Polaris Industries has announced the company is launching a new military-grade all-terrain vehicle (ATV) featuring Terrain Armor Non-Pneumatic Tires (NPT). The new Sportsman WV850 H.O. with Terrain Armor will be available to consumers looking for a true work vehicle, in December 2013, in very limited quantities.
“In early, 2013, Polaris announced we’d launch the NPT technology on an off-road vehicle built for consumers,” said David Longren, vice president of Polaris’ Off-Road Division. “We have seen great success with NPTs in military and disaster relief scenarios and are excited to bring this technology to the consumer market for extreme work applications.”
Earlier this year, Polaris Defense started offering NPT tires as an option for its military vehicles. The technology is beneficial for military work due to the fact the tires never go flat. Polaris has tested NPTs under several extreme situations, including logging more than 350 miles/563 kilometers after receiving fire from a 50-cal round, and driving 1,000 miles/1609 kilometers with a 3 in/7.6 cm railroad spike in the tread and webbing. These tests lead to a confidence-building consumer vehicle, both in terms of durability and reliability, and ensure a highly-capable work and hunting partner. Beyond having no flats, consumers will appreciate the other benefits TerrainArmor tires offer including a better center-of-gravity, improved cornering due to less pushing and the capability for the tires to be designed for a diverse range of applications.
To complement the NPTs and ensure the Sportsman WV850 H.O. is a highly-capable work partner that performs under the most demanding environments, the vehicle includes:
• A military-grade fully automatic single-speed transmission including forward and reverse gears
• An upgraded shock package that offers superior handling under heavy load or while traversing rugged landscape
• An increased cooling capacity for long days and high temperatures
• Steel racks capable of carrying 600 lbs/272 kgs of cargo
• A 2 in/5.1 cm receiver hitch that can tow 1,500 lbs/680 kgs
• A standard 3,500 lb winch for confidence in extreme settings
To enable long days at work while enhancing the operator’s effectiveness and comfort, the Sportsman WV850 H.O. features:
• An unmatched 11.75 gal/44.48 liter fuel capacity to work longer between fills
• Wider foot wells to accommodate larger work footwear
• Standard Electronic Power Steering (EPS) to reduce fatigue and terrain feedback
The Sportsman WV850 H.O. with Terrain Armor was built to meet the rugged demands of the hunt or endless hours on the work site, and shares the same Avalanche Gray color as its hard-working utility counterpart the Polaris BRUTUS.
