With Arctic Cat’s future looking brighter by the day—and plenty of exciting news coming from the snowmobile side of the brand, there hasn’t been as much activity in the Arctic Cat dirt lineup in recent years. However, on April 30th, 2025, Arctic Cat Off-Road announced via social media that they are actively working to update and improve their ATV and UTV offerings for the 2026 model year.
We would love to hear your ideas and feedback on what you hope Arctic Cat Off-Road will offer in 2026. Will the TBX be making a return? How about a version of the 50″ Wildcat Trail? What are your thoughts on a full HVAC Prowler Pro, bigger engines, or lower prices?
Someone needs to tell the Cat IT dept to change the URL domain to remove the txtsv.com. Lets remove every element of Textron so we never have to think about them again.
they’re working on that.
The TBX Automatic was one of the best atv’s Arctic Cat ever made, A true work horse
Let’s do something really different How about a 54″ wide, Prowler Pro with AC/ Heated cab. Bump up the HP a little bit as well. I would be all over that. Would be a nice sized machine for work and play for me anyway.
The current Prowler Pros are actually pretty darn nice. I just think Cat will need a line of sxs that have full cab with all the amenities to compete with POO so Cat can sell to the the city folk who like paying the same price as a truck.
Start making a new race quad for the young folk’s to compete with the Raptor 700.
Race quad and Raptor in the same sentence? Lol I love my 450 race quads but that market is done. That being said I’d love to see a chromoly framed 300 2 stroke while I’m dreaming
Bring a 4 seat and turbo Wildcat XX or new sport sxs to market, a new HVAC utility sxs with some power, a new crossover sxs, a big bore ATV, and bring the G8 gauge and ATACH accessory system over to offroad please! Thank You!
I’d love to see a sport/work hybrid SxS, as well as turbo and 4 seat variants of the XX.
How about offering a simple solution to our starter case issues on the H2 1000’s
Cat needs to make good on previous well known issues
There is no “simple solution” the case would need a re-design, both cams should have auto decompressors, and other changes. That’s a ton of $$ for a machine that hasn’t been build in 6 or 7 years, from 2 owners ago..
Coming from a life long AC diehard, with lots of time in a dealership, that engine should have never been in anything but the atv, Its riddled with problems many never got properly addressed.
Before the Wildcat rolled out, rumors were thick and details were scarce, I told my then DSM that they had better not put the H2 in this thing. He was offended LOL. Soon, we were up to our eyeballs in H2 heartaches I said I knew how Ford dealers felt while selling 6.0s out the front door, while they were stacked up like cord wood in the back waiting for engine replacement. The Wildcat could have done so much better with a proper powerplant.
I’m a Cat guy from way back. I’d love to see you build a machine to compete with the Polaris Northstar with ac,heat and a nice cab. I would definitely be interested
Start by benchmarking best in class offerings from Polaris and Ski Doo.
I think that’s the best plan. Get up to par first.
They honestly need a complete line up from scratch, about the only things worth keeping are the 600 engine, and trans axle.
Utility sxs:
I’ve been hearing about a more powerful prowler pro for years now, but just more hp won’t move the sales needle. At the very least it’ll need a full refresh, interior and exterior to catch up to the competition along with the increased hp. make a factor hard cab, with heat and ac available.
A sport utility sxs:
A complete line up is needed, 2 or 3 engine choices, optional hard cab heat/ac.. The havoc performance was good, the rest of the machine not so much.
Pure sport SXS:
The XX is basically dead as it is, textron completely wasted the name, and impact of the release by not changing anything for 7+ years, and refusing to release the turbo, and 4 seat versions (they were even stupid enough to lose a $45M lawsuit for not building them, instead of building them, and selling them for a profit and increased market share for the last 5 or 6 years ago, like they should have).
They’ll A new pure sport machine, with turbo, and 4 seat options available, maybe there is enough left of the project they killed to bring Robbie on board, to use as a starting point.
The trail and sport both sold well, but faded out due to lack of updates, those machines just needed a refresh, and bump in HP when textron killed them.
ATV’s:
They need a complete line up, not just a 600, and a few kymco’s. That line up needs to be clean sheet of paper, the 600 chassis didn’t ever make much of an impact on the market, and never received any good reviews. It needs to have competitive engines (something AC hasn’t had since 2010 or so)
AC had the first 1000 cc atv, the first mud atv, the first pure sport 1000 cc sxs but never bothered to develop them and build on them. They just went unchanged and sales declined. In the same time frame, can-am went from being the laughing stock with a step through frame to what many consider the best built machines on the market, with skyrocketing sales.
