Polaris Ranger 700 HD

By: Shane Solomon

Date: 20.01.2010

If you’re in the market for a side-by-side that can do the lot, you’d be seriously pushed to find one better than the Polaris 700 HD

Polaris Ranger 700 HD

Good towing and load capacity
Light steering
Comfortable ride thanks to self-levelling shocks
Plenty of easy to use attachments
New cab design

I found our test vehicle to be quite the refined workhorse, not at all heavy and awkward. The new range has most definitely arrived with far better handling, endurance, load capacity, ground clearance and overall performance than ever before.

Performance and handling

The Ranger HD comes with variable-assist power steering and dual A-Arm front suspension as standard equipment. Granted the regular Ranger enjoys a pretty light feel, but if you add one of the many attachments to the front of this beast expect a tougher tug on the steering wheel. The HD steering is extremely light and when I ran the four-wheeled utility vehicle over some nasty grass-covered boulders on our way round the trail carved out for us there was bugger-all kick back.

The HD’s shocks provide as good a ride on rough uneven ground as anything I’ve driven, and far better than some. The Nivomat shocks fitted as standard are self-leveling and reset themselves to maximize the independent rear suspension’s 190mm of overall travel.

Engine/power

With the standard 638cc, 40-horsepower four-valve, four-stoke twin EFi-equipped engine pumping out a healthy top speed of around 80kph, there’s enough get up and go there for most users.

The seat looks like a bench, but acts like twin buckets and is far more comfortable than you would think at first glance. You can seat three quite comfortably, but two up front would be the favored seating arrangement.

The HD comes with an easy to engage hand-activated parking brake, full roll cage with embedded headrests and generous storage. The HD is rated to tow upwards of 900kgs and can carry 681ks of gear.

You can add some nifty attachments too. There’s a BOSS plow, a grappling arm, shovel, winch and more, all of which can be operated with the flick of a dash-mounted joystick.

Polaris upgraded the entire Ranger line for 2009 so that means the HD gained a new cab design with greater leg room and new angled-back seating ergonomics. The tilt steering combines with the unit’s power steering for ute-like convenience, as does the tweaked pedal positions.

The front steel bumper is swept upward to deflect branches and the odd wayward goat and the headlights are now recessed for greater protection from rocks. There are even dedicated tie-down points for trailering.

To read in-depth reviews see the latest issue of Farm Trader magazine, on sale now.

See a range of Polaris ATVs for sale here.

Read more Polaris reviews here.

Specifications

Engine type 40hp, petrol
Top Speed 80kph
Tray capacity 681kg
Towing capacity 907kg
Cargo system Lock and Ride Cargo System
AWD system On-Demand 4x4 (shift on the fly)
Front suspension Dual A Arm
Front travel 24.5cm
Rear suspension Self-leveling independent rear suspension
Rear travel 22.9cm
Seating 3
Dry weight 572kg