Always aggressive in the market, the year 2020 will be no exception… The Valcourt manufacturer presents more than 50 snowmobile models for the new season. 2020 Ski-Doo Snowmobile News. This year’s crop features some great new models, but also a lot of refinement, especially for the models that are in their second season.
There’s no doubt that 2019 was the year of the new 900 ACE turbo engine, and in 2020 we’ll see an expansion of the turbocharged engine, but there are also some great new features in the world of utility vehicles that will certainly delight fans of this segment.
Here are the new Ski-Doo 2020 products!
2020 will mark a major advancement at Ski-Doo, as the development of the work and recreational vehicle reaches its peak with the Expedition line. The utility vehicle market occupies a large share of the market in Quebec, Alaska, Russia and the Scandinavian countries. BRP’s development team took care to survey users in these different countries in order to identify their needs and come up with a finished product that is as well adapted as possible. The snowmobile is an indispensable work tool that its owner could not do without. But why not combine business with pleasure?
2020 Expedition
That’s exactly what the 2020 Expedition lineup offers. A snowmobile that can work hard, that performs well, that is comfortable with a very large load and towing capacity (1500 pounds), but above all, that is very versatile. After more than a decade with the REV-XU chassis, without any major changes, a migration to the Rev-Gen4 platform was necessary. The new chassis alone reduces the weight of the vehicle by 15 pounds, for a total gain of about 30 pounds. The transmission and track are the other two main sources of weight reduction.
Gen4 chassis
Although the Gen4 chassis was introduced to the Expedition lineup last year with the Expedition Sport Rev Gen4. Everyone was expecting a bigger expansion, reaching a wider audience. Three new Expedition models with the Gen4 chassis and a 20-inch track make their debut for the new season. The changes to the Gen4 for the Expedition are fairly minimal: the tunnel is wider to accommodate a 20-inch track, and there are some changes to the front of the chassis. Utility vehicles are often used at low speeds, for example to haul loads, which makes it a challenge to keep the coolant temperature at a constant level and avoid overheating. Although the cooling concept based on a radiator integrated into the Gen4 chassis is very efficient, it is nevertheless insufficient at low speeds, when little snow is thrown by the track against the radiator. To compensate for this, the engineering department added a second radiator, similar to that found on a car, located at the front of the snowmobile. This was a relatively simple solution for the two-stroke or 900 Ace models, but for the turbo version, the challenge was greater, to juxtapose the coolant radiator to the turbo air cooler.
Multi-LinQ plate
Wow… No doubt about it, the Valcourt manufacturer continues its domination on the versatility of its accessories, the huge Multi-LinQ plate of the Expedition allows a series of accessories and tools never seen before in the world of snowmobiles! This new plate allows the installation of 16″ wide accessories, the usual LinQ system, but also those of 20″ width! There are approximately 200 possible attachment combinations available to the owner, including 25 new LinQ attachments developed specifically for the Expedition. Total cargo capacity is 125 pounds. On the fuel tank side, several sizes are available, for both gas and oil! Several types of specialized supports are also available: chainsaw support, firearm, axe, ice hoe, etc. And what about the various transport boxes that can even hold up to 135 liters of cargo! To add to this, another 22-liter capacity is located at the back of the pilot’s seat, where the battery is located, among other things. No doubt, all types of users will find something for their needs…
New Easy Shift gearbox
For sustainability? Ease of use? Comfort? User-friendliness? All of the above! The transmission plays a masterful role for a utility snowmobile, it is continually put to the test, and must render grace to the engine’s power as efficiently as possible. All snowmobile enthusiasts are familiar with the usual irritants of a transmission, the difficulty in shifting, the noise, and often owners would like different gear ratios than the original, which is usually very complicated with a more traditional gearbox, let’s say. The new Easy-Shift virtually eliminates all these irritants to make life easier for users of this type of snowmobile. The people at Ski-Doo mention a very considerable reduction in noise and vibration, which in turn extends the life of the gears. This new transmission offers two forward speeds and a neutral. The name given to this new transmission is very revealing. The best part is definitely the smoothness and strength of the shifts. The synchronization of the gears works really well, so there is virtually no resistance or reluctance when shifting. Gone are the days when you had to put your feet down and move the snowmobile to engage the transmission.
Now let’s look at the gear ratio. In the past, there were few options for the consumer to change the gear ratio in utility vehicles since they did not use a chain, but rather a series of cascading gears. This is now a thing of the past. The Easy-Shift concept uses a chain to link the gears at the top of the transmission to the gears connected to the drive shaft and sprockets. So simpler with more options to change the ratio!
Finally, the activation of the reverse gear is electronic on the two-stroke versions (RER), or electromechanical on those equipped with a four-stroke engine.
Backcountry X-RS 154
Although it was introduced as an X-RS version in 2019, 2020 marks the arrival of a Backcountry X-RS version with a longer 154-inch track! Two options are available: the Powder Max 154 X 16 X 2-inch or the same track in a 2.5-inch studded version. The rest of the snowmobile keeps the same characteristics as its sisters: trail seat, aluminum handlebars, transparent handguards, etc. As for the suspension, it’s still the CMotion, with a slight modification of the suspension rails, which are longer between the rear wheels and the pivot arm, to accommodate the 154-inch track. We compete with the new 7.2-inch digital display.
New digital display
BRP is moving away from the famous needle displays to introduce its new LCD digital dials. This type of customizable display offers better readability in both sitting and standing positions. Two versions are available depending on the model, a deluxe version at 7.2 inches wide or a more basic 4.5 inch version. For those with a keen eye, this type of dial is also found on the Spyder range. Like it or not…
Summit Running Boards
The 154″ and 165″ Summit X and Freeride versions receive a new step design. To avoid snow accumulation, they offer 60% more holes to evacuate the snow, and three times more grip! A small weight reduction of one pound is added.
Fast adjustmentIn 2020, due to high consumer demand, Ski-Doo is offering the option to purchase an MXZ or Renegade X-RS with only the quick adjustments (on the running boards) of the rMotion shock preload and compression speed. Usually, this package comes with the TS pilot skis, and this option is still available if the consumer wants both.
Although some would describe the 2020 season as fairly quiet, our Quebec company continues to innovate and perfect their product. The marketing and engineering people are continually listening to consumers and making the necessary changes to achieve maximum satisfaction.
I would like to give a special thanks to Jimmy Côté, Ski-Doo Product Manager and Steve Cowing, Media Relations Manager, for welcoming us directly to the Valcourt plant to discuss all the development and thinking behind the new 2020 Expedition. Thanks guys!
