The refined side of radicalBy the staff of Dirt Wheels
During any other model year, the Polaris RZR Turbo R 4 Ultimate would be a star, the object of mechanical desire and perhaps the baddest machine on the trail. Instead, this year it’s a lesson in sibling rivalry. Being the 2022 Turbo R is like getting a football scholarship to Notre Dame and having your twin brother get a first-round draft pick to the NFL.
We are convinced that Polaris is well-justified in having the Turbo R Ultimate join the Pro R in what it calls the “Wide Open lineup.” We won’t kid you, the Turbo R 925cc twin is somewhat obscured in the shadow of the Pro R’s 2-liter monster motor. We love lots of power, but will pick useful and effective power for technical trail driving.
There are no “power settings” for the Turbo R like there are for the Pro R, and they are not missed. “Dear Abby” can’t fault the manners of this engine.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES?
The Turbo R and Pro R share a platform but are not identical. In our minds, a good number of the differences are wins for the Turbo R. In the win column for the Pro R are the locking front differential, the separate rear differential not integrated in the transmission, and 225 horsepower. The Pro R has a 2.1-inch rear-travel advantage, and the Pro R’s 1,700 watts almost doubles the Turbo R’s 900 watts of electrical power output.
Comparing the two 4-seat models shows a nice list of advantages for the Turbo R. While the Turbo R 4 is lengthy at 157 inches (125-inch wheelbase), the Pro R 4 is 165.5 inches long with a 133.5-inch wheelbase! Weight for the Turbo R 4 Ultimate is 2286 pounds and the Pro R 4 Ultimate is 2480.
Nearly all the weight difference between the Pro R and the Turbo R goes to the payload rating—900 pounds for the Pro R and 1160 for the Turbo R. On paper there is a price advantage of $5400 for the Turbo R 4, but until the Pro R is available in greater numbers, the difference could be greater at the dealer.
CHASSIS PARITY
Fortunately, the chassis for the Turbo R and the handling and suspension are as impressive as the Pro R is. It has a one-piece chassis built from 2-inch tubing with a fully welded roll cage. The cage employs tapered joints for strength where it joins the chassis. The chassis and cage are claimed to double the torsional stiffness. In the front are huge, light yet strong stamped and welded boxed steel A-arms. Polaris mounted Fox 3.0 Live Valve X2 internal bypass shocks to the strengthened lower arms rather than using common upper-arm mounts.
A bowlegged bottom-shock clevis allows stronger front axles to pass through. The top A-arm can be lighter, and the giant shocks are mounted lower so they don’t stick up through the hood.
In the rear are MaxLink trailing arms mounting Fox 3.0 Live Valve X2 Internal Bypass shocks. MaxLink minimizes bump-steer with a patented through-arm rear toe link. It extends from the rear knuckle through the trailing arm. In front it mounts to the frame inboard from the trailing-arm pivot. It keeps the rear wheels from “toeing in” regardless of where the rear suspension is in its 22.4-inch travel.
Further control comes from robust three-piece sway bars front and rear. High-assist electronic power steering is mounted right to the quick-turn steering rack. Pro Turbo Ultimates have tilt and telescoping adjustments.
Both the suspension and drivetrain feature stronger knuckles and durable, unitized five-lug hubs. Pro Armor five-lug wheels are paired with 32-inch Maxxis Rampage Fury tires.
MAKING IT SMART
Continuous and impressive upgrades to the Polaris Dynamix smart suspension have this DV version at a high level of suspension sophistication and performance. Dynamix DV takes input from vehicle sensors and computers to continuously adjust both rebound and compression damping independently up to 200 times per second. There are four suspension and steering modes that monitor inputs to make the ride as smooth as possible and keep the wheels in contact with the ground.
Past Dynamixes had compression damping adjustment only, with Comfort, Sport and Firm modes. Polaris added the red “X” panic button to the Pro XP steering wheel that maxes out the compression damping. There are Comfort, Race, Rock and Baja settings to choose from, in addition to the red button.
WHAT ABOUT THE POWER?
The Turbo R’s 181-horsepower, 925cc, parallel-twin engine is proven with great response at low- and mid-rpm ranges. It has effective delivery and builds smoothly. It doesn’t have the high-rpm rush of the ProStar Fury 2-liter four or the Can-Am RR 200-horsepower Ace 900. In technical driving it is more controllable and refined than either of those more muscular powerplants. It just doesn’t dominate first impressions.
SECRET WEAPON: RIDE COMMAND
Ride Command arrived before the Dynamix suspension, but the two work together. One of the Ride Command screens shows what the suspension is doing in real time, and Dynamix needs input from the Ride Command GPS to make damping changes.
Polaris invests significant staff time and development dollars into Ride Command, and the system continues to improve and impress. In our minds it is (and should be) a major reason to buy Polaris. Ride Command (RC) literally puts the controls right at your fingertips with Dynamix controls on one side of the steering wheel and infotainment controls on the other side, in addition to the touchscreen. RC lets you keep track of a ride group with innovative GPS technology, monitor suspension and ride settings, or sets the playlist to blast through the 400-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system.
GPS is the most basic function it offers, but there is far more to it. Ride Command controls the front and rear cameras, your connection to your phone, and allows helmet-to-helmet and car-to-car communications with the right helmet headsets.
