half of the team is starting to turn on the previously raved about ErgoStep side panels .
“ I don ’ t like the dedicated stopping point anymore – I ’ d rather just slide my knee around one surface ,” one tester said in a trailside discussion , and a second rider agreed .
The wide 7.2-inch digital display comes standard with the Blizzard – it ’ s a decent gauge with plenty of options for how information can be displayed , but it pales in comparison to the far more capable 10.25-inch display on X and X-RS Ski-Doo machines .
Our test team has long raved about the ergonomics that Polaris brings to the table with the Matryx chassis , and this test of the 9R Indy XCR was no exception .
“ The Polaris layout feels like it was truly built around a rider like me ,” one tester noted . “ The angles of my knees , elbows , hips and shoulders are all nearly perfect when seated , whether in a neutral position or aggressively leaning off the machine in turns . And the transition to standing when ripping through bumps is easy while the angles somehow still stay right .”
“ I still don ’ t know exactly what they do for their ergonomics to make them that much better , but this machine just fits me ,” another rider wrote .
Nothing in life is perfect for every rider , of course . One rider repeated his annual complaint about a ridge where his boottops interface with the lower dash . Another rider had a somewhat related criticism when standing to zip the XCR through moguls .
“ Especially after experiencing the Catalyst ergos , I ’ m finding that I like the foot position on the Polaris less and less ,” he said . “ The footwells are so far back that you can ’ t get your feet forward when you want to . They ’ ve got to open that up .”
Test riders complimented the moderate firmness of the seat and , as per usual , raved about the functionality and mapping on the 7S display that adorned our machine . It should be noted , though , that the 7S gauge is an optional upgrade , the Message Center is standard equipment .
Engine Performance
Two of the three sleds in this shootout had “ new ” engines , with new in quotation marks because technically the Patriot 9R in the Polaris isn ’ t new to the sport , but this was the first time it could be had in anything other than a mountain sled .
That added a level of intrigue to our story – and it got even more intriguing when we lined them up side-by-side . We ’ ll get to that , first let ’ s talk about the powerplants .
Newest is the 858cc semi-direct injected twin found in the Arctic Cat . It has some captivating features . It starts with Cat ’ s patented laydown design , with both the intake and exhaust on the forward-facing side of the engine ( as it ’ s mounted in the chassis ). JANUARY 2025 / SNOWGOER . COM / 15