savage on sleds lowends turn
Amsnow
We all know that our U.S. economy is tightening and that's impacting the rest of the world too. Well, the snowmobile world is no different. While the Big 4 all say they've had a decent 2009 model year, only the foolish would charge into 2010 with guns a blazin'.
So you'll see a lot of sleds aiming at the low end of the market for 2010. You can see our full report starting on p. 14. But we shouldn't be surprised when Arctic Cat, the speed demons that they are, push a spunky Sno Pro 500 at us for $7,995. Many folks, especially in hard-hit states like Michigan, don't have the coin to drop on the bigger horse, top-end sleds.
Ski-Doo, also, is filling out its 2010 lineup with fan-cooled sleds. When was the last time a FAN was big news for a manufacturer? It's a smart move, again offering Ski-Doo's super handling REV-X chassis to the masses, even those folks who run utility sleds!
Polaris still is pounding away at the middle of the market with its new sled, The Rush. But this is out of necessity. The former industry leader's chassis was aging and this had to have been on the drawing boards for several years. It was time for something new, so despite the economy, The Rush's time was NOW.
Yamaha runs on its own schedule most of the time and has made steady progress with its lineup of 4-stroke sleds. The Phazer at least partially addressed the market's low-end a few years back, but the Nytro is where it continues to aim for more aggressive riders and it couldn't ignore the expanding mountain market. So its Nytro MTX is properly timed to help it garner sales out West.
So where does that leave us?
With a summer to consider all these new machines, plus all the improvements, big and small, that the Big 4 have made to their sleds for 2010. While many have aimed at the market's lower end, there is still plenty of hot metal out there for the guys who live for speed.
For them I say, think turbo and aftermarket add ons!
Now we direct your attention to our Web site and then hope you'll rejoin us next fall for another great season. Happy trails!