The 2025 Polaris General is ancient by UTV standards. It hasn't gotten a redesign since 2019, which in side-by-side years might as well be a century or two. There's a good reason that it hasn't changed -- it is excellent, even in its old age. But now it's time for an update, and we think we have some pretty solid ideas for how Polaris can fix the General for the next generation!
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SportsTranscript
00:00Ironically, the biggest problem with the 2025 Polaris General is also the best argument for how good of a machine it is.
00:07So, what's the problem with it?
00:08Well, it's old. Like, really old.
00:11Here's a fun fact. During the Revolutionary War, a Polaris General was used to haul firewood and cannonballs.
00:17Oh, okay, okay. That's being harsh and more than a little ridiculous.
00:21But the General has been around more or less unchanged for six years at this point.
00:25In the world of side-by-sides, it might as well be a Revolutionary War veteran.
00:29But there's a very good reason for the General to be so old, and that is, well, that it's very good.
00:35It's comfy, it's rugged, it's handsome, it's capable, and it's fun to drive.
00:40All the attributes of a good UTV.
00:43There's enough utility to make it more than just a toy, but there's more than enough performance if you want to let your hair down.
00:48Surrounded by a bunch of upstart newcomers in the Polaris lineup, such as the Polaris Expedition and the Polaris Ranger XT1500, though,
00:56the General is a relic of simpler time.
00:58Its last substantive update was in 2019 when Polaris added the XP1000 trim to the General lineup.
01:04But its age is also an indicator of something else, that Polaris hasn't had to mess with the General to keep it current.
01:11Neither the General 1000, which was introduced in 2016, nor the General XP1000, as I said, introduced in 2019, has changed much since it was introduced.
01:20But since the General is older than Methuselah's house cat, and it has a bunch of stablemates that do kind of the same thing,
01:26but with more capability and more luxury, it's time for an update.
01:30And since we've already reviewed the current General a bunch of times, let's talk about what we want to see in the next Polaris General.
01:37Now, full disclosure, we don't know when or if a new General might break cover.
01:43But we think it's still worth looking at what should be next for Polaris's plucky little Recute machine.
01:48We're going to break down our wish list into the areas that we think need the most improvement.
01:52Also worth noting that we think the General should still occupy the same market segment that it does now.
01:56It's a solid little Recute that has a little bit more performance than the heavier Expedition,
02:00and comes in way cheaper than the Ranger XD1500.
02:04That is a price and use case sweet spot, and it's the one part of the General that doesn't need updating.
02:09Alright, it's on to the good stuff, and we're going to start our improvements with the interior.
02:14Now, we have busted on Polaris in the past for their interiors, but the fact is,
02:18their latest models have really come a long way.
02:21Where Polaris is used to feel distinctly golf-cardy on the inside,
02:25the Razer XP, the Razer Pro-R, the Expedition, and the Ranger XD1500 are all really, really nice.
02:32From ergonomics to materials, they are a huge step up from where Polaris was just a few short years ago.
02:38But stepping into the General is like stepping into side-by-sides past.
02:41The plastics are cheap, the surfaces are rough, and the fit and finish is, well, marginal.
02:46Now, when the Jenny came out, this was in line with the rest of the market.
02:49Back then, interiors were rugged and easy to clean first, comfortable and luxurious second.
02:55The General has a great set of seats, and if you're going to have one part of the interior stand out,
03:00please let it be the seats, but the rest of it feels just kind of cheap and shintzy at this point.
03:04So whenever Polaris does get around to updating the General, we would love to see the seats,
03:09the dashboard, and the storage cubbies from the Expedition.
03:12The Exped is a huge step up in terms of ergonomic layout, comfort, storage, and materials,
03:17but it's still rugged and easy to hose out after a long drive in gross conditions.
03:22Adding the stereo and ride command from the Expedition to the General, that wouldn't hurt either.
03:26And that's really it for the interior.
03:28Like we said a minute ago, the General makes the most sense as an entry-level analog to the Expedition.
03:33Polaris doesn't sell an open cab Expedition this year, so if you want to go overlanding in a side-by-side
03:40for less than about $40,000, the General is your answer.
03:43We think it should stay that way for the next generation General,
03:46so if Polaris wants to leave out the enclosed cab and AC, that's just fine with us.
03:50Let's move on from the interior to the outside.