I’m not a dirt guy, but one thing I’ve noticed is that many people use ATV’s and SXS’s to plow snow. I guess the electric winch raises and lowers the plow and there is no ability to change the angle of the blade from the driver seat. Is there an opportunity to add a hydraulic pump to improve plowing capability? How about a pto to run blowers, mowers, tillers etc?
Maybe there is a market for a dirt machine that still has trail capability but can take on some of the functions of a small tractor with more functionality than current machines.
I realize these ideas would need some longer term development so would not be 2026 improvements.
in the short term, would there be a market for the prowler with the 600 alterra engine? I’m considering a SXS for down the road but don’t want or need all the upmarket, big hp stuff. Just a simple, rugged machine to get my lazy butt up and down the hills on my property.
72″(minimum) XX Turbo with DCT and properly sprung Live-Valve, XX 4 seaters, Trail and Sport models, A Ranger/General competitor, with an HVAC trim level. Arctic Cat will have to make a statement, being best in class to be taken seriously again. No more me-too, late to the party, parts bin specials. Top shelf engines. No more H2 debacles. Can’t afford a black eye. It’s a tall order after being this far behind for so long.
When is Suzuki going to make a sxs?
Probably never. I bleed “19F Champion Blue” (from 1984-1990 Suzuki bikes and 1985-1992 Suzuki ATVs), and am a proud owner of a 1987 LT500R. I purchased a 2022 King Quad LT-A750X, even though I knew it’s not the fastest, or quickest, or has the most bells and whistles. I wanted to support the company whose ATVs I’ve always ridden, and have always treated me well.
Although I greatly dislike sport SXS and their pilots (mostly because they’ve destroyed the trails where I now live, drive in the middle of the trails with their lights off, beers in hands, and with blaring music), it does pain me to see Suzuki lose out on possible sales. I personally wouldn’t buy one, but a comparable sport SXS with say, a Haysbusa engine, or one of Suzuki’s small home market car engines inside it, or something like the 2005 QUV620 (basically a yellow Mule 620), would be useful to make some money. Their quad lineup could use some upgrades, LED lights, GPS gauges, 14 inch wheel, 27 inch tire combos, etc. But like I said, probably not going to happen. They haven’t changed the RM-Zs graphics, or probably anything else on them, since 2021, and the last RM85, the 2023, didn’t even HAVE graphics. Sad.
I’d really like to see MX and GNCC race quads with say…YFZ450R engines, with a swingarm/straight axle setup on the MX, and an IRS setup on the GNCC would be phenomenal! It sure would be nice to see some support for keeping the racing ATV way alive, rather than the way that Can Am, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Polaris, and Suzuki let it die.
But in all realistic expectations, Cat NEEDS new 850 and 1000 quads. That field has a lot of TOUGH competition, especially with the new 850 Can Am, that is ACTUALLY a 1000, just detuned down (!) to 82 HP! It WILL be tough, but anything close WILL attract Cat faithful looking for a new quad! Keep the 600, maybe try to squeeze more HP out of it to easier compete with the fast and proven Polaris 570 and the new Can Am 700.
I don’t really know about the SXS world. Regular readers of my ramblings will know I’m not a big fan of them or their pilots, but I DO want to see Cat make money.
I have the current 600. it is superior to the Polaris 570 in every way.
Unfortunately sales numbers, and every reviewer in the world would disagree with you.
and the Moron types. Could care less what you think. abetted ride, cooler ride, as less heat from exhaust. more comfortable with far superior wheel articulation. only thing poo does better is the gauge, but mine is 90% Work, 10% trail.
Ok boys, gotta go big or go home to survive. You once ruled the roost now here’s your chance to be on top. Make reliable products and push AMERICAN MADE with power and performance with a built up dealership system to back your products. Be competitive on pricing and mechanical friendly and you’re there. Don’t be afraid of 1st place.
The alterra 600 is a good machine for the segment its in. maybe just some updates and tweaks to make it better. Cat could use an 850 and 1000 with a chassis and suspension to handle the power. a true sport quad with a blast 400 2 stroke engine from the sleds would shake up the market. Need a Sport/utility SXS to compete with the Rmax etc. Prowler pros need updates to get them on par with the defender and ranger 1000s. The XX needs an overhaul. nobody want to buy a machine that is mosty unchanged since 2018. needs a turbo, 4 seat, facelift, G8 gauge/ interior updates. Bring back the trail and sport qith a 100ish HP 1000cc engine, interior and exterior updates.
I think what the dirt side could use the most would be some of the passion from the Snowmobile side injected into the Dirt side. Leaning from how they focused on the important things when developing Catalyst sleds… build dirt machines that are built to handle great, are comfortable to ride, will be compeditive in their segment, and have aggressively good looks.
