Hitting off-road trails on a truck or SUV is fun. No matter how much you love careening through those rugged paths on a big ride, though, it’s hard to deny just how much more fun it looks doing it on a sporty side-by-side. Especially when that recreational vehicle is as equipped for the job as the 2024 Can-Am Maverick R.
Billed as “the best-looking and the best-performing off-roading vehicle ever,” the pure sport UTV takes things up a notch for the category, combining an aggressive chassis design with a big engine, a brand-first dual clutch transmission, and a suite of new tech that’s bound to take the driver experience to a whole new level. Seriously, it almost looks and feels like a car. In fact, it’s also priced like a car, so this is going to be one expensive investment for your off-roading hobby.
The 2024 Can-Am Maverick R has an all-new dual-phase tubular steel chassis that sports a narrower layout and a more aggressive overall shape that’s built for absolute speed. Housed inside that chassis is a new turbocharged Rotax three-cylinder, four-stroke engine that features a closed deck aluminum block, two fuel injectors on each cylinder, and a 54mm turbocharger. Output is rated at 240 horsepower, which sounds insane for a side-by-side, although the vehicle’s 108-inch wheelbase, 77-inch track, and 2,150-pound weight does make it sound more like a car, so it’s really not that crazy.
All that power, of course, will be hampered by a belt-driven transmission, which is why Can-Am opted to go with a dual-clutch, seven-speed gearbox, which boasts the ability to shift from high to low gear ratios on the fly. While the transmission automatically selects the most appropriate gear for the current RPM and shifts to that, it can also be controlled manually using paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, so you still get to exercise plenty of control in the driving experience.
The 2024 Can-Am Maverick R has three drive modes, namely Normal, Sport, and Sport+. In Normal mode, it delivers a smooth throttle response while shifting in the mid-range (3,500 to 4,500 RPM). In Sport, the side by side takes in more throttle response, while shifting take place at 8,500 RPM. The last mode, Sport+, gives you peak throttle response and shifts at the same 8,500 RPM while reducing turbo lag using the outfit’s Advanced Response Technology (ART), an anti-lag system that shuts down ignition for the middle cylinder and slows down timing for the other two. Suspension is built around the outfit’s all-new tall knuckle design, which delivers a 17-inch ground clearance while providing 25 inches of suspension travel out front and 26 inches in the back.
Inside, it gets sporty seats with a five-point harness similar to the outfit’s other side-by-sides, along with a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, a digital instrument cluster behind the wheel, and a 10.25-inch infotainment system. Available accessories are aplenty, of course, including windshields, roof scoops, bumbers, storage racks, cargo systems, rock sliders, and more.
The 2024 Can-Am Maverick R is available now, priced starting at $35,499.