03:52We'll start with the chassis.
03:54Now the General actually rides on a pretty solid and sporty chassis,
03:58but if you drive it back-to-back with an Expedition or a Razor XP, it just kind of falls a little short.
04:03Now compared to those machines, the General's handling is a little bit more nervous,
04:06and it does feel a little less stable over uneven ground.
04:09The ride and handling smooth out when you pick up the pace,
04:12but it still feels overmatched compared to the newer stuff.
04:15And since the General is a recreation utility machine,
04:18we think it would be a great idea to take the Fox shocks from the new Razor XP
04:23to replace the now-outdated Walker Evans needle shocks.
04:26And for the frame itself, we think some combination of the Expedition's ruggedness
04:31ability to carry a load mixed with the Razor XP's flickable handling would be just about perfect.
04:37So think about either a nimbler Expedition or a slightly stouter Razor XP and you're right in the ballpark.
04:43And if Polaris is feeling generous,
04:45why not chuck a version of their Dynamics DV electronic suspension at the next General?
04:50That wouldn't be a cheap solution, but come on.
04:52A General XP 1000 with flickable handling and excellent electronic suspension would be damned hard to argue with.
04:58So, that's the chassis.
05:00What about the powertrain?
05:01Well, this one is pretty simple.
05:03The current 100 horsepower ProStar Parallel Twin is easily the General's best feature.
05:08It revs quickly, it has a lot of power in the low and mid range,
05:11and it is perfectly matched to the General chassis.
05:14But the 114 horsepower ProStar II parallel twin that sees duty in the Razor XP and in the Expedition
05:22is a little bit more refined, it's obviously more powerful,
05:25and it's just as playful as the old engine.
05:27Chuck that mill in the new General and call it good.
05:30Now that's the engine, what about the transmission?
05:32Well, funny you should ask, we thought of that too.
05:35We think in the transmission department there are two options,
05:38and the first is what we're calling the nuclear option.
05:41Take the steel belt CVT from the Ranger XD1500, tune it for performance, and chuck it in the General.
05:47This transmission is the best transmission in Polaris' lineup,
05:51and it is combined with a buttery smooth, simple-to-use shifter that we absolutely love.
05:56We want to see that transmission set up in more Polaris machines,
05:59and we think the next General is a great place to start.
06:02Realistically, the Ranger XD1500 transmission is probably not the most cost-effective option,
06:08and if we're thinking of keeping the General cheaper than the Exped,
06:11there needs to be another solution.
06:13Luckily, the transmission that's in the Razor XP is excellent.
06:17It's got a little bit more low-end grunt,
06:19it's a little bit smoother,
06:20and just generally more refined than the old transmission in the General.
06:24Added to that, for last year Polaris updated the shift cables in the Razor Pro lineup.
06:29So that's the Pro XP, the Pro S, and the Pro R.
06:32It shifts much more smoothly than the old transmission did,
06:35which was something we had griped about endlessly in the past.
06:38Chuck those shifter cables and the transmission from the Razor XP in the General,
06:42and we promise we'll shut up, at least for a little while, about Polaris shifters.
06:47That's it for the powertrain.
06:48Let's move on to the last place we think the General needs an update,
06:51and that is utility.
06:53The General, especially in four-door trim,
06:55is already a pretty handy little rig,
06:57and it's especially handy if you're carrying recreation or camping gear.
07:01The bed itself is probably a little too small for true utility work,
07:06but it's great if you're carrying a tent and a kitchen setup.
07:09For the updated General, we'd like to see the two-door chassis lengthened a little bit,
07:13so you could fit some flat storage behind the front seats.
07:15Think the load floor in the second row of a four-door Expedition,
07:19complete with tie-downs, but miniaturized.
07:21Then, give it the bed from the Ranger XD1500 for a little bit more cargo capacity,
07:26and leave the two-inch trailer hitch in place.
07:28For four-door Generals, throw in the second-row storage from the Expedition four-door,
07:33and keep the Ranger XD1500's bed.
07:35So that's it.
07:36Those are the changes we'd like to see in the next-generation Polaris General.
07:40We think we've done a pretty good job designing Polaris' next-generation rec-ute rig,
07:45but let us know in the comments what you think.
07:47What design features would you like to see in the next-generation Polaris General,
07:50or should Polaris just move on from the General and go back to making an entry-level Expedition?
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