Most of my suggestions would all be for the future years to come but for the time being, Anything Cat puts out needs to be reliable, good build quality, with a good warranty. that would be the best way to get customers to come back to the brand.
Develop an automatic transmission like the Honda Pioneer!!! We currently have both a Honda and a Can Am and absolutely hate the belt drive!! And a really nice quiet Cab with Heat and AC. Also plenty of power!! Bigger wheels and Tires with good clearance and great suspension. Do this and you will have a big place in the Market!!!!
love my xx , built better than all of them .still out runs most of them on rough Michigan trails. we need a turbo xx and and a 4 seat xx.
as an AC dealer, the only way to resurrect this off road brand is to call it something else. We have blown engines in wildcats and prowlers that are too numerous to count. we actually bought 2 machines back from customers because AC was too slow to respond and we didn’t want our dealership reputation to be slammed like the AC one has. Stick to snow, the off-road is dead.
Ummmm… they tried the name change thing, and it spelled disaster, just like I told that little weasel John Collins it would.
I thinking a name change that makes sense could of worked. But what they did was stupid. I remember being at the dealer meeting when they were talking about needing to get rid of the Arctic part. I can say I’ve seen that first hand with people buying something over the Arctic Cat just because they didn’t need a winter ATV. But they should of made sense with it and left the word Cat in it. They could of easily said from now on the ATV’s are branded as Bearcats and SXS are Wildcats.
It wasn’t the name that was the issue. The issue was PRODUCT. For example, if the Wildcat didn’t roll out with the leaky, weak-kneed H2, poor clutching, and various quality issues they could have well and truly poked Polarass in the eye. They missed a golden opportunity at “establishing” the brand in the dirt world. If the product outperforms the competition consumers will remember the name, not the other way around. Product, product, product.
Something to compete with the Polaris Ranger 1500 and Xpedition…I think they have a new lease on life so pull out all the stops and bring some competition…
That 1500 and Polaris forcing them on dealers has caused at least 2 Polaris dealers near me to dump Polaris. If you are going to spend $60,000 plus on a side x side, you are in the minority.
It’s a big country. Here in the Southwest the big dollar, maxed out HVAC models are all over the place. Nevertheless, having been a dealer, each dealer should be able to stock what works in his market. Forcing dealers to blow up their floorplan with stuff they can’t sell serves no one. Arctic Cat was plenty guilty of doing that to us, even before the E-Z-Go morons took over.
Keep a 50 inch or less lineup of ATV’s for the people that take their equipment to National Park ATV trails that require your equipment to be 50″ or less to ride legally by park width rules & regulations. Not everyone has their own land to ride on. byDesign ATV drive shafts without the cheap universal joints that wear out continuously with little trail riding.
bring back a 4wheeler with a dump box like the TBX
858 sport Quad. Electronic shocks.
and the dash. From the catalyst.
Scrolling down through here, almost every comment I read is about is about going bigger, faster, more HP, turbos, HVAC (Seriously???), more electronics, more plush interiors, and on and on and on – ad nauseum. This is going to butt-hurt some, but it needs to be said: There’s also a segment of the market – which I’m a part of – that just wants a reasonably priced, reliable, fairly comfortable side-by-side that I can hop in, ride around the countryside, and enjoy the fresh air in an open cab. I get it, there’s the keep-up-with-the-Jones segment of the market that is that just has to have the latest, greatest, most gizmo-laden model on the market. But believe it or not, that’s not the entire market! I ride to get outdoors. I dress for the weather. If it’s too cold or too hot, I can stay home – I don’t have to go! I’m 67 years old and started my off-roading on a Honda ATC 110 around 1982, often taking all-day rides on that little machine. Yes, by the end of the day I was sore, but I didn’t care. The whole point of the trip was to be OUTDOORS and enjoy the experience! My current ride is a 2014 Wildcat Trail that I’ve personalized to my liking through the years. Unless Arctic Cat comes out with another similar machine to the Wildcat Trail or Sport, I’ll probably run this one until I die. Currently, there is nothing – and I mean absolutely NOTHING – on the market that I would trade it for.
And just so I don’t get totally flamed, I don’t care if you want or need the most HP, most suspension travel, biggest wheels, full cab with power windows, power door locks, heater and AC, computerized dash, etc. Buy what you want – that’s what I do! I just wanted to make the point that I hope the new management at Arctic Cat doesn’t focus on the highest end segment of the market and nothing else. I think they’ll miss out on a lot of sales if they do.
