Can-Am introduced its Smart-Shox semi-active suspension system on the 2021 Maverick X3 X rs Turbo RR. Unlike systems that adjust only compression damping, Smart-Shox can automatically control both compression and rebound at each corner of the vehicle.
The result is a suspension system designed to deliver better body control, traction and bottom-out resistance without requiring the driver to stop and manually adjust the shocks. Drivers can select Comfort, Sport or Sport+ from the cockpit, while the system continuously adjusts damping as terrain and driving conditions change.
What Is Can-Am Smart-Shox?
Smart-Shox is an electronically controlled semi-active suspension system developed for the Can-Am Maverick X3. Sensors monitor vehicle and suspension movement, while electronically controlled valves inside the shocks alter damping in real time.
The system continuously monitors wheel position and velocity. It can then adjust compression and rebound damping independently at each wheel to match the terrain, vehicle movement and selected suspension mode.
Can-Am said the valves could move from their softest to firmest setting in an average of 17 milliseconds. That rapid response allows the suspension to react during events such as acceleration, braking, cornering, jumping and encountering abrupt terrain.
Smart-Shox Driving Modes
The 2021 Maverick X3 X rs Turbo RR gave the driver three selectable suspension modes:
- Comfort: Uses softer damping to improve ride quality over choppy terrain and reduce fatigue during longer rides.
- Sport: Provides a firmer, more controlled setting for aggressive recreational driving and varied terrain.
- Sport+: Delivers the firmest response for high-speed and highly aggressive driving where maximum body control is the priority.
These modes establish the system’s general behavior, but they are not simply three fixed shock settings. Smart-Shox continues making individual damping adjustments while the Maverick X3 is moving.
Compression and Rebound Control
Compression damping controls how quickly a shock compresses when the wheel encounters an obstacle or the vehicle lands from a jump. Rebound damping controls how quickly the shock extends again after being compressed.
Managing both directions electronically gives Smart-Shox more control over how each tire follows the terrain. It can soften the suspension when compliance is useful and add damping when the vehicle needs more support.
This also helps control topping and bottoming events. The system can add damping as a shock approaches the end of its travel, reducing harsh impacts and some of the loads transferred into the chassis and suspension components.
Three Main Smart-Shox Benefits
Improved Traction and Performance
Allowing each wheel to better follow the ground can help maintain tire contact and traction over uneven terrain. The system can also manage weight transfer during hard acceleration, helping keep the Maverick X3 composed during launches and across undulating surfaces.
Better Vehicle Control
Smart-Shox can increase damping to reduce body roll in corners, pitch under braking and squat under acceleration. Because the adjustments happen independently at each wheel, the system can respond to both driver inputs and changing trail conditions.
The objective is a flatter and more predictable chassis without forcing the driver to use an excessively firm suspension setting everywhere.
More Comfort
A conventional suspension setup normally requires some compromise between comfort and bottom-out resistance. Smart-Shox can use softer damping when the vehicle is moving across smaller bumps, then add support when it detects more aggressive movement or a major impact.
This broader operating range can reduce harshness and driver fatigue while preserving control when the pace increases.
UTV Guide Smart-Shox First Ride
Jon Crowley tested the 2021 Can-Am Maverick X3 X rs Turbo RR with Smart-Shox at Pastranaland before the system was publicly unveiled. The firsthand test provided an opportunity to compare its three modes and experience how quickly the suspension adapted to jumps, corners and changing terrain.
Read the complete 2021 Can-Am Maverick X3 X rs Turbo RR Smart-Shox first-ride review for Jon’s driving impressions and a closer look at how the technology performed in real terrain.
How Smart-Shox Works
This Can-Am video provides a closer look at the sensors, electronic controls and shock-valve adjustments used by the semi-active suspension system.
Smart-Shox Introduction Video
Can-Am Smart-Shox FAQ
Does Smart-Shox adjust compression and rebound?
Yes. One of the system’s distinguishing features at its introduction was its ability to electronically control both compression and rebound damping.
Does the driver still select a suspension setting?
Yes. The driver chooses Comfort, Sport or Sport+, and the system then makes continuous automatic adjustments within the selected mode.
How quickly can Smart-Shox change its damping?
Can-Am stated that the system could move from full soft to full firm in an average of 17 milliseconds.
Which model introduced Smart-Shox?
Smart-Shox debuted on the 2021 Can-Am Maverick X3 X rs Turbo RR. It positioned the wide X rs model as the most technologically advanced Maverick X3 in the 2021 lineup.
Is Smart-Shox the same as manually adjustable shocks?
No. Manual adjusters establish a shock setting that remains in place until someone changes it. Smart-Shox uses electronic valves and vehicle data to alter damping while the UTV is being driven.
For current Maverick X3 model and technology information, visit Can-Am
This article is worth refreshing as the technical companion to your firsthand Smart-Shox review. I retained all four original photos and all three videos, removed the dated BRP boilerplate, and added clearer explanations of what the system actually controls.
