By Seth Fargher
Thanks to the busyness of life, it’s been a minute since I’ve been able to attend a press event but when Kawasaki came calling with the opportunity to test their all new RIDGE side by side in the mountains of West Virginia, it was hard to say no.
Like most OEM’s Kawasaki is playing the game of trying to meet the market where it’s at, a market that is constantly changing and a consumer base that is increasingly specific in what it wants. The all new RIDGE is Kawasaki’s newest attempt at providing a middle of the road solution that is a capable workhorse, while being sportier than the original Mule. On the spectrum of classifications, it falls somewhere between the strictly utilitarian Mule side by side and the more sport/recreation Teryx model.
Kawasaki Ridge
Because Kawasaki wanted to highlight the “peak premium performance” and recreational capabilities of the RIDGE, they held the press event at the infamous Hatfield McCoy trail system in West Virginia. Allegedly, coal country is experiencing a significant revitalization thanks to a pro tourism governor, so doubling down and highlighting this new machine in a location that is opening it’s arms to the off-road community made perfect sense. Not to mention it’s the perfect environment for a machine like the RIDGE.
Members of the Kawasaki team provided us with an introduction to the RIDGE side by side and West Virginia’s own Secretary of Tourism, Chelsey Ruby was in attendance to call attention to the investments being made in the states tourism industry
Our trail time began at 7AM with a short ride to the BearWallow trailhead where we began our adventure with the RIDGE Limited. Where the RIDGE is considered the base model platform, the Limited model boasts a host of niceties that actually push the price tag to the highest of any model, including the RIDGE XR. Some of those include a WARN VRX 45-S winch, fully enclosed cab, power windows, full windshield with wiper and fluid as well as an advanced Garmin Tread Infotainment system and exceptional audio system. Oh yes, and full heat and AC.
The RIDGE Limited brings new meaning to the terms comfort and convenience. It truly offers all the modern creature comforts of todays advance automobiles and as my wife stated, “that thing is more loaded then my minivan.”
She’s not wrong and that’s precisely what Kawasaki was going for. As OEMs work to broaden their user base, it would seem part of the strategy is to appeal to the comforts people are used to, like climate control, power windows etc, to remove the hurdles that might deter them from going off-road. A gateway machine if you will. Some could argue a fully enclosed cab defeats the purpose of being in the outdoors, (that’s sort of the camp I’m in) however I will admit that after a day of thrashing through mud puddles, dust and getting rained on, it was awfully nice to step out of the vehicle just as clean as when I started.
They’re not wrong, with all the creature comforts, the RIDGE definitely gives you the feeling that you’re driving a lighter, sportier automobile through the mountains.
From a performance side, the RIDGE Limited is a blast to drive and fires on all cylinders, no pun intended. Though 92 horsepower pales in comparison to todays 200+ horsepower sport side by sides, when utilizing the selectable Sport Power Mode, the in-line four cylinder engine provides more get up and go than the average trail rider will ever need or use. What I found impressive early on is that the selectable power modes actually work and are very noticeable.
A lot of times “performance modes” seem like more of a marketing gimmick but these actually work. When in Work mode, I could literally bob my foot on the gas peddle in a rapid motion and the throttle remained entirely consistent with no change in control at all. Normal Mode made for slightly more responsiveness but not aggressive and Sport Mode was immediate and just plane fun. Needless to say we spent the majority of the day in Sport Mode but the long and the short of it is, these three power control modes worked well and I can certainly see instances where each would come in handy.
The 999cc in line 4 cylinder DOHC engine offers less vibration than twin cylinder models and sounds more like a sport motorcycle than a “work” UTV.
If you’ve never ridden at Hatfield McCoy, it offers a good mix of everything. Wide flowing gravel roads, tight switchbacks, and plenty of rocks if thats your thing. Though we avoided the heavy rock trails, both the RIDGE Unlimited and RIDGE XR tackled everything with threw at it. The most technical section we encountered was a steep downhill with lots of loose dirt, rocks and water runoff. When kicked into Normal mode with the rear differential lock engaged, coupled with the advanced engine braking system, all you had to do was point the wheels in the direction you wanted to go. Though not given the opportunity, each of us agreed the RIDGE could have gone right back up the same trail with ease.