Many years ago, my best friend had a 2014 Trail. was a blast to drive. when he sold it, I should have bought it. An updated trail and Sport with a more refined engine with more power would sell.
Everyone is saying that, because that is what the vast majority of they guys who go out and actually buy new machines want. The industry numbers show that. Just having those machines draws people into the show room, and if they can’t/don’t want to buy the fully loaded one, they’ll buy one a level or three below it.
AC dropped the ball on the sport/trail just like they did on the mud pro, original wildcat, and XX. They released it then never updated or changed anything, so the sales faded away.
Countless dealers told AC, and Textron that the sport and trail needed a re-fresh, and hp bump. Metz spent blew the money on the useless downtown office, and his salary, then Textron said that the market volume wasn’t enough to bother, they could never sell enough units to break even on the R&D
Mud Pro came back better than ever.
It came back after poo, canam, and everyone else far surpassed the original and left AC with 0 market share. When it came back, it was as a 600, when everyone else has 800, 850, 1000.
Sales numbers show that buyers, and reviewers panned the machine. Last summer the local dealer got a load of ’23s from the factory and was selling them for under $6k
600 is just fine kROM. More than you could handle.
The Trail and Sport were also killed by recalls. Bad Team clutches right out of the gate. Followed soon after by the oil cooler lines blowing off. The first bogus fix was clamps and re-torque, that clearly was not going to resolve the issue of incorrect fittings. Later, was to change the fittings. Broken motor mounts. Replace undersized A-Arm bolts. The first melting firewall “we’ll fix it with reflective tape” recall, then the second, proper fix with reconfigured panels that were in short supply. Customers were gaming the waiting list. Flat rate barely covered the labor time IF everything went perfect. SO many machines had accessories in the way that were not taken into account. Owners were pretty fed up. They definitely needed a re-design that never came.
That Kymco 700 was a zippy engine, but we saw a ton of starter failures, and water pump failures. We also had a few with oil pump cavitation issues.
Never saw much of what you were talking about on my bud’s. He did blow a coolant hose, but that was the only issue he had in 6500 miles.
Biggest complaint he had about the Trail was the 700 engine was way too loud! Running at speed, you had to have ear protection, or you would do damage to your hearing.
You know, I read so many complaints about the Team Clutches on the Trails and Sports. They stick engaged, wear out quick, rollers in the secondary are junk, 100’s of posts about “sanding the towers” so they don’t stick, etc. Ever since I bought my Trail I do the same as I do to my snowmobiles – every spring I pull both clutches off, take them apart and give them a thorough cleaning, measure the belt width, and if it’s worn more than 1/16″ I replace it with a new OEM belt. Knock on wood – after 6500 miles my clutches are still just like brand new. They’ve never stuck even once and I’ve never had to “sand” anything. Unlike a snowmobile, the clutches run in a sealed case, so all the dirt, belt dust, etc., stays in there to wear out the parts. Common sense tells me that timely clutch maintenance is even more critical on the dirt machines than on a snowmobile. My apologies if I sound arrogant, I don’t mean to be! But I truly believe that a lot of the problems I read about these machines could be avoided if they’re given proper preventative maintenance.
Team has terrible quality control. Period. The clutch trouble I referred to was a recall immediately after the Trail was introduced for clutches that had a manufacturing issue. Not wear, not dirt. We went through the same nonsense when the Havoc was rolled out… Team primaries that were no good right out of the box with incorrect tolerances. John Stocks from Textron sent one of his engineers and a Team engineer to our shop who thought they were going to prove me wrong, and left with their tails between their legs. Verdict: Primaries out of spec, as usual.
You’ve just gotten lucky…
On the trail/sport machines clutches the towers pinch towards each other on the spring cover end. It causes the sheave to bind on the spider, and not fully open. If you can explain how dirt would cause this, I’m all ears.
I’ve had plenty of them apart, its not dirt stuck in the buttons or on the towers, its the actual metal moving.
I put together the first ctec2 800 in my state, and took in 1.5 hours away to give a group of customers demo rides. While it was warming up in the trailer, the idler bearing siezed and puked grease all over the belt and clutch, ruining the day. Very difficult/embarrassing to explain to the guys waiting to ride it.
We’ve run a literal pickup bed full of junk team primary clutches to the scrap yard two summers in a row.
Sounds like you need a current Prowler Pro. They’re a great machine, my only complaint for it was the 50hp, out in the black hills I could only get my crew up to 25mph on the highway! (at higher elevation on a climb)
make them great again !! they have it-good products – good finish- good motors -come on !!
cheap base models are NOT a mistake –
not evryone can/want spend 30.000 or more !!
rmember the trail base model i had- no servo steering etc – but good price and sold well !!
