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ATV / UTV
Powersports Business • September 2026 • 27
The UTV market is leaning further into utility, with manufacturers adding more capability while bringing greater comfort to the cab. HVAC-equipped models with upgraded interiors are helping make these machines more productive— and more comfortable.
UTV market 2026: Category shifts toward comfort, capability and value
BY BRENDAN BAKER
• EDITOR IN CHIEF
The North American UTV market is entering the second half of 2026 on relatively stable footing, but beneath the overall sales picture, the segment is undergoing a significant shift in what customers want— and what dealers need to stock.
Power Products Marketing( PPM), a Minneapolisbased research firm that tracks the powersports market, estimates the UTV market was essentially flat during the first half of 2026, excluding the golf and low-speed vehicle segment. PPM also says several brands are outperforming the overall market, driven in part by growing demand for cab and HVAC-equipped models.
BRP President of Powersports Sandy Scullion sees a similarly healthy market, although he says the bigger story is what’ s happening within the category.
“ Overall, the side-by-side industry, it is still very healthy,” Scullion says.“ It is still growing at single digits but still growing.”
The significant change, he says, is the migration from open machines toward enclosed models.
“ There’ s a significant shift from non-cabs to cab units,” Scullion says.“ I also believe that some customers are choosing a Defender cab instead of a sport segment non-cab because of HVAC and all the comfort they’ re getting.”
That shift toward enclosed, HVAC-equipped machines is emerging as one of the defining trends of the 2026 UTV market.
COMFORT CHANGES THE EQUATION PPM’ s Greg Boeder also identifies cab and HVAC-equipped UTVs as one of the fastest-growing configurations. Polaris and Can-Am are leading the category, while Kawasaki’ s Ridge and CFMOTO’ s U10 are also performing well.
Yamaha announced in August that they were stopping SxS production at their Newnan, Georgia, plant. They company says they aren’ t pulling out of the market and will work with a partner OEM.