Well organized and separated into five categories, the 2017 Polaris RZR line has a model for every taste and need, in fun times out and about, just about anywhere your heart desires. Great power, outstanding agility and conquering ability, and yet to be topped level of ease in control, are all common traits that reverberate through the entire line.
The biggest, now getting to be old news, is that whichever model you choose from this extremely well diversified group of vehicles; exciting, invigorating yet peaceful experiences in the great outdoors are guarantied. You will almost certainly gain a good number of friends too, as the RZR brand is so commonly crossed on every trail that it forces a proud thumb up for everyone comfortably seated in these better than ever, little off-road gems, as I like to call them. I’ve raced in them, went out on a huge trek from St-Michel des Saints to La Tuque in a four-seater, even ran a few demo laps in an XP on a Supermoto track in front of a crowd in awe of its performance on asphalt. I was drifting out of turns with amazing efficiency, able to stop on a dime at any point, but I sure wouldn’t have started doing donuts. Although some wider models can perform this sort of stunt without any danger whatsoever in the hands of an experienced driver who knows a thing or two about how his tires are reacting to different surface types, that is not the fun thing to do in these great rides. Exploring the possibilities with many beautiful regions to explore, in a totally legal and safe way, ideally with helmets, should be much more satisfying.
The big game changer now from Polaris with its premium RZR models, as well as many other Polaris vehicles, is the Ride Command element. This new interactive and easy to use dash-mounted screen, opens a myriad of possibilities, that will ultimately help you go further and explore even more than was ever possible. Feeling uneasy about having turned into an unknown trail is a thing of the past. Not only will you always know where you are but also where all of your buddies are. Trail rides can be shared and enjoyed with a new level of security and enjoyment in efficacy. Many of you know how losing track of a trail buddy can be worrying and ruin the fun. The system enables you to invite your friends to a group to see their live location on the map of your smartphone, tablet, or on your RZRs Ride Command display. You can contact members of your group by simply using the Call and Message options from their rider profile, set a member in your group as your leader to follow their trail through any twists and turns you encounter and invite friends to ride with you via social media, text, or email.
My experience with it in the Montana mountains was very positive and I enjoyed the occasional glance at the screen which blasted all I needed to know in one swift visual shot. Every trail buddy has its very own colour for its dot on the screen and the zoom was easy to use on the fly so to back up and see the entire group. Seeing that riding off-road always presents the risk of coming across an unexpected obstacle, it is strongly suggested that you come to a complete stop before playing around with the system’s many functions but many simple tasks done with just a bit of a slow down at a logically chosen moment, felt totally safe. The 7” glove-touch, weather-resistant display was truly a joy to use. The display also provides seamless device control, enables you to receive text and call notifications, gives you the ability to control a GoPro camera, right from the display. Combined with the Ride Command app, the experience gets even better as you record rides and place waypoints to save all your favorite locations and share them with others. Among many other advantages, you can view points of interests, prepare for your ride by checking weather radar, create a group and invite friends to join you on the trail by sharing the group via social media, text, or email.
Ride Command is available on the RZR XP 1000 EPS Velocity Blue Limited Edition and as an accessory. The RZR XP 1000 EPS Velocity Blue Limited Edition will come standard with the Ride Command 7” display, front and rear cameras, and in-door audio designed specifically for RZR.
For those who are already RZR owners and curious to know if 2017 is a good year to upgrade, we would say a big resounding yes. The amazing Ride Command system is just one of many improvements for this model year. Know that there are plenty of performance upgrades that could convince you on their own, like the more power aspect many still crave. At the top in power and torque of this impressively diversified lineup, is the RZR XP 1000 Turbo, provides more power with a whopping 168 hp. The 2017 version features a completely upgraded cooling system that includes a 20% larger engine radiator, a huge front grill that’s 40% larger to increase air flow to the radiator, with a new and more powerful variable speed brushless fan behind it. This new fan pulls 25% more air through the system. Also, dual sided rear intakes paired with an improved clutch cover design, circulate air more efficiently to the new belt, keeping it up to 30 degrees cooler. That powerful ride has been graced with a new ultra responsive 1.5 turn steering rack, providing race-inspired control with the quickest steering ever presented in a RZR. Combined with standard Electronic Power Steering, it makes the vehicle ultra responsive to driver input.
Still in the lineup are the RZR XP 1000 and XP 4 1000 High Lifter Editions in Velocity Blue, which receive an all-new, Xtreme-Performance AWD, low-gearing upgrade and stronger, front half shafts.
Our favourite in the 2017 Polaris RZR, which aims to thoroughly please the rock-crawling type, is a new Special Edition RZR XP 1000 EPS in Gold Matte Metallic featuring a factory installed, premium trail and rock accessory package including: 14-in. (35.6-cm) ProArmor beadlock wheels and Crawler XG tires; rock sliders, high-clearance, front-control arms and rear radius rods; HMW skid plate, front bull bumper with tow hook; 4,500-lb. (2041-kg) Polaris winch; Click-6 harnesses, high-visibility front fender flares; and a rear-view mirror. This model also has an all-new 55% lower gearing in L, optimizing power and torque at low speeds, the new Xtreme Performance True On-Demand All-Wheel Drive system that keeps the front and rear wheels pulling at almost the same speed for almost no rear wheel slippage and a new gated shifter featured only on this limited edition.
The Sport category, including the 75-horsepower RZR S 900 offered in White Lightning, with EPS models in Velocity Blue and Black Pearl; and the 100-horsepower RZR S 1000 EPS available in Indy Red and Stealth Black, gains a new member in the all-new RZR S 570 for 2017. Those offer excellent handling and conquering ability thanks in part to a long 81″ wheelbase that gives you a smooth ride and a full 12″ ground clearance to clear over everything with confidence. Walker Evans needle shocks, first introduced on the RZR XP 1000s, now help the RZR S 900 and RZR S 1000 offer the same near-bottomless feel and outstanding comfort on the roughest trails.
For the 2017 Trail category, Polaris continues to offer several proven, trail-capable models. The 50-in. (127-cm.) vehicles in this popular category include: the RZR 570 in White Lightning with an EPS version in Matte Turbo Silver; and RZR 900 in White Lightning with EPS versions in Black Pearl and Blue Fire Metallic. The 55-in. (139.7-cm.) RZR 900 EPS XC is available in Black Pearl.
4-Seat models include the 75-horsepower RZR 4 900 EPS in Velocity Blue and Black Pearl; and the 110-horsepower RZR XP 4 1000 EPS in White Lightning and Titanium Matte Metallic. Last but certainly not least, the RZR XP 4 Turbo EPS, available in Titanium Matte Metallic and Cruiser Black (which is actually red and black), takes extreme performance for family and friends, to a entirely new level.
For more information on the above mentioned models, please visit the Polaris Website
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