Hide your Jeeps and Broncos because Polaris is coming for them! Their new Polaris Xpedition is a whole new platform that takes a giant swing at the overland and adventure crowd.
The Xpedition is their first new platform since the 2016 Polaris General, and it wants to be your go-to vehicle for all your outdoor activities. It’s not just about riding (although it should be good at that too), it’s about packing in your tents, bikes, cargo, and kayaks so you can do stuff outside besides kick up rooster tails.
Here’s what we know about it so far.
Let’s look at the specs first, which is an odd thing to focus on for the Xpedition. You’ll see as we go on that the Xpedition isn’t really about racing your buddies or taking on bounty holes, so picking through the horsepower and displacement with a fine-tooth comb isn’t the most enlightening thing in the world, but let’s take a gander anyway.
These base model 2-seaters are practically identical. The main difference in the specs is a few extra pounds on the ADV model.
Here are the main takeaways:
| XP | ADV | |
| Cooling | Liquid | Liquid |
| Cylinders Displacement | 999cc | 999cc |
| Drive System Type | On-Demand True AWD/2WD/VersaTrac Turf Mode | On-Demand True AWD/2WD/VersaTrac Turf Mode |
| Engine Type | ProStar 1000 Gen 2 4-Stroke DOHC Twin Cylinder | ProStar 1000 Gen 2 4-Stroke DOHC Twin Cylinder |
| Horsepower | 114 HP | 114 HP |
| XP | ADV | |
| Bed Box Dimensions (L x W x H) | 30.3 x 47.25 x 13.38 in (77 x 120 x 34 cm) | 36.2 x 47.25 x 13.38 in (92 x 120 x 34 cm) |
| Box Capacity | 600 lb (272 kg) Rear Dumping Box | 600 lb (272 kg) Bed |
| Curb Weight | 2162 lbs. (980 kg); California 2173 lbs. (985 kg) | 2193 lbs. (995 kg); California 2204lbs. (1000 kg) |
| Fuel Capacity | 12.5 gal (47.3 L) | 12.5 gal (47.3 L) |
| Ground Clearance | 14 in (35.6 cm) | 14 in (35.6 cm) |
| Hitch Towing Rating | 2,000 lb (907 kg) | 2,000 lb (907 kg) |
| Overall Vehicle Size (L x W x H) | 122.5 x 64 x 74.9 in (311.1 x 162.5 x 190.2 cm) | 122.5 x 64 x 74.9 in (311.1 x 162.5 x 190.2 cm) |
| Payload Capacity | 1030 lbs. (467 kg) | 1030 lbs. (467 kg) |
| Wheelbase | 87.5 in (222.2 cm) | 87.5 in (222.2 cm) |
| XP | ADV | |
|---|---|---|
| Audio System | JBL Trail Pro 2000 | JBL Trail Pro 2000 |
| Instrumentation | Driver Forward Information Center w/ 4 in Color Display + Rotary Speedometer & Tachometers | Driver Forward Information Center w/ 4 in Color Display + Rotary Speedometer & Tachometers |
| Other Standard Features | POLARIS HD 4500 LB Winch w/ Synthetic Rope, Aluminum Fairlead & Rubber Isolator, Front Bull Bumper, ProFit Sport Roof, Convex Rear View Mirror, JBL Trail Pro 2000 Audio | POLARIS HD 4500 LB Winch w/ Synthetic Rope, Aluminum Fairlead & Rubber Isolator, Front Bull Bumper, ProFit Sport Roof, Convex Rear View Mirror, JBL Trail Pro 2000 Audio |
| Water Fording Height | 28 in (71.5 cm) | 28 in (71.5 cm) |
| XP | ADV | |
|---|---|---|
| Front Tires | 30 x 10-15; Pro Armor Crawler XP | 30 x 10-15; Pro Armor Crawler XP |
| Rear Tires | 30 x 11-15; Pro Armor Crawler XP | 30 x 11-15; Pro Armor Crawler XP |
| XP | ADV | |
|---|---|---|
| Front Shocks | FOX 2.0 Podium QS3 with Position Sensitive Spiral technology | FOX 2.0 Podium QS3 with Position Sensitive Spiral technology |
| Front Suspension | Long Travel, High Clearance Dual A-Arm with Stabilizer Bar, 14 in (35.6 cm) Travel | Long Travel, High Clearance Dual A-Arm with Stabilizer Bar, 14 in (35.6 cm) Travel |
| Rear Shocks | FOX 2.5 Podium QS3 with Position Sensitive Spiral technology | FOX 2.5 Podium QS3 with Position Sensitive Spiral technology |
| Rear Suspension | Long Travel, High Clearance Dual Arm IRS with Stabilizer Bar, 15 in (38.1 cm) Travel | Long Travel, High Clearance Dual Arm IRS with Stabilizer Bar, 15 in (38.1 cm) Travel |
The XP and the ADV look pretty similar, but they fill different niches. So let’s take a closer look at the models and trims on offer.
