We keep hearing rumors about something new cooking at Can-Am. We’re not sure about what it could be but we have some ideas about what the innovative product planning group could and should be thinking about.
In it’s ATV division there are a number of possibilities: You’ve probably noticed the market has shifted from focus on 500cc ATV models to 550.
This is a fairly big deal and Can-Am’s silky smooth 500 V-twin, although competitive, lacks some of the competition’s sizzle in the displacement department.
It’s also tough to keep its price low when there’s so much invested in the V-twin mill. We think there may be a 550 single in the works and this would solve two problems for Can-Am. Number one, waning 500 sales and number 2, escalating price tags in a very competitive class.
Also, the Outlander “look” has been around a few years and it may be time for a refreshing new look from the styling department. Although these ATVs are some of the nicest looking, best finished vehicles in the marketplace, consumers demand fresh restyles every few years and tend to move to the latest and greatest looking shiny objects when shopping.
Last issue we talked about a 1000cc Outlander, transplanting the Commander’s biggest V-twin into an Outlander chassis.
Seems like a no-brainer to us but it still jacks the average retail prices of the line-up higher and there needs to be a balance at the other end of the marketplace – like entry level and mid-range where the masses of paying customers hang out.