Can-Am introduced its Smart-Shox semi-active suspension system on the 2021 Maverick X3 X rs Turbo RR, giving the high-performance UTV the ability to adjust both compression and rebound damping automatically while it was being driven.
Rather than requiring the driver to stop and manually adjust the shock settings, Smart-Shox continuously responds to vehicle movement and changing terrain. Drivers can still influence the system by selecting one of three suspension modes—Comfort, Sport or Sport+—from inside the cab.
What Is Can-Am Smart-Shox?
Smart-Shox is a computer-controlled, semi-active suspension system developed to improve performance, vehicle control and ride comfort. Its defining feature at launch was the ability to adjust both compression and rebound damping independently at each shock.
Compression damping controls how quickly a shock compresses when a tire encounters an impact. Rebound damping controls how quickly the suspension extends again after being compressed. Managing both sides of that movement gives Smart-Shox more control over how each tire follows the terrain.
The system monitors inputs such as suspension position and vehicle movement, then uses electronically controlled valves to change the damping at each corner. Can-Am stated that the shocks could move from their softest to firmest setting in an average of 17 milliseconds.
Smart-Shox Suspension Modes
The three selectable modes establish the general character of the suspension, while the system continues making individual adjustments at each shock:
- Comfort: Prioritizes a softer ride over choppy terrain and during recreational trail riding.
- Sport: Provides a firmer, more controlled setting for aggressive driving and higher speeds.
- Sport+: Delivers the firmest response for the most aggressive driving conditions.
These modes do not simply lock all four shocks into one fixed damping setting. They change the system’s operating strategy while Smart-Shox continues reacting to the terrain and the vehicle’s movement.
How Smart-Shox Improves Performance
By constantly adjusting compression and rebound damping, Smart-Shox can help keep the tires in better contact with uneven terrain. Improved tire contact can provide more consistent traction during acceleration, braking and transitions across rough ground.
The system can also firm the suspension when greater control is needed, then reduce damping when a softer response will help the wheels follow smaller bumps. This allows the Maverick X3 to combine ride compliance with control more effectively than a single fixed shock setting.
Better Body Control
Smart-Shox can respond to changes in vehicle pitch, roll and suspension position. This helps reduce excessive body movement during hard cornering, acceleration and braking.
The system can provide firmer damping where it is needed to help the Maverick X3 corner flatter, reduce front-to-rear pitching and settle more quickly after large bumps. It also incorporates bottom-out and top-out protection into its calibration.
For the driver, the goal is a more stable and predictable UTV without requiring extensive knowledge of manual shock adjustment.
Improved Ride Comfort
A manually adjusted shock is normally a compromise. A soft setting can provide a comfortable ride over small chop but may allow excessive body movement or bottoming during larger impacts. A firm setting can improve control at speed but transmit more harshness to the occupants.
Smart-Shox can change damping while the vehicle is moving, providing a softer response where possible and a firmer response when required. That can reduce the number of impacts reaching the driver and passenger, helping limit fatigue on long rides.
Can-Am also noted that reducing severe impact loads can place less mechanical stress on vehicle components.
UTV Guide Smart-Shox Driving Impressions
UTV Guide tested the 2021 Can-Am Maverick X3 X rs Turbo RR with Smart-Shox at Pastranaland before the model was publicly unveiled. That drive provided an opportunity to experience the system across jumps, corners and rough terrain instead of evaluating it solely from Can-Am’s technical description.
Read our complete 2021 Can-Am Maverick X3 Smart-Shox first-ride review for Jon Crowley’s firsthand impressions.
How Smart-Shox Works
The following Can-Am video explains how the semi-active suspension system monitors the vehicle and makes individual damping adjustments:
2021 Maverick X3 Smart-Shox Introduction
Can-Am’s original launch video shows the Smart-Shox-equipped Maverick X3 X rs Turbo RR in action:
Why Smart-Shox Mattered
Electronic suspension was not a new idea when the 2021 Maverick X3 arrived, but Smart-Shox expanded what a production UTV suspension system could control. Its ability to electronically manage both compression and rebound was the key distinction.
For owners, the practical advantage was broader suspension capability without stopping to make manual clicker adjustments. A driver could select the desired mode and let the system adapt each shock as conditions changed.
That combination of convenience, comfort and high-speed control made Smart-Shox one of the most significant upgrades introduced during the original Can-Am Maverick X3 generation.
Can-Am Smart-Shox FAQ
What model first received Smart-Shox?
Can-Am introduced Smart-Shox on the 2021 Maverick X3 X rs Turbo RR.
Does Smart-Shox adjust compression and rebound?
Yes. Smart-Shox electronically controls both compression and rebound damping at each shock.
How quickly can Smart-Shox change its settings?
Can-Am stated that the system could move from full soft to full firm in an average of 17 milliseconds.
What Smart-Shox modes can the driver select?
The 2021 system offered three selectable modes: Comfort, Sport and Sport+.
Does Smart-Shox eliminate every suspension adjustment?
It eliminates the need to continually make manual damping adjustments for changing terrain. Like any UTV suspension, however, proper spring preload, ride height, tire pressure and overall vehicle setup remain important.