CABIN TIME
When Polaris designed the Pro Turbo 4 cabin, it prioritized legroom and comfort. It has full half doors to ease entry and egress, but the Turbo R is a tall machine, and that complicates entry a bit. There is good legroom front and rear. All four seats have six-point harness-type seat belts. There are two lap belts, as well as two belts angled forward that pull across the thighs to keep you in the seat.
Two padded belts come over the shoulders. All six latch with a single seat-belt buckle. Adjusting the lap and thigh belts takes some effort, but the front shoulder belts are retractable. The rear-seat shoulder belts don’t retract.
In addition to being secure seats, the rear-seat backs pull out with a single lever. Rear-seat bottoms flip forward to turn the back seat into a storage area. We stood a 32-inch spare tire in the back seat and seatbelted it in place. It never budged. The rear has tie-down points to secure tools and gear.
HOW IT WORKS
Some of our test crew just sold a 2020 Pro XP Ultimate two-seater and had interesting observations on the Turbo R 4. Ray and Sherry Gibbs explained, “We were looking forward to driving the Turbo R 4 because it shares much of the Pro R’s componentry. It also utilizes the proven and potent Pro XP powerplant that we love. It is responsive down low with little, if any, hint of turbo lag.
“Even though it has roughly 44 less horsepower than the Pro R, it is not slow, but is friendly and docile enough for the wife to enjoy. We aren’t dune hounds but trail drivers, so all egos aside, we prefer the Turbo R’s power delivery to that of the Pro R.
“We were curious to see if it would fit in our 32-foot toy hauler! We are shopping, but the Pro R four-seat is 7 inches too long! This Turbo R 4 is 7 inches shorter, so it is tight, but it will fit.
GOING LOW
“A lower low-range ratio is one of the big updates to the drive train. It is much lower than my XP Pro’s transmission, and it slowly and easily crawled up and into the hauler. Naturally, it is a great help on tech trails as well!
“We took three full-sized adults for a spirited ride, and the Turbo R 4 behaved admirably with 600 extra pounds aboard. A full load didn’t adversely diminish performance.
“My XP Pro Ultimate had Dynamix Fox suspension with comfort, sport and firm settings. All three worked well, but we would leave in comfort and use the panic button if we needed a momentary increase in damping resistance. For 2022, the Turbo R has comfort, rock, trail and Baja settings to control the MaxLink suspension. We used them all, but the Rock setting was a surprise. Evidently, the car’s computer can tell which way is up. The shocks on the uphill side get softer, while the downhill shocks firm up, enabling the car to lean in to the hill. This new system and a stance of 10 inches wider put us more at ease on the slopes.
GOING ROUGH
“When hitting the rough, you quickly find that longer is better! The Turbo R 4’s new capabilities and added wheelbase let you hammer the rough with less rocking and pitching and have more directional control at the same time! We can see why desert racers use a four-seat chassis for racing. Despite the length, this four-seater turns quickly!
“Most of the trails we ride are frequented by 64-inch machines. We worried the car would be clipping rocks and brush, but it didn’t. You are wider, but the car instills confidence, and we were able to navigate these trails with no issues.
“One of our prime motivations for selling the XP Pro was to get a four-seater. This has four seats and still hauls the mail! I have heard from more than a few people that the old Turbo S four-seater was their all-time favorite ride. But fear not, its successor, the Turbo R, is a fantastic ride that will no doubt gather a loyal group of fans, too! If you liked the Turbo S and the XP Pro, you’re going to love the 2022 Turbo R 4!”
WRAPPING UP
We have to agree. It might be different if your driving is 100-percent sand dunes where horsepower rules. But, if your driving is on roads and trails, the Turbo R has great handling, fantastic suspension, and is lighter on its tires and more nimble feeling than the Pro R. It also gets significantly better fuel economy. We had no belt trouble, but the belt is easier to change on the trail if you do. Add in the lower price, and it makes great sense.
For more information, look at www.polaris.com.
2022 POLARIS RZR PRO 4 R ULTIMATE SPECS:
Engine 4-stroke DOHC twin cylinderturbocharged
Displacement 925cc
Starter Electric
Fuel system EFI
Fuel capacity 13 gal.
Transmission Automatic PVT
Final drive Shaft
Suspension/wheel travel:
Front Lightweight boxed Dual A-armwith 3-piece stabilizer bar and Fox3.0 Live Valve X2 internal Bypass with
electronically controlled compressionand rebound/22.25”
Rear Boxed trailing arm w/ toe link &high-clearance radius rods with Fox3.0 Live Valve X2 internal Bypass with
electronically controlled compressionand rebound/22.4”
Brakes:
Front Dual hydraulic discs w/3-bore calipers
Rear Dual hydraulic discs w/2-bore calipers
Tires:
Front 32×10-15 8-ply MaxxisRampage Fury
Rear 32×10-15 8-ply MaxxisRampage Fury
Length/width/height 157”/74”/77”
Ground clearance 16”
Wheelbase 125”
Dry weight 2286 lb.
Payload capacity 1160 lb.
Cargo bed capacity 300 lb.
Towing capacity N/A
Colors Ghost Grey, Onyx Black
Price $41,999
