Off-road trails have long been the domain of loud, buzzy, and exhaust spewing side by sides and quads. But that’s all about to change thanks to the all-electric Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic.
More than the current Ranger with a battery and electric motor, the XP Kinetic has been re-engineered specifically for electrification. “We didn’t just want to hop on the electric bandwagon.” Said Chris Hurd, Director of Product Planning for Polaris, “We wanted to produce the best Ranger we’ve ever built.”
The first thing you’ll notice when looking at the Kinetic XP is the lack of a grill. Because there’s no need for a radiator, designers restyled the front end to be little cleaner and a lot more contemporary. There’s still a big bash plate up front and the XP Kinetic comes with a winch as standard equipment. One of the other nice features on the front is an LED accent light that runs between the headlights which doubles as a state of charge indicator. When the vehicle is plugged in the light bar fills in as it charges.
Behind the two-seat cabin, you have a tilting 12.5-inch deep, 3 foot by 4.5 foot box that can hold up to 1,250 pounds of mulch, gravel, or gear. The fully-independent double A-arm suspension is a retuned version of the gas powered Ranger XP with adjustments made to handle the extra 355 pounds and lower center of gravity resulting from the electric powertrain.
The Ranger XP Kinetic features two trim levels, Premium and Ultimate, the key difference being a larger battery (14.9 kWh versus 29.8 kWh). Regardless of which you buy, the permanent magnet AC electric motor puts out 110 hp and 140 lb.-ft. of torque, which Polaris says is twice the grunt of any gas-powered utility on the market. That allows it to tow up to 2,500 pounds with its two inch hitch receiver. Range on the Ultimate model is estimated at 80 miles which will vary depending on temperature and use. Accessories are powered by a separate 12-volt battery so there’s no loss of range when you’re idling. In addition, there a pre-wired 110-volt, 15-amp outlet in the box to allow you to run equipment, a radio, or other accessories in the field.
Get behind the wheel and that’s where the difference between the gas and electric Ranger really manifests itself. Throw the long shift lever into high and stab the throttle and it takes off like a frightened stallion. There’s a low range gear, but in our test it wasn’t needed even up the steepest hill we faced. We were able to crawl up at low speed, stop halfway, and start again with excellent traction. Thanks to the lower center of gravity, the XP Kinetic corners confidently. We kept it in 4-wheel drive for most of our test through fields, over rocks, and on tight trails in the woods. Thanks to the 14-inches of ground clearance there was never a concern about bottoming out. The leather seats in the Ultimate trim are weather-treated and the whole interior including the electronic panels are water resistant so you can just hose it out after a day in the dirt.
The best part about the Ranger XP Kinetic isn’t the performance, however, it’s the silence. Being able to glide quietly between the trees, hearing the birds, knowing that the vehicle isn’t pumping carbon into the air, all make the experience even better. This is also a huge benefit for hunters who will be able to get to their stands with less noise and no fumes to disturb whatever game you’re after.
There’s a big technology upgrade on the Ranger XP Kinetic Ultimate as well. Polaris has developed a connected system called Ride Command Plus that allows you to sync data to your phone with an app so you can locate your Ranger, know how much charge it has, check on the vehicle health, and share your rides with other users or friends on social media.
The 2023 Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic is on sale now and starts at $24,999 for the Premium model. In Ultimate trim the MSRP is $29,999 and is available in Icy White Pearl or Polaris Pursuit Camo. Polaris has a partnership with the charging company Qmerit to help owners with adding a J1772 level-2 home charger which can refill the battery in 3 to 5 hours depending on the model.
