Photo by utvguide.net
Like many of you, we were caught by surprise when we heard that the Arctic Cat brand was acquired by Textron, Inc. Already making a big impact in the SxS industry with their existing line of off-road vehicles, Textron plans to transition select Arctic Cat side by sides and ATVs, including the Wildcat and Prowler, to the Textron Offroad brand. That means going forward new models and machines like the Arctic Cat Wildcat will be rebranded as the Textron Offroad Wildcat, just like they did with the Bad Boy Off-Road brand last year. The Arctic Cat brand, however, will still live on as Textron plans to continue manufacturing snowmobiles and snow products under the AC brand.
What about the new Wildcat XX?
We’ve all been anticipating the release of the new Wildcat XX, so most of us want to know: Is it still coming? And when? According to a press release from Textron, Inc. it’s definitely coming but Textron states they will be taking their time with the new machine; get it right and deliver on their promises to consumers on how well the machine will perform. The next generation Wildcat Sport SxS, set to be released in spring of 2018, will be powered by a 998cc triple engine that will generate at least 125 HP. It will also feature 18 inches of suspension travel, King Shocks, 30 inch tires, KMC Wheels and full doors.
Before this all went down, Textron Offroad was already working on a side by side to follow up the Stampede and is. It’s rumored to have over 100 HP and will be competing with the Polaris’ rec-utility machine; the General. The new machine is scheduled to be unveiled this fall.
What about aftermarket accessories?
Whether you have an Arctic Cat UTV or get a new Textron Offroad UTV, we are certain aftermarket parts and accessories for these machines will still be developed and manufactured. At Side By Side Stuff, we’re already on top of it. We’ll do our part to offer aftermarket products for Textron Offroad side by sides, like the Textron Offroad Wildcat XX, once aftermarket companies make them available. We also plan to continue to offer accessories for Arctic Cat UTV models as long as products are available.
Browse our selection of UTV parts and accessories at SideBySideStuff.com
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