Latest news with #TeryxH2
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Mad Scientists At Kawasaki Shoved A 250-HP Supercharged Motorcycle Engine In A Side-By-Side To Beat Can-Am And Polaris At Their Own Game
If any automaker in the world dropped a new track-oriented sports car tomorrow with a mid-mounted supercharged one-liter inline-4 engine, four-wheel drive and a 2,363-pound curb weight, real driving enthusiasts would worship at its altar forevermore. Those specs in an off-road toy from Team Green don't seem to move the needle quite as much, but they damn well should! Kawasaki launched the new 2026 Teryx H2 this week to little fanfare, but this off-road monster is an incredible fun-per-dollar proposition. I might even argue that it's significantly more fun to drive than whatever track car or motorcycle you're building, and with seats for five this thing lets you bring the whole family along. Just looking at the name you can instantly see what Kawasaki have done. The company's somewhat also-ran Teryx side-by-side has been given a monster revamp with power from the company's incredible (but discontinued) Ninja H2 superbike. In order to keep up with the 240-hp Can Am Maverick R or 225-hp Polaris RZR Pro R, Kawasaki has gone ahead and cranked the knob all the way to 12 with 250 supercharged ponies on tap. That supercharger is working overtime, too, pushing almost 35 pounds per square inch of boost into the engine while the impeller spins at up to 130,000 rpm. Watch out dirt nerds, there's a new high-tech high-power flagship side by side in town. Like most side by sides, the Teryx makes use of a continuously variable transmission. Though unlike other side by sides, the supercharged engine is much less peaky than the turbocharged high-revvers from the competition, meaning power delivery should be better matched to the CVT. Whether you're planning to use a Teryx H2 for your weekend rips at Glamis or in competition at Baja, this extra power should be perfectly useable. Read more: These Are Lesser-Known Automotive YouTubers Our Readers Say Deserve More Attention King Of The Desert If you're a little afraid of giving your Teryx H2 a bootful of throttle, it thankfully offers three selectable drive modes. Low Power mode reduces output to about 60%, while Mid Power jumps up to 80%, and Full gives it the beans. If you're just getting used to your new ride, it's nice to know that you can dial it back for a bit until you feel comfortable with it. 150 ponies in low power mode is still enough to give you the willies if you get too wild with it. OK, so this thing is about more than just an engine, right? With a wide stance and a long wheelbase, this monster should be somewhat manageable in the deepest of desert sands or rocky crawls. The wheels are pushed out to each of the four corners with a 74-inch front track and "combined approach and departure angles of over 90 degrees." Even with the long wheelbase, having 16.1 inches of ground clearance means the Teryx H2 is still capable of a 34-degree breakover angle. With Fox internal bypass shocks and Kawasaki's proprietary electronically controlled suspension available, the driver can easily adjust the suspension on the fly to get over practically anything. All of this bonkers exciting off-road equipment doesn't come cheap, unfortunately, but you'd be hard pressed to go as far or as fast off road in anything that started as an SUV for even double the money. It also manages to undercut the Can Am and Polaris by a decent chunk, while being lighter and more powerful than either. Kawasaki packs the Teryx H2 with eye-watering performance stats, and priced it at just $37,199. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
The Drive
01-08-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Kawasaki's New Supercharged UTV Makes 250 HP From a Ninja Streetbike Engine
The latest car news, reviews, and features. As if a 225-horsepower Polaris and a 240-hp Can-Am UTV weren't enough, there's now a boosted Kawasaki side-by-side making 250 flippin' horses. It's called the Teryx H2, and it runs a supercharged 998cc four-cylinder engine that whoops the RZR Pro R's naturally aspirated 2.0-liter and the Maverick R's turbo lump. And at $37,199 before delivery fees, it's priced just below its four-door rivals. What a hoot. The Teryx H2's supercharged engine is the first of its kind in the performance UTV space, and it's borrowed from the Ninja H2 superbike. Kawasaki developed its own centrifugal-style blower that spins at 13.6 times the engine speed, so when the power plant is revving to its 9,500-rpm max, the supercharger is whirling at nearly 130,000 rpm. The manufacturer says it increases pressure 'to as much as 2.4 times atmospheric,' which is somewhere around 35 psi if I'm using this converter tool correctly. Don't worry; it has an ECU-controlled blow-off valve that allows excess boost to escape. All that air requires a ton of fuel, so Kawasaki has foregone the typical single throttle body and instead used four separate ones measuring 40mm each. It also has two sets of injectors—a pair of 12-hole 'downstream' injectors located near those throttle bodies, which are better for low-rpm control, and a pair of 10-hole 'upstream' units that kick in above 5,000 rpm. Kawasaki says this dual-injector setup allows the air-fuel mixture to cool more by the time it reaches the combustion chamber, resulting in a more efficient fuel burn. Smart. Kawasaki You won't find a dual-clutch automatic here as the Teryx H2 sticks to a continuously variable transmission. I don't see that as a bad thing, necessarily. It utilizes a rubber belt that's a good deal thicker than the KRX's at 17.6mm. Kawasaki also gave the CVT its own snorkel air intake, which is cool in both the literal and figurative sense of the word. Interestingly, the Teryx H2 offers Full, Mid, and Low Power modes, so you don't have to manage all 250 hp in every situation. Mid Power mode knocks it down to 80% of its full capability, while Low Power mode takes it to 60%. I can definitely see this being helpful on trails where you might not want all the juice it has to give on a slower, more technical section, where the front diff lock also comes in handy. It's almost like a multi-position tuner on a car or truck. Drivers can also shift in and out of 4×4 on the fly. Those are 33-inch Maxxis tires, by the way. Kawasaki Anybody who's into performance UTVs knows the suspension matters just as much, if not more than, the power. That's why Kawasaki gave the Teryx H2 a set of Fox 3.0 internal bypass shocks, and the Deluxe models feature electronically controlled Live Valve units. These are essentially the industry standard, so there shouldn't be any question of whether or not the green machine can keep up with the Polaris and Can-Am on most trails. (Top-line specs in this category include 23.2 inches of front suspension travel and 24.0 inches of rear wheel travel, which aren't quite as good as the RZR Pro R or Maverick R, for what it's worth.) Dimensions for the Teryx H2 come in at 159.4 inches long and 74.0 inches wide, with a 126-inch wheelbase. It's not quite as lengthy as the Polaris and Can-Am, which is a plus in my eyes. The Kawasaki is also lighter at 2,373 pounds in Teryx5 Deluxe spec, whereas the equivalent Maverick R is 2,640 pounds dry, and the Polaris is 2,480 pounds. It's important to note that these comparisons are between four-door models, as the Kawasaki isn't offered in two-door spec. However, you can get it with four or five seats. Only the Deluxe models get the 10-inch Garmin infotainment screen. Kawasaki The Teryx4 H2 starts at $37,199 and goes up to $43,199 for the four-seater deluxe model. If you need the fifth seat, you'll pay just a bit more at $43,699. It's crazy to think that this is 'cheap' for the segment, but indeed, it's the least expensive of the three major players. I've tested both the Polaris and the Can-Am before, so when I finally get my hands on the Kawasaki, I'll let you know how they compare. My guess is it'll be mighty close. Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@
