Originally published August 7, 2012. This firsthand report has been refreshed to preserve UTV Guide’s coverage of the original Kawasaki Teryx4 introduction.
By Jon Crowley
I was fortunate to be invited by Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. to attend its dealer business meeting in Orlando, Florida. These annual meetings gave Kawasaki dealers an advance look at upcoming products, but this particular event was especially important for UTV enthusiasts: it marked the introduction of the original four-passenger Kawasaki Teryx4.
Several ATV and UTV editors were invited to the event and received information about the new models under embargo before the official reveal. Specifications and studio photos could only tell us so much, so I was eager to see the new Teryx4 in person and examine how it differed from the original two-seat Teryx.
The Teryx4 would become an important chapter in the history of the Kawasaki Teryx and Teryx4, establishing a compact four-seat recreation UTV formula that Kawasaki would continue refining for years.
Kawasaki Takes Over Orlando
We arrived Sunday afternoon and traveled by bus to the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center, where the meeting was being held. The massive resort had more than 1,400 rooms, and Kawasaki dealers and corporate personnel seemed to be everywhere.
After a question-and-answer session with several Team Green Kawasaki riders, we attended the welcome party. Food and drinks flowed, a live band played familiar covers and the room was packed with Kawasaki-clad dealers and employees. The size and energy of the event made it clear that Kawasaki had gone all-in.
The 2012 Kawasaki Product Reveal
The following morning started early for those of us visiting from the West Coast. Everyone filed into a huge exhibition hall arranged around a central area concealed by curtains. It was shortly after 8 a.m., while the embargo covering Kawasaki’s new products remained in place until 9 a.m.
Editors sat in the dark with laptops, tablets and smartphones ready to publish as soon as the embargo lifted, while an elaborate presentation unfolded around us.
When the curtains finally dropped, Kawasaki’s corporate sales and support staff appeared. Before unveiling the machines, company representatives discussed several trends affecting the powersports market:
- The ATV market was experiencing relatively weak performance.
- The UTV market continued to grow.
- Kawasaki said shoppers were getting approximately 35 percent of their purchasing information from the internet, compared with about four percent from magazines.
- The company planned to make online media—including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter—a much larger part of its marketing program.
For someone operating a website focused entirely on UTVs, the presentation reinforced that this was a good time to be covering the rapidly expanding side-by-side market.
At 9 a.m., I published the prepared model announcements and began reporting on the new Teryx4. Kawasaki also presented motorcycles, an ATV and personal watercraft, but the Teryx4 was naturally the vehicle I wanted to inspect first.
First Look at the Original Kawasaki Teryx4
The Teryx4 display was located near the entrance to the new-product showcase. People were constantly climbing in and out of the half-dozen machines on display, making clean product photography difficult. This was less about taking polished photos, however, and more about examining the new four-seat platform firsthand.
Funco Long-Travel Kawasaki Teryx4
After spending time with a yellow Teryx4 EPS LE, I headed to the Team Green area to speak with Reid Nordin. Reid had been closely involved with the project and was an excellent source of information about the engineering changes.
Kawasaki also displayed a customized Teryx4 LE built by Funco. The machine featured a new six-inch-wider long-travel suspension system with King shocks, upgraded harnesses, a custom roll cage, aftermarket wheels and tires, and a Muzzys dual-exhaust system. It offered an early look at how quickly the aftermarket was preparing to support Kawasaki’s new four-seat platform.
What Was New About the 2012 Teryx4?
Several engineering and packaging details stood out during my first inspection of the Teryx4:
- Redesigned 749cc V-twin: Although its displacement remained 749cc, the Teryx4 engine was substantially different from the engine in the 2011 two-seat Teryx. Kawasaki claimed approximately 20 percent more power. Differences in the output shafts, mounting locations and other components meant it was not a simple source of drop-in upgrades for an older Teryx.
- Centrifugal-clutch CVT: The CVT incorporated a centrifugal wet clutch between the crankshaft and primary clutch. This arrangement kept the belt engaged and helped provide smoother low-speed control while reducing belt slip—an especially useful characteristic in rocks and other technical terrain.
- Stronger drivetrain: The differentials, axles and CV joints were larger than those used on the previous Teryx.
- New chassis and suspension: The Teryx4 suspension did not share its major components with the two-seat Teryx. Although the new model was approximately six inches wider, it did not gain a corresponding increase in wheel travel. Companies including Funco and Long Travel Industries were already developing wider aftermarket systems.
- Usable rear seating: At 6 feet 1 inch tall, I could sit in the back without my knees pressing against the front seat.
- Accessible air filter: Kawasaki placed the air-filter system toward the front of the vehicle, where it was easy to service and positioned to draw relatively clean, cool air.
- Available power steering: EPS was an important option on a vehicle of this size. Having added power steering to several UTVs, I was already a strong believer in its benefits.
Muzzys had received early access to the platform and was preparing exhaust and big-bore options. At the time of the meeting, the company discussed an 880cc configuration using the stock cylinders, along with larger 916cc and 999cc combinations using billet cylinders.
For complete specifications and model details, see our refreshed overview of the 2012 Kawasaki Teryx4 750 4×4.
An Adventure UTV Rather Than a Four-Seat Dune Machine
Anyone expecting the Teryx4 to be a direct Polaris RZR 4 competitor for high-speed dune riding would have needed to make significant modifications. That was not the vehicle Kawasaki appeared to be building.
Instead, the Teryx4 was conceived as a compact four-passenger adventure machine suitable for exploring, hunting and technical trail riding. Its controlled low-speed power delivery, durable drivetrain and roomy passenger compartment supported that mission.
At the time, I still wanted to see Kawasaki develop a lighter, more powerful sport UTV with substantially more suspension travel. That would eventually happen, but the Teryx4 filled an immediate gap in Kawasaki’s lineup and gave families and groups a practical way to explore together.
We later drove the machine on the steep trails at Brimstone Recreation. Read our 2012 Kawasaki Teryx4 first-ride review for the complete trail evaluation.
Dealers Drive the New Teryx4
The dealer meeting also included an opportunity for Kawasaki dealers to get behind the wheel of the new four-seat machine.
2012 Kawasaki MULE Display
Kawasaki also displayed its utility-focused 2012 MULE lineup, including examples from the MULE 4000, 4010 Trans4x4, diesel and compact 600/610 families.
The MULE models shown at the event included:
- MULE 4010 Trans4x4
- MULE 4010 Trans4x4 Camo
- MULE 4010 Trans4x4 Diesel
- MULE 4010 4×4 Diesel
- MULE 4000
- MULE 610 4×4 XC
- MULE 610 4×4
- MULE 610 4×4 XC Camo
These machines represent one period in a utility-vehicle family that dates back to the 1988 model year. See our history of the Kawasaki MULE for the complete story, or compare the major generations in our Kawasaki MULE lineup guide.
Looking Back at the Teryx4 Introduction
The Kawasaki dealer meeting was an eye-opening event. Kawasaki appeared energized about the growing UTV market, and the original Teryx4 showed that the company saw value in expanding beyond the traditional two-seat Teryx and work-focused MULE families.
My next goal was to get behind the wheel and determine whether its new drivetrain, compact dimensions and four-seat packaging worked as well on the trail as they appeared to on the showroom floor. That opportunity came soon afterward, and the Teryx4 ultimately joined the UTV Guide stable for further testing and modification.