The sticking team primary clutch happened right from new. Have a ‘16 even when clean. The sanding is not a simple task. One shift cable has broken as a result. Trick is ride the brakes when stopped then shut engine off when shifting a total pain the ____. I dont believe in lube on clutches but have now resorted to never sieze on the slides. It lasts a couple rides at least. I called team industries a couple years back and shared some words with them.
This should have been a recall bulletin along with the darn stater case on my H2 1000X thats gonna fail and leave me stranded with apparently no new stock parts at arctic.
I hate these two machines from these issues.
There is no real fix for the H2. The fix for the trail primary is to throw it a way and put a trailbloc primary clutch on.
The next best fix is to take the spider off, and file or sand the buttons down to give a little clearance
electric ⚡
😂
Bring back the Arctic cat mini bikes..
Need a utv with full hvac like everyone else and a bit bigger engine and keep the price more reasonable than the competition
I have a 2002 TBX 500 and love the machine, and it’s been pretty much flawless throughout its life. By having a dump box on a ATV I get so much work and hunting tasks done! The size is perfect with this machine because it can go through the woods and fit in my garage while still having a dump box, I would have to leave my truck outside if I bought a side by side, they’re just to big! Two things this machine needs are: better braking system and fuel injection to eliminate the choke. I would love to update this machine as it’s getting older and would order one today if it was available!
I hope you give this some thought.
Luke
A few things I would like to add to my post above. I would love a smooth & quiet engine with good power. I do a lot of hunting and would like to be able to go through the woods in stelth mode. Some of my friends have converted battery golf carts with large tires to go where ATV’s go but quietly. Cars and trucks have quiet exhaust why can’t ATV’s. I like the twin or 3 cylinder for a smooth engine, and having Power Steering as an option on all ATV’s and Snowmobiles would be nice for the older generation. I own a Thundercat and the power steering is a dream!
Let me start by saying, I love Arctic Cat! I believe Arctic Cat needs to start by looking closely at Polaris, Can Am, and CFMOTO. One of things that I appreciate about Arctic Cat is your simple no nonsense designs of your ATVs. I would like to see a continued focus on easy to maintain machines. I believe you need to go back to very large steel racks, with a focus on automotive fit and finish and some better looking designs. I would also like to see a few big bore options in your ATV lineup. The newer 600 is great, but a lot of purists want more big bore options. A simple yet nicer screen would be a big hit also. True push button lockers should be standard, and handlebar controls should be upgraded. I would also like to see suspension upgrades, with better shocks, with a continued focus on ground clearance. Arched a arms are game changers in rocky terrain.
I love my 23 prowler pro but time to upgrade. would like to see a better sealed cab, a bigger heater, less heat coming in cab from the engine, air conditioning is a must, maybe a nicer dash with the g8
i absolutely love my 2022 Wildcat XX. I just want you guys to support it better and open it back up to the aftermarket, so that they can create cool accessories again. Bring back the long travel components… This machine is absolutely fun and amazing to ride in Ocotillo.. Gives us a Full Race Version to rival the Pro R, Maverick R. How about a cab high shell to give it that Bronco look and can be built for Overlanding. just options man! The XX is a really cool machine. so much potential. 4 seater, and power….. Gobs of power…justify the sound with power. I don’t mind the noise, just build it powerful and reliable. How about a trans like the Yamaha, make it a total drivers car. I can’t keep up with the others because of the motor. But this suspension is a thing of beauty. It makes all the difference. I stay close because of it. This cluster…… absolutely sucks! Give us the option to update it to that new cluster in the Catalyst….
I was really considering an Alterra 450 but they ran out of them this year. I read a lot about them and hope maybe Arctic Cat redesign the 4 wheel drive shift lever. I heard it breaks a lot and I hope they address the water pump coolant seals that I hear have been know to leak and go bad. Since this is 2025, could we get good LED lighting? Other than that, I can’t wait til the 2026 models come out.
any word on when 2026 utvs are coming out. the 25s just got to dealers but no word on what’s coming for 26. time to upgrade my 23 prowler pro very soon and I would like it to be a cat. just waiting to see if it’s going to be updated for 26 with ac and cab insulation
I have a 2020 prowler Pro and over all I love it but it is upsetting how much they charge for maintenance supplies. The Arctic Cat engine oil is about 3 times the price of name brand synthetic oil and the air filter which has purposely been designed to where a stock air filter will not fit are about 4 times the price of a stock filter of the same size.
Make an xpedition killer that has all the comfort stuff and a turbocharged Yami motor. Make the brakes work well.