Polaris made two big announcements in the past month, unveiling a new hardcore R spec for the RZR with the most powerful engine ever mounted in a side-by-side and, earlier this week, the new all-electric Ranger XP Kinetic. But the Polaris lineup of off-road vehicles also includes the General, which combines the best aspects of a ranch cart and desert racer in one utilitarian package targeting hunters, farmers, and off-roading enthusiasts alike.
After getting plenty of seat time in a RZR Pro XP 4 Ultimate earlier this year, I found myself curious to drive this General XP 4 1000 in Deluxe Ride Command trim through much of the same terrain and learn how much Polaris sacrifices the fun factor to create more daily driveability. Watch my full HotCars video review below for a close-up look at my favorite details of this well-rounded option slotted between RZR and Ranger.
2022 General XP 4 1000 Deluxe Ride Command
Polaris began selling the General back in 2016, and though the model hasn't received as many headlines as its more eye-catching siblings since then, the 2022 model year adds a few new details that might make it more attractive to buyers who don't necessarily need the all-out insanity of a tail-happy RZR in their life. This XP 4 1000 arrived as a four-door four-seater with a truck bed, knobby tires, plenty of suspension travel, and just enough power to put a smile on my face immediately.
A Bed Box Out Back
The bed box itself measures 43.1 inches wide, 27.5 inches long (front-to-rear), and 11.6 inches deep. It's not huge by any stretch of the imagination, but can hold anything from bags of pea gravel to camping gear and coolers easily thanks to a 600-pound rating. Polaris built the bed box with slats for organization accessories, as well as tie-downs, to help keep options open for every potential customer use.
A new partnership with Rhino Rack creates nearly unlimited toy and tool hauling options for the General, too, and with the tailgate down or some straps, hauling anything larger becomes an option—and the tailgate also gets a couple of cupholders molded into the plastic.
Shock-Assisted Dumping
The bed dumps by yanking on either of the handles on each side, with a shock mounted beneath to help tilt anything heavy up and over. This General's total payload capacity comes in at 1,280 pounds and the full-size two-inch hitch at the rear allows for a tow rating of 1,500 pounds—which is actually the same as a Ranger. Tipping the bed box up also gives a bit more access to the engine than might be possible on a RZR, a definite plus when any maintenance needs crop up.
Power And Performance
The General's 999cc two-cylinder engine doesn't get a turbocharger like the RZR Pro XP 4 I previously reviewed, but the naturally aspirated mill still produces 100 horsepower. Speed freaks might miss that hard push back into their seats but the standard Polaris CVT helps keep the little screamer right in its rev range, around 4,000 to 6,500 RPM. With rear-wheel drive selected, the General can still get a little drifty, so sending power to all four wheels definitely helps to improve acceleration and performance. Polaris also decided to spec the General with a trick "Turf Mode" for the driveline, which opens the rear differential to help save well-manicured lawns from getting torn up by burnouts.
All in, this four-door General weighs 2,008 pounds dry, though it feels lighter thanks to manually adjustable Walker Evans piggyback shocks and coilovers that allow for 14 inches of travel front and rear. While not as awe-inspiring as the Dynamix electronic control system for Fox Live Valve shocks that my RZR used, the General still absorbs bumps and washboards very well—the set of 30-inch tires helps, too.
Room For Friends And Family
The four seats offering room for friends and family certainly feel more upright than the RZR, somewhat along the lines of a Ranger, creating a feeling of tippiness at times. Part of that sensation can be attributed to the General measuring four additional inches taller than a RZR, with a 10-inch shorter wheelbase. I was surprised to learn that the RZR Pro and General XP 4 have the same track width, 64 inches, because the General seems narrower (the new RZR Pro R's track stretches out to a whopping 74 inches).
Befitting more of a ranch cart than dune charger, the General comes standard with three-point seatbelts to help make getting in and out a bit easier, as does a set of normal-hinging doors for the fronts. The rears do open rearward, though, and foot space for big boots feels a little pinched for riders up front and in back. The seats feature less padding and bolstering for more comfortable cruising, though they don't scoot back very far back and don't recline at all.
Stepping Up With Tech
The rest of the interior looks akin to most Polaris products, with textured plastics that create semi-weatherproof surfaces on the dash and floors. But this General in Deluxe Ride Command trim does receive some nifty tech features, most notably the seven-inch touchscreen with plenty of gauges, maps, and infotainment options. Plus, Ride Command allows multiple vehicles to link up and stay in touch via GPS without requiring cell phone reception.
Other details include the Rockford Fosgate Stage 3 sound system, a 4,500-pound winch with auto-stop controllable via a button on the dash—a front-view camera also helps—plus the wonderfully large rearview mirror. My General loaner arrived without a windshield, which would help keep the cabin more comfortable while driving around in the cold desert air, but Polaris happily offers a number of optional folding or single-piece windshields.
Choosing a windshield will add a few hundred bucks to this General's already significant $29,799 MSRP. A base four-door starts at $27,699 and the cheapest two-door stickers for $16,999. New for 2022, Polaris also introduced the Troy Lee Designs and Trailhead Edition models, with unique paint jobs and options like plow mode.
Those price points put the General right up into RZR territory, which can seem daunting especially given that the new RZR Turbo R starts at $25,999. But the General's combination of features prioritizes versatility, so customers who shell out can expect to drive their General much more frequently than they would a RZR when they need to get work done around the property or head out into the woods for a camping trip—all while offering plenty of power and performance for blasting around the desert, too.
Sources: youtube.com, polaris.com, rhinorack.com, and walkerevansracing.com.