In this edition of High Range Motorhead Mark Lester talks about the explosive side by side segment. Read an excerpt below taken right from the pages of All-Terrain Vehicle Magazine!
Let’s take a walk though the facts. While the Big Seven: Honda, Yamaha, Polaris, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Arctic Cat and Can-Am claim new unit sales have dropped by as much as 10 percent in the last year, a closer look reveals an opposing reality.
As far as adult-size 4-wheelers go, only these seven actually report and share their sales numbers. The legion of off-shore Asian brands increasing every day more than makes up that 10 percent shortfall (thought to be about 80-100,000 units per year).
Throw in off-shore youth ATVs and the situation becomes even more interesting. This market, while also unreported, is believed to be over 200,000 units annually. Yikes!
Here’s the juggernaut. The side-by-side UTV biz, which includes models from four of the big seven ATV makers plus a growing number of brands from names like John Deere, Kubota, Land Pride, Husqvarna, Club Car – the list goes on – is growing in a way that can only be described as explosive.
A year ago industry estimates put the UTV biz over 200,000 units. We think that’s conservative – but this segment of the ATV industry doesn’t report sales either. Do the math and it’s possible to come up with 500,000 unreported ATV and UTV units annually.
Regardless of reported sales, here’s what’s going on in the side-by-side marketplace. Buyers who cut their teeth on 4-wheeled ATVs are flocking to buy side-by-sides.
It’s no secret more and more families own what amounts to fleets of ATVs, with Sport/Utes for adults, Pure Sports for younger family members and mini ATVs for the kids.
Guess what other vehicle is being added to these family fleets? You got it; a side-by-side UTV.
Read more in Volume 9, #1 of All-Terrain Vehicle.
