X

Polaris RZR Pro XP 4 is a high-performance, four-seat, off-road beast

Greater comfort, versatility and trail-dominating capability are also feathers in this mean machine's proverbial cap.

Craig Cole Former reviews editor
Craig brought 15 years of automotive journalism experience to the Cars team. A lifelong resident of Michigan, he's as happy with a wrench or welding gun in hand as he is in front of the camera or behind a keyboard. When not hosting videos or cranking out features and reviews, he's probably out in the garage working on one of his project cars. He's fully restored a 1936 Ford V8 sedan and then turned to resurrecting another flathead-powered relic, a '51 Ford Crestliner. Craig has been a proud member of the Automotive Press Association (APA) and the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA).
Craig Cole
2 min read
Polaris RZR Pro XP 4
Enlarge Image
Polaris RZR Pro XP 4

This off-road side-by-side is an absolute beast in the dirt and on trails.

Polaris/Roadshow

Polaris is expanding its RZR Pro XP family of performance-oriented side-by-sides. The Minnesota-based company, which manufacturers everything from motorcycles and snowmobiles to neighborhood electric vehicles just unveiled its latest off-road toy.

With more capability, features, storage space and durability, the new RZR Pro XP 4 is far from a child's plaything. This machine is built to tackle some of the toughest terrain on planet earth, and it can do it while hauling more people.

Unlike its sibling, the RZR Pro XP, this model comes with four seats and four doors. Improving comfort, the front buckets are slide-adjustable and mounted slightly lower. This, in conjunction with elevated rear seats, provides generous sightlines for riders in the back. With four additional inches of shoulder room and three inches of legroom, the RZR Pro XP 4 should be comfortable enough for all-day excursions.

Providing the space for four people, this side-by-side rides atop a lengthy 125-inch wheelbase. For context, that span is 9-inches longer than a Chevrolet Tahoe's, a full-size SUV. Such an extensive wheelbase is something that also helps deliver greater riding comfort, additional storage capacity and, perhaps most importantly, greater stability in extreme conditions.

The RZR Pro XP 4 is 64 inches wide and has a dry weight of around 2,000 pounds; its maximum payload capacity checks in at 900. Enhancing versatility, the rear backrests fold down, opening up an area with more than 16 cubic feet of cargo room. Giving it longer legs, fuel capacity has been increased by two gallons, topping out at 13.

Providing giddy-up is a 925-cc, two-cylinder, four-stroke engine. With dual overhead camshafts and electronic fuel injection it cranks out 181 horsepower. An upsized turbocharger helps deliver greater boost pressures and commensurately quicker acceleration in the 20-to-50-mile-an-hour range. The RZR Pro XP 4's improved transmission is said to be 39 percent more durable, its front-drive assembly three times tougher. Polaris claims the RZR Pro XP 4 is the strongest four-seat side-by-side ever built.

Polaris RZR Pro XP 4 can take you just about anywhere

See all photos

Gracing this vehicle with trail-dominating capability, it features a suspension system with a whopping 22 inches of usable travel. As for ground clearance, that measures an impressive 14.5 inches. Maxxis Carnivore 2.0 tires are supposedly the largest fitted as standard equipment on a machine this size. They measure 30 inches in diameter. Top-of-the-line Ultimate models gain Fox 2.5 Live Valve shock absorbers.

Further improving the breed, this off-roader also boasts of new paint finishes, an upgraded interior, multi-point harnesses, new storage solutions and enhanced lighting systems. Polaris' RZR is already the No. 1-selling sport performance side-by-side family, the addition of the Pro XP 4 should further broaden its appeal.

This mean machine is available in three trim levels: Pro XP 4, Pro XP 4 Premium and Pro XP 4 Ultimate. The base model kicks off at $25,699, while the midrange offering is $2,300 pricier than that. If only the best will do for you, the Ultimate goes for around $32,299. The RZR Pro XP 4 lineup should be arriving at Polaris dealerships right now.

Watch this: Bollinger B1 and B2 are 614-horsepower electric beasts