The Xpedition launches with the XP and ADV, and they’re two flavors of the same side-by-side. In fact, they’re almost entirely the same apart from the beds.
The Polaris Xpedition XP looks more like the crossover side-by-sides you’re used to. The cab is enclosed, but the dump bed is not. Emphasis on dump bed—grab the handle to tilt this thing up and dump it like a Ranger.
The “ADV” stands for “adventure!” …I think. What that means is its bed is integrated into the body of the machine and protected by the ROPS. It’s like a bronco, or a jeep, or the truck cap on your uncle’s pickup.
The rear seats on the 5-seater model can be folded down to give you even more cargo room too.
And with the NorthStar trim, it’s fully enclosed on all sides so you can keep all your gear safe, dry, and relatively secure.
There are three trims for the Xpedition: Premium, Ultimate, and NorthStar. Premium’s at the low end and NorthStar’s at the high end. Here’s how they differ:
The premium trim comes with all the standard features like a 4500 lb. winch, FOX Podium QS3 shocks, and a ProFit roof. Plus it comes with a few features that should be considered the baseline for what comes with higher trims:
The Ultimate trim has better versions of Premium features plus the all-important Ride Command:
The NorthStar trim is unquestionably rad—and totally aspirational. Let’s face it, most of us will never be able to justify the $45,000 starting MSRP to get it. But it is the closest a side-by-side has ever been to Jeep while still giving you the nimble performance of a UTV. It’s fully enclosed and comes with full HVAC—a real luxury overlander.
Here’s what it gets you:
So here’s the thing—the Xpedition is built from the ground up to be an overlanding vehicle. If I had a dollar for every time they mentioned the flat roof for a roof rack in their release materials, I’d be taking Pat Mcardle out for a steak dinner.
But what makes it better than at overlanding than anything else Polaris has made?
It’s the accessories. And Polaris has loads of them.
They have five accessory collections:
I won’t go over what’s in all the accessory packages in detail, but I will point out the one unifying accessory that seems to be the make-or-break item for the whole platform: the Rhino Rack.
They all come with various doors, mole panels, and their new Lock & Ride MAX accessories. The Utility collection even comes with a heater for non-NorthStar trims. But every collection has a Rhino rack or two. And Rhino rack has their own suite of accessories to make it easier to mount whatever outdoor gear you’ve got.
The Rhino racks are doing a lot of work to turn this side-by-side into an overlander side-by-side. Which is, well, interesting. Maybe your old Ranger is just a couple of racks away from being an Xpedition.
The Polaris Xpedition ain’t cheap.
The 2-seater Polaris Xpedition Premium XP starts at $28,999 MSRP. And that’s the cheapest it gets.
The 5-seater Polaris Xpedition ADV NorthStar starts at $44,999 MSRP.
Oh, and remember you’ll want the Overland accessory collection to get it ready for a week of backwoods camping. The Overland accessory collection will set you back and addition $12,000 or so.
The rest of the collections are cheaper with all but the $10K Utility collection coming in at less than $6,000.
But yeah, it might be worth piecing together your own accessories if you want the full overlanding experience.
So what’s there left to say about the Polaris Xpedition?
It’s certainly doing it’s best to be the answer to the folks debating between a Jeep and a side-by-side, and it’s very, very cool.
But it’s also very expensive, meaning it’ll be reserved for the most dedicated overlanding fans who want the uncompromising comfort of a Jeep and unbeatable performance of a side-by-side.
It’s truly unique and very innovative. It’s exciting to see something so different coming out of the industry.
But if you don’t want to drop $50,000 on a decked out Xpedition, maybe deck out your RZR and Ranger with some of our racks. Seriously—you can get a lot of the same advantages with a few aftermarket parts without having to change your platform entirely.
And if you do decide to get an Xpedition, don’t worry. We’ll be comin at you with some new SuperATV parts soon.
