Polaris Working on Innovative Utility Vehicle
While the competition does its best to play catch-up and eat into Polaris’ dominance of the Side-by-Side market, the Minnesota-based manufacturer continues to push forward and change the way we think of UTVs. The latest example can be found in some patent documents we dug up for an innovative-looking four-seat Utility Side-by-Side.
We don’t have a name for this machine yet, but it strikes a brutish pose that looks like it could be used on the jobsite or a military base. Most notable is the cargo bed, which opens up in the cab, where long items can be housed in a center tunnel between the seats. This would seem ideal for carrying lumber, ladders, or a myriad of military tools. This UTV looks like a cargo mover above all else.
Patent documents show Polaris is working on Utility Side-by-Side with some unique features.
The vehicle itself seems very large, but it’s hard to say by looking at the patent drawings how much larger it is than a Ranger Crew six-seat machine. We’re inclined to think it’s a good bit wider, but it’s tough to judge from the drawings and the patent documents reveal no measurements.
An overhead view of the vehicle shows how the cargo bed extends into the cab and between the seats.
As for the powerplant, our initial reaction was a vehicle of this size designed to move this amount of cargo would require a bigger engine than Polaris currently has in its arsenal. However, developing a new engine is incredibly expensive and we’re not sure a vehicle like this would generate the type of sales to offset that cost (unless Polaris has plans for a lineup of new super Utility-minded UTVs). Your guess is as good as ours, but Polaris’ 904cc three-cylinder diesel seems like a good choice.
We are curious to learn which engine Polaris will choose to power this substantial UTV.
Patent drawings also show an interesting suspension setup on this UTV. While the front end looks like a relatively typical dual A-arm design, the rear is harder to peg. We’d guess it’s similar to the multi-link coil over De-Deion design found on the Polaris Brutus line, but the drawings do not look identical to photos of the Brutus rear end. The drawings show the rear suspension arms running into a box in the middle where they would connect to the frame, but we’re not sure what its purpose is.
This front and rear view show off the suspensions on Polaris’ UTV project.
It’s possible this could be the vehicle Polaris would introduce its semi-active suspension on ( click here for more information on that), but we still think that will wind up on the Polaris RZR family.
This is an exploded view of the rear suspension. Note how the gas portion of the shock is perpendicular to the spring portion. The front shock has a more traditional arrangement.
While we would very much like to see a completed version of this Polaris UTV, we don’t know if it will ever get built. However, Polaris is planning to unveil its 2015 lineup on July 27, so it’s possible we could be seeing it very soon.
Polaris show how the vehicle can be outfitted for military use.
If you are interested in exploring the patent documents further, you can check them out here.
I have been working exclusively in digital media since 1997. I started out with TSN.ca, spending nearly nine years creating and editing content on Canada's leading sports website. I left to join VerticalScope, Inc., one of the world's largest online publishers, to start a number of powersports publications. While at VerticalScope, I've helped create and oversee content for a wide variety of different publications, including ATV.com, Off-Road.com, ArcheryTalk.com, Tractor.com, RVGuide.com, and many more.
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