While landscapers may want to look over the full line of Polaris off-road vehicles for 2016 – just for the fun of it – we’re guessing it’s the Ranger utility task vehicle (UTV) that will prompt as much due diligence as daydreaming.
The industry’s No. 1 selling utility vehicle, Polaris Ranger comes in two-seat, full-size and crew-seating configurations. In fact, for 2016, Polaris has added two new full-size and two new two-seat vehicles, along with power upgrades and other enhancements on existing models.
Among the highlights of Polaris’ 2016 lineup is the introduction of an all new full-size UTV, the Ranger 570 Full Size, which retails at $9,999. The Ranger 570 features a 60-inch wide, three-seat chassis, tubular rollover protective structure (ROPS), 44-horsepower ProStar 570 engine that is rear-mounted for easier access, 1,500 pounds of towing capacity and payload and 800 pounds of bed capacity. Polaris boasts that the 570 also incorporates a number of “premium comfort features.”
Like all Ranger vehicles, the 570 Full Size has an adjustable independent rear suspension. “Whether carrying heavier loads or unwinding with family and friends when the job is done,” a company spokesman says, “the versatility of the adjustable rear suspension and shock positions deliver.”
Although the Ranger 570 Full Size is considered to be one of Polaris’ value-priced models, the manufacturer says no compromise was made on comfort in the design of the 570. It features tilt steering, a bench seat for three and plenty of room to store your stuff.
Meanwhile, the new Ranger XP 900 EPS High Lifter Edition Stealth Black is the industry’s first three-seat machine that’s equipped for riding muddy trails or getting the job done at muddy worksites. Similar to its RZR cousin, the Ranger High Lifter Edition features reduced gearing for more mud-specific torque with an added heavy-duty reverse chain, high engine air and clutch intakes and outlet, arched lower A-Arms, 28-inch High Lifter Outlaw II tires and an improved drainage skid plate.
Specific to Ranger, the vehicle also features a Pro-Lock On-Demand All-Wheel Drive for quicker four-wheel drive engagement. In addition to power steering, the Ranger XP 900 EPS High Lifter is equipped with a 4,500-pound winch with integrated in-dash switches, specially-designed front bumper that provides higher winch access and rear bumper. Standard half doors provide protection from branches and brush.