This year’s winner of All-Terrain Vehicle Magazine’s Best In Class Award for Best 400cc-500cc Sport Utility was the all-new Polaris Sportsman 450.
Polaris attacked the old 400’s personality problem at its very core by bumping up its engine displacement to deliver a completely new power package.
Not only are the engine changes dramatic but the whole demeanor of the smallest Sportsman has been improved.
There’s amazing sizzle here now and those who would have walked past the Sportsman 400 a year ago will stop to take a long look at the new 450.
All the great Sportsman features are still in place: true 4×4, proven CVT tranny, plush long travel suspension and a clamshell front rack. Class leading value here and enough power to embarrass some 500s.
This category is where the bulk of North America’s ATV buyers are shopping for new iron. It’s the bread and butter of the industry and therefore, the OEMs put a lot of focus on delivering big-time value here. Competition here is tough.
