The General XP Finds The Way To Turn Work Into Play
Story By: Jason Cobb
Photos By: Tanner Yeager and Jason Cobb
When Polaris first introduced the “General” line in late 2015, the company needed to make sure they had all bases covered. They kept pushing the envelope of performance and speed with the RZR XP line, and had a firm grasp on the utility side of the segment with the ever-capable Ranger. They needed to build a vehicle that could keep adrenaline pumping when pushing the limits and still be grounded enough to get chores done around the house or property. I guess nobody ever said you couldn’t have fun while doing chores.
Polaris definitely succeeded in creating the sport-utility ‘crossover’ segment with the addition of the General, but the General always felt a little more utility focused especially in the suspension department. For 2020 however, Polaris has evolved the crossover segment further with the addition of the General XP and XP 4 models. Only available with the Deluxe trim package, the General XP 4 1000 here is equipped with a Stage 4 Rockford Fosgate stereo, 7” Ride Command touchscreen system with GPS and front/rear facing cameras, and the same luxurious seats that come in the non-XP model… But the magic of the XP comes in with the now 64-inch wide stance, long travel high-clearance beefy A-Arms, 2.5” Walker Evans Needle Valve shocks, and 14 inches of suspension travel front and rear. Just a quick spin around our test track made it clear that the added width and suspension performance of the XP model turns the General into a much more planted and stable sporting machine.
Upon first inspection of this year’s flagship General XP offering, it is obvious that it is incredibly civilized with many new interior upgrades, design changes, and the normal Polaris quality package that riders have come to expect, making this quite a swanky ride. The blue exterior is stunning in the Arizona sun and the silver accents truly work together seducing riders to get in and take it for a spin. Bringing the ProStar 1000 engine to life with the turn of the key, its power seems smooth and refined. For me, the first thing I really noticed was when I shifted it into gear. The shift was positive and crisp yet felt to glide, almost slick, which is not always the sensation when shifting most UTVs.
The steering has less of an electronic feel and more connected to the wheels, which was a nice surprise. This could be attributed to tweaking from the Polaris engineers or maybe the new 30” Pro Armor Crawler XGF and XG tires, or the new A-Arm package. Whatever it is, it is better. Not having played with the “Turf Mode” setting before, the car does not have the normal RZR 2WD feel. This is a great feature when driving on pavement, turning on gravel or grass, leaving it undisturbed and not churned up from the inside wheel turning faster than the distance traveled. Logic would suggest this has to be easier on the drive train when turning and it makes it easier to sneak in late at night because of the lack of wheel chirp and squeal.
As I headed out for a real ride, it was time for serious play. I locked up both rear wheels and mashed the skinny pedal. If you like the feel of sliding and steering with the rear of the car, keep this thing in 2WD and get aggressive. The handling is better than the tall structure of the car leads you to believe, and it responds well to throttle input with fun and controllable slides. Do not get me wrong, this is not the platform I would choose to enter a drifting competition, but for a “sport-utility” crossover vehicle that can comfortably seat 4 and tow 1500 pounds with ease, it is quite impressive.
One hit of the rocker switch on the dash and you are in 4×4 and ready to climb just about anything. We were amazed at how smooth and effortless this big car climbed everything we attempted. Our trails did not offer much in the way of traction with loose rock and granite on a hard base. We would have looked like a 1960’s slapstick comedy if we would have tried to walk up any of these steep hills. The old ball bearings on the floor routine for sure… But the General marched right up without any issue. It was so impressive that we did not feel like we needed to attack or hit the hill with momentum. Just control the wheel spin, set it in low, pick the line and climb. The high clearance A-Arms and 13.5-inches of ground clearance made it nice when picking technical lines up the rocky hills and the Pro Armor tires just added to the superb performance going up or down. The XP 4 Deluxe comes with a 4,500 LB winch standard, but I must tell you, I have little interest in going up something that this thing won’t climb on its own, it is just that good.
The Stage 4 Rockford Fosgate Audio system would sound amazing whether sitting by the lake fishing, or tailgating at the bottom of Competition Hill in Glamis. It has great highs and thunderous lows for an off-the-showroom floor UTV stereo system, featuring 4 speakers, a 400-watt amplifier, and a 10” subwoofer. The speaker placement is great for sitting still, but once you are at speed the front speakers just cannot keep up with the wind, engine, drive train, or maybe road noise. Then when you turn it up so you can hear it upfront, the speakers right over the back seats pound your passengers on top of the head. I found it best to create a nice riding environment by keeping the music off until you get to that special scenic view, then crank it up and enjoy… unless you are not the only off-roader there, then play your music at a level that all can appreciate.
The rest of the electronics are equally amazing, and it is loaded with great features. One being the Ride Command system which can keep track of your current ride, including the distance and duration of time. It was amazing the distance we covered and the time spent “looking around,” and the fuel level indicator is clear and accurate as we succeeded in not running out of gas. The trail maps and tracking system are on point and fairly user friendly. The front headlights are really good on low beam but once toggled to high beam, they are truly impressive. We were running at 65 mph on trails and never felt like we were outrunning the lighting distance. The color is ok (still a little too white for great definition), but the power was phenomenal.
After being spoiled on our long ride, I headed back to the compound to get some of my “honey-doos” done, which included moving a bunch of stuff to the storage room and raking the driveway and landscape rocks. The General hooked right up to the trailer with its 2-inch receiver hitch, and I loaded it up and drove everything out to the storage room at once, which made me look like a genius and put me well ahead of schedule. Next, I hooked up to my drag and got down to the business of raking the driveway and whatever else I could find.
My home-built drag consists of a steel ripper mat designed to loosen up the dirt in a farm field or roping arena followed by 6 off-road race tires bolted together to flatten everything out and knock down the washboards. To add more weight, we have added 3 trailer tires and rims on top of the front 3 tires. It is overbuilt for my driveway, which is only 500 feet or so with the circle drive, but built so we could use it on the 1.5-mile long dirt road you travel on before my driveway. Trust me, it is not light.
The General pulled it up and down, back, and forth, never getting hot or breaking a sweat, and it was 95 degrees outside! It was amazing. I could turn tighter than my truck and do not let my wife hear me say this, but it was almost fun. I did the back of the house to offer a buffer for the dry fire season. I did the 2-mile desert track and with the added agility was able to drag the motocross track. I was able to cut in a mini tri-oval in case we ever go lawnmower racing and smoothed out my neighbor’s road after he spread material with a loader.
I was very impressed with how this vehicle likes to grunt and get work done, and it keeps coming back for more. If you are looking for a capable ranch hand that will outwork you and the rest of the boys, and can play even harder, take a look at this well thought out machine that comes loaded with way more amenities than I am used to or deserve. With comfortable and secure seating for four adults, room for tools and gear, and suspension that rivals that of a pure-sport UTV, it will give you smiles for miles and make work as fun as it can be.
