CarWale Off-Road Day 2016
This was the most interesting machine we had at our off-road day in the picturesque and extremely challenging 19 Degree North venue. If you consider the Mahindra Thar as the most focussed off-roader in our feature then think again. The buggy you see above is even more hard-core and was one of the highlights of not only this event but also the entire year for us. Meet the RZR S 800. It is a 4x4 ATV from Polaris, which is ridiculously expensive and greatly impractical. It’s not even road legal, so apart from shelling out around Rs 25 lakh for the vehicle, you also need a spare land to enjoy this machine. But just a minute behind the wheel of this 4x4 is enough to convince you, that your cash is definitely well spent.
If you are unfit then you will definitely find getting in the RZR quite a task as you have to dodge the side mounted spare wheel and the roll cage.Once in you will find yourself surrounded by a cockpit that is utilitarian yet feels just right and so focussed. The metal dashboard is uncluttered and except for the shift on fly AWD and turn indicator switches there are hardly any other control elements present. The optional Sparco buckets were fixed, so when the occupants are drastically different in height and both want to take turns driving then it is a real pain. The seats are placed low which in turn lowers the centre of gravity and improves overall dynamics. What adds to the focussed nature of the Polaris is that you are are surrounded by an extremely strong roll cage and you also get door nets that help keeping your limbs and hands inside in the eventcase of a rollover.
When one mentions specifications like two cylinders, 796cc, 52bhp (estimated) and a CVT transmission, mediocre performancecomes to mind. But at 463kg dry the RZR S has a power to weight ratio of around 112bhp per tonne and this changes everything. Combined with the 12 inches of suspension travel, racing buckets with four-point harnesses and off-road tyres — this is definitely one heck of a tool.
The Polaris is easy to drive from the off and you just feel at ease straight away. As this is a left- hand drive vehicle you will find the gear selector on your right that has five positions — parking, reverse, neutral, high and low (which engages the low range ratios). Put the lever into H, give it some gas and it feels lethargic initially. This is because the CVT gearbox has some lag when you go through the initial bit of pedal travel. Post this the CVT belt properly hooks up and the RZR S just takes off. There is a strong surge from the 796cc motor and the scenery becomes a blur as you reach speeds of nearly 80kmph driving though rough terrain. The CVT is tuned to catch short gear ratios too, so the rate of acceleration is very addictive as the fantastic off-road tyres dig- up the soft earth to give you maximum traction possible.
The Polaris loves to be driven hard, because that’s when it’s at its thrilling best. Thanks to the super quick unassisted steering and loads of torque it just loves going sideways,as you instinctively know how much counter steer to apply to keep it pointing in the direction you want to go. It is so playful that even an amateur with little bit of talent behind the wheel will find driving this buggy sideways a child’s play.
The suspension is high-tech too and it features dual A-arms up front and a lower A-arm with a large beefy upper control arm at the back. The 12- inch travel and soft setup provides a ride which is unbelievably plush and the Polaris feels much more comfortable than you ever imagined it to be. The A-arm design also means the suspension has the ability to eat up a large rock at one corner while the other reaches out to keep the tyre in contact with the ground. As a result sections that looked too rutted simply disappeared under the 12 inches of shock absorber travel and jumps that would normally force you to brace, are executed without any drama or fuss.
But it is in the rough stuff where the Polaris feels even more accomplished,as it seemed unstoppable on the most challenging of terrains too. On tight, technical trails, you never find yourself questioning the RZR’s capabilities. Point and shoot the Polaris at an obstacle and it overcomes it. It easily took to steep climbs and descents, rocky terrain (where even the Thar was struggling), and even the most challenging of trails at 19 Degree North were overcome quite easily.
Although it handles almost all obstacles in high range ratios, in this mode you end up going much faster than you should especially while encountering rocky terrain and this is where the RZR has a tendency to scrape its belly despite the short wheelbase and flat underbody. So it’s best to shift to low range in such situations. In this mode we were able to crawl slowly over the obstacles as we chose the safest line possible to keep the underbody safe. Special mention should be made about the fantastic tyres too. Over slush or rocky terrain they felt supreme with loads of traction and grip. What made the experience even better were the brakes. Polaris has given the RZR S, hydraulic disc brakes at all four corners. The front brakes feature dual piston calipers and the feel through the pedal is linear and stopping power was more than adequate.
The Polaris drives like it looks. It’s an honest bit of merchandise that is way too much fun. This is also thanks to how well sorted the core mechanicals are -- engine, chassis and suspension are top drawer. True, the Polaris isn’t for everyone and the fact that you can’t drive one on the road limits its appeal even further. But rest assured, once you own one, you will never regret spending Rs 2.5 million on such a capable and fun machine. As an outright off-roader it is hard to fault it. RZR S 800 is fast, can gobble up the most challenging of terrain with ease, loves going sideways, is wonderfully engaging and most importantly it feels tough and well built.
Pictures: Kapil Angane
Location courtesy: 19 Degree North
An adventure sports outfit located at Aamby Valley City near Lonavla that offers activities like riding ATVs, paintball shooting, Zorbing, and Jungle Safari among others.
Click here for the Off-Road Day introduction story
Click here to see how the Mahindra Thar fared on the Off-Road day
