Waterfowl Edition—are purpose-built vehicles to meet the demands of the most fanatic hunters. Both models come in three-seat and six-seat (crew) trims.
Ranger XP 1000 Big Game Edition
Besides all the other handling and comfort features required in a utility vehicle, if you’re going into the backcountry looking for big game, you need excellent ground clearance and substantial load-carrying capacity.
Usually, you begin your hunt fully loaded. If all goes well, you end with fully loaded plus a big game animal. Between the start and finish, you travel miles on mountain roads and usually traverse rocky terrain. With 14 inches of ground clearance, the Big Game Edition will make it much easier to get you where you need to go. This model comes with 29-inch Maxxis MU511 tires designed to grip even the rockiest terrain.
It also has an engine-braking system so you have control going down steep trails. And for the sagebrush encountered along the way, it has a strong front bumper and skid plate to protect your vehicle. Its Polaris Pursuit camo skin allows the Big Game Edition to blend into the landscape.
Ranger XP 1000 Waterfowl Edition
Perfect for getting to the buck blind, the Waterfowl Edition features 29-inch Pro Armor Mud XC tires, along with arched A-arms for 14 inches of ground (and swamp) clearance. The tires have an aggressive tread for wet terrain yet still do great at aggressive speeds on the trail.
Its On Demand all-wheel drive system takes the worry out of switching back and forth to four-wheel drive. With the high-mount air intake, the vehicle can navigate through water up to the base of the seat. It also has a sealed electrical system and winch to keep water out. Its heavy-duty bumper and skid plate protects the chassis as you drive through the brush, and a higher winch location makes for easy access and keeps it above the swampy mud.
Once you get to your blind, the new Polaris Marsh/Waterfowl Environment camo keeps you invisible from the air. Since your day usually starts early and ends late, LED lighting provides the necessary visibility to get you in and out of your hunt.
Making A Difference
Although the Big Game Edition and the Waterfowl Edition share some of the great innovations designed by Polaris, they also vary a bit according to the respective needs of both big game and waterfowl hunters.
First the basic features of both—when it comes to power and performance, the four-stroke twin cylinder DOHC 999cc engine from Polaris puts out 82 horsepower with 62-foot-pounds of torque. Both have the Automatic PVT H/L/N/R/P shaft transmission drive.
Both have the independent arched Lower A-arms to deliver 10-inches of travel and 14 inches of ground clearance. Both have an 81-inch wheel base (113 inches in the crew). Both pack 11.5 gallons of fuel. Both are rated to pull 2,500 pounds and come with a standard two-inch receiver. Both have electric power steering. And both can be accessorized with the Lock & Ride cargo system.
Now the subtle differences—the Big Game Edition comes with VersaTrac Turf Mode, Nivomat Load-Adaptive and EBS/Active Descent Control, necessary for steep terrain. The Waterfowl Edition features a higher mounted airbox to allow you to go through water up to the base of your seat.
Both the Big Game Edition and Waterfowl Edition pricing start at $20,199.
ATV And Away
The off-road recreation segment all started with a small chassis, small engine and plenty of enthusiasm. And there are still millions of ATV riders who prefer to keep things small, simple and affordable.
It all starts with a smooth ride. And the 2021 Polaris Sportsman 850 Ultimate Trail LE has all that … and everything else you need in an ATV—independent suspension, electronic power steering, 12 inches of ground clearance with an arched A-arm, 27-inch 6-ply tires and an ergonomically designed seat.
When it comes to power and performance, the Polaris 850cc four-stroke SOHC twin cylinder liquid-cooled engine provides 78 horsepower to deliver all the torque you need, whether riding down a road, climbing a steep mountain trail or pulling a heavy load.
The Sportsman 850 Ultimate is as practical as it is versatile. It offers great storage, Lock & Ride accessories, LED lighting and instrumentation with Bluetooth. And industry-best 30-amp battery makes certain you have all the power you need for easy starting, bright lights and everything in between. A 3,500-lbs winch offers a help line to any task.
The Sportsman 850 Ultimate comes with Automatic PVT transmission and in-line shifting. It has On-Demand True AWD/2WD. Sealed high clearance arched dual A-arm front and rear suspensions offers nine inches (front) and 10.25-inches (rear) travel. It comes with 27-inch Duro tires on 14-inch aluminum wheels.
The Sportsman 850 Ultimate has a payload capacity of 575 lbs with 120 lbs on the front and 240 lbs on the rear. It’s pulling capacity is rated at 1,500 lbs and it comes with a standard 1.25-inch receiver. It comes in Velocity Blue.
