Polaris Ute 570 H.D

If the local arm of Polaris Industries wanted to encapsulate an Aussie ‘feel’ with its all-new bespoke, blank canvas ATV, it’s succeeded – as far as the name is concerned at least.

The Ute 570 H.D is the latest addition to the Australian and New Zealand Polaris line-ups – and one which isn’t available in any other market worldwide. The ATV made its ‘world’ debut at the Melbourne 4 x 4 Training & Proving Ground this morning, in front of Polaris’ vast dealer network.

According to Polaris, the Ute represents “a turning point in the ATV market”, and comes standard with mirrors, horn and indicators to allow farmers to access primary producer and limited registration.

Designed to offer the "utility and capabilities of the traditional farm ute combined with the nimbleness and agility of an ATV", other features on the $9995 machine include a 180kg tilting dump box, electronic power steering, independent rear suspension, 241mm rear travel, true on-demand all-wheel drive, six-ply tyres and four-wheel descent control, which automatically engages all four wheels when travelling down slopes for optimal traction.

The towing capacity is a best-in-class 556kg, and it's powered by the same 567cc, fuel-injected engine as the Sportsman 570.

“This is an enormous leap forward for ATV development,” said Polaris Australia and New Zealand Managing Director, Peter Alexander.

“This is a vehicle that not only offers the ultimate utility and versatility, but also heavy duty features designed specifically to withstand the rigors of our market.”

To develop the Ute 570, Polaris management and engineers visited Australia and New Zealand to solicit input from dealers and end users about the usage of ATVs in the unique conditions. The Ute 570 was developed specifically to withstand the challenging conditions in Australia and New Zealand by offering greater utility and work capacity in a market so agriculturally dominated.

The machine is equipped with greasable/sealed ball joints, sealed driveshaft splines and sealed suspension bushings as part of Polaris’ H.D (heavy duty) platform.

The Ute 570 will be available in blue only when it goes on sale in March, 2014.

In addition to the Ute release, Polaris also showcased a battery of new models in Melbourne over the last few days, including the Sportsman Ace ATV with its unique sit-in architecture; the revamped Sportsman 570 H.D; the Scrambler 1000 sports ATV with its 952cc, 89hp engine; the RZR 1000 XP4 side-by-side; and the Ranger 900 XP Crew side-by-side.

The Bikesales Network sampled a large number of the new products, and we also joined multiple Australian rally champion and now Polaris side-by-side practitioner Cody Crocker for a massively entertaining quick spin in the RZR 1000 XP4.

That was five minutes of adrenalin I’ll never forget, but the biggest revelation for us was the Sportsman Ace, which will go on sale for $9995 in April, 2014.

In a nutshell, it feels like a smaller version of the RZR side-by-sides – but probably even more intuitively as the rider sits symmetrically in the Ace as opposed to the left-hand side.

Either way, the side-by-side vibe is a major confidence booster in its own right. It’s also way more comfortable and less gut-busting than an ATV in rough terrain, but still remains a nimble proposition thanks to its ATV-like dimensions.

And all the while the rider is fixed securely in the adjustable bucket seat (the steering wheel is also adjustable) and three-point seat belt. Once in motion, the rider is met with a low centre of gravity, 260.4mm of ground clearance and 241mm of rear travel due to its fully independent rear suspension fitted with preload-adjustable shocks.

At 32hp, it certainly doesn’t shout from the rooftop in the power stakes – Polaris says the all-new Prostar engine is its most frugal yet, though – but it actually feels more powerful than that; probably a function of the confidence-inspiring, free-flowing bump-soaking ride.

Standby for a full report on the Sportsman Ace.