www. PowersportsBusiness. com

Powersports Business • May 2026 • 19

BY BRENDAN BAKER EDITOR IN CHIEF

The invitation alone raised a few eyebrows. A global ATV launch hosted in the south of France— far from the largest off-road market in the U. S.— wasn’ t the typical setting for a major product debut in my experience. But as it turned out, the location said as much about CFMOTO’ s global ambitions as the machines themselves.

For nearly 200 attendees— media, distributors, dealers and industry insiders— the French Riviera became the stage for the unveiling of an all-new generation of ATVs: the‘ 27 CFORCE C4, C5 and C6 Pro. And while the scenery leaned more Mediterranean than Midwestern trail system, the message was clearly aimed at a worldwide audience, including North America.

Performance aside, much of the development effort went into refinement. Dual balancer shafts help reduce vibration, while revised intake and exhaust routing directs heat away from the rider, an often overlooked but meaningful improvement for long days in the saddle.

The chassis has also grown. Now riding on a 48−inch platform( up from 46 inches), the C6 Pro gains stability and carrying capacity without sacrificing maneuverability. Suspension travel is up significantly, ground clearance has increased, and turning radius has actually decreased, a combination that translates to a more confident ride across varied terrain.

See CFMOTO, Page 20

Day 2 of the media launch was held at a vineyard in Provence.

A GLOBAL PLAY FOR A STEADY SEGMENT

ATVs may not dominate headlines the way side-by-sides do, but writing them off would be a mistake. In the U. S., the segment has quietly maintained a solid base. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, annual ATV sales have hovered around 200,000 units in recent years. Yes, down from the pandemic-driven spike of more than 276,000 units in 2020, but still significant.

That consistency stands in contrast to the explosive growth of UTVs, which now push roughly half a million units annually. Yet, taken together, ATVs and UTVs still account for roughly three-quarters of the total powersports market in the U. S., a reality that hasn’ t gone unnoticed by manufacturers looking for their next growth lever.

In Europe, the dynamic shifts even further in ATVs’ favor. Utility-focused machines dominate in agricultural settings like vineyards, while rental fleets in destinations such as Greece and southern France rely heavily on quads for tourism. That regional nuance helps explain why CFMOTO chose to spotlight its latest lineup here.

NOT JUST‘ NEW PLASTICS’ Taking the stage during the launch event, Tristan Hipps, senior product manager of ORV for CFMOTO USA, made it clear that this wasn’ t a cosmetic refresh.

“ One thing that has always frustrated me,” he says,“ is how often companies roll out the same product year after year. Even when they change them, it’ s often just new plastics over the same machine.”

That philosophy shaped what CFMOTO calls its fourth-generation CFORCE lineup. The C4, C5 and C6 Pro were designed from the ground up, with a focus on tangible gains in performance, usability and rider experience.

It’ s a notable evolution for a platform that traces its roots back to the mid−2000s. Since then, the CFORCE family has grown into a global volume player, with more than 400,000 units in the midsize category alone finding homes worldwide.

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