Engine braking on the RIDGE is exceptional. Almost too good in fact. Several times while going downhill we had to stay on the gas to keep from slowing down more than we had intended.
After about 3 hours of seat time in the RIDGE Limited, it was time to head back to the Outpost for a quick lunch and then switch to the RIDGE XR model. The RIDGE XR could be described as the big brother to the base model RIDGE but as illustrated, the only significant changes are an increase in horsepower, tire size and the seating arrangement.
From a “package” standpoint, the RIDGE XR features the same automotive inspiration as the Limited by way of power windows, full windshield, heat and AC as well as selectable power modes, on the fly drive modes and an advanced full color TFT display for monitoring speed, RPMs and the rest of the machines vitals. I will say that I had thought the difference in displacement would be more noticeable. For sure 24 horsepower isn’t significant but in total its a 26 percent gain and I was surprised that, from the drivers seat, I really didn’t notice much difference. The larger tires undoubtedly affected that and to that end, I felt the smaller 27” tires on the Limited model made it a bit more nimble and responsive to steering inputs. The differences were subtle for sure, but it illustrates the case that bigger isn’t always better.
Engine braking on the RIDGE is exceptional. Almost too good in fact. Several times while going downhill we had to stay on the gas to keep from slowing down more than we had intended.
Inside the cab of the RIDGE XR model, in place of the Garmin Infotainment System was a simple storage sleeve, perfect for holding a couple of cell phones, a map or anything you need quick access to. I loved that the front portion of the compartment was rubber, providing a little relief so my cell phone didn’t simply rattle around inside an all plastic compartment.
Where the RIDGE Limited features a bench seat with optional 3rd person seating, the RIDGE XR has a large center console which rivals that of most automobiles I’ve driven. Not that anything needed to be protected from the elements (because we were inside an enclosed cab) but the centrality of the location was a great spot for cameras and various other items so they weren’t floating around the cab.
Though not a sport machine by any stretch of the imagination, the RIDGE is more than capable of being driven, and driven aggressively at that.
One of the highlights of the machine that I’m actually still undecided about is the full HVAC. Both the RIDGE Limited and RIDGE XR feature full heat and AC and it actually works. With temperatures in the low 50’s, I found myself needing to shed layers and STILL wanting to drive with the window down because the cab became so warm. For that reason we drove with the AC on for most of the day. It provided relief for sure, but it would be interesting to see how well it works on a hot 90 degree summer day.
(For those who prefer an enclosed cab over the open air, the option of having heat and AC will be a welcome addition.
Regardless of my opinion, for the rancher or weekend warrior who is newer to off-roading and wants something that is not too far of a cry from their own automobile, I can see why Kawasaki incorporated it. And if its not a big deal, you can always go with a different RIDGE model with an open cab and no HVAC.
That option will also save you some coin. The various RIDGE models range in price from the low $20’s for the base model RIDGE all the way up to $33,499 for the RIDGE Limited which we tested. We anticipate a future model to include a four seat version as well as a Limited version of the RIDGE XR for those who truly want the full monty of features, but with the extra horsepower and larger tires.
More than 50 genuine Kawasaki accessories are available from winches and windshields to storage boxes protection and more.This RIDGE Ranch Edition featured about $8500 worth of accessories.
Overall as a completely new machine with a very specific user group in mind, I think Kawasaki hit their mark. The farmer or rancher who views a UTV as a tool, will be more than satisfied with its workhorse capabilities, its 1000 pound capacity, gas shock assisted dump bed and its 2500 pound towing capacity. Cup holders for their coffee mug, plenty of storage for tools and equipment and over 50 accessories to make their RIDGE match their specific needs is an easy sell.
For the user who wants to “try” off-roading but doesn’t like the idea of getting sprayed with mud or prefers the comfort and control of heat and AC vs feeling the wind in their hair, the RIDGE is an excellent segway vehicle. What we in the industry know is that off-roading is contagious. Once someone feels the thrill of stabbing a throttle or exploring a new area in the great outdoors from the seat of a UTV, they’ll be left wanting more. These days it just takes a lot more convincing for some people and Kawasaki has lessoned the barriers to entry with the RIDGE and I believe this machine will help get more people outdoors and behind the wheel who might never have considered getting in the seat of a UTV.
