2012 Kawasaki Teryx4 750 4×4 SxS
- Updated: October 16, 2011
Brimstone Recreation in Huntsville, TN is well known throughout the country for one of the best trail systems in the Southeast consisting of tight woods, large hill climbs, and enough trail mileage to thoroughly test any type of off road vehicle. However, at first thought, this seemed like an odd place to intro a four-seat vehicle. Tight trails and the long wheelbase of a four seater are an obvious recipe for broken parts and a long day in the dirt. I was very curious to see how Kawasaki moved us around the park avoiding the tight trails.
As we rounded the corner coming into Brimstone and got the first glance of the lineup of shiny new Teryx 4’s, it was immediately obvious why they brought us to Brimstone. The wheelbase on the Teryx 4 is extremely short for a four seater. It was at that moment that I realized Kawasaki might have just created a whole new market for family-oriented outdoor activities. This small wheelbase might now give a four-seater option to people who are limited on trailer storage capacity. There are quite a few toy haulers running up and down the road that literally don’t have enough length for some of the longer four seat UTV’s.
Not only is the wheelbase a major feature, there is a long list of highlights for this vehicle that make it standout in the crowd.
Standout Features:
-86.1” wheelbase (RZR-4: 103”)
-Wide stance – 52” (RZR-4: 50”)
-Tilting front hood – easier to maintain and clean
-Tubular steel front bumper
-New cartridge-style air filter element
-Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 tires
-Rear, sealed wet brake (extremely low maintenance)
-Precise engine braking
-Best in class interior room
-Rear piggyback shocks on all models
-Front piggyback shocks available on EPS and LE models
-All shocks are 3-way adjustable (compression, rebound, preload)
-Front sway bar
-Stadium seating (rear seats are slightly higher than front for a better view from the rear)
-Front and rear 12V outlets
-Front and rear drink holders
Vehicle Walkaround
The first thing I did when laying my hands on this vehicle was to hop in the back seat. I’m 6’2”, so I have lived most of my life needing more legroom in UTV’s. However, the Teryx 4 did not disappoint. I could ride all day long in the back seat without any issue, other than wanting to drive myself. There is ample room in the front and rear to accommodate even larger passengers. The extra height for the rear seats, dubbed “stadium seating”, provides great visibility to the rear seat passengers. This vehicle has also retained a very accommodating rear storage compartment. To give you an idea of the size, the compartment perfectly fits a large 100 qt. cooler.
The seating position and angle are very easy to enter and exit, making this vehicle great for work and play. The solid doors are easy to open and shut perfectly every time.
Let’s Ride
I spend a lot of time in the RZR family of vehicles (RZR-S and RZR-XP). Immediately upon getting into the Teryx 4, I noticed a big difference in the seating position. The position here is much more vertical. Entry and exit is definitely easier with the Kawasaki. However, the RZR seating is more sport oriented, keeping you deeper “into” the machine. This contrast is one of the major selling points of both the RZR and the Teryx, and they each have their benefits.
The engine in the Teryx 4 is 749cc, and has had a performance boost over the two seat Teryx to handle the extra weight of the machine and potential cargo. This performance is achieved through a higher flowing intake and exhaust system. In my opinion, the power was very surprising. I expected it to be a little underpowered due to the extra weight, but that was not the case at all. It would easily spin all four tires on the trail and get up to speed very quickly. The top speed is electronically limited to somewhere around 49 or 50 mph. We were not able to test that at Brimstone.
Other than the wheelbase, my favorite feature of this machine is the engine braking. The transition from applying the gas pedal to full coasting (downhill) is literally flawless. The Kawasaki engineering team has done an amazing job with this new system. They would not confirm this, but it’s safe to assume this new system, and the other new engine improvements will eventually make their way into the two-seat Teryx family. In my opinion, this is the best engine braking system I have ever driven on a UTV.
Showa shocks grace all four corners of all three levels (Base, EPS, LE). Unfortunately, I didn’t get much time to drive with four people in the vehicle. Driving the vehicle by myself, the shocks were stiff, but that is expected due to the lack of cargo load. The vehicle is obviously engineered to handle the weight of four adults, so the shocks are tuned to perform in that weight range. Seeing that these are high quality Showa shocks, I have no doubt that you can tune the stock shocks to work right for your specific situation.
The unit I spent the most time on was equipped with power steering. It handled the tight, quick turns at Brimstone with ease. After a full day of trail riding, power steering will become your best friend. Kawasaki has chosen a great electric power steering kit by Showa.
Maneuverability in the Teryx 4 was much better than I expected. In the first paragraph, I alluded to how I assumed Kawasaki would keep us out of the tight trails at Brimstone. That couldn’t have been further from the truth. The trail leader drove a two-seat Teryx and I immediately saw why. They put us right in the middle of the tight side trails throughout the park. The two-seater was able to make a couple of tight turns that forced a little reverse action in the four-seater, but other than that the four-seater was able to traverse the tight trails with ease. This vehicle literally handles like a two-seater on the trail, which makes sense seeing the wheelbase measurement. I would have zero reservations about taking this vehicle into any tight trails, assuming the width is not an issue. It is wider (62”) than some 50” trail systems, so that will be an issue for some people. However, the extra stability is instantly noticeable on the trail. It’s a welcome tradeoff.
Conclusion
I have a pretty large trailer (44’) that we take to our events. The front part of the trailer is living quarters, much like a toy hauler, so the cargo area is reduced because of this. Storage is always a concern for me. The Teryx 4 opens up an entirely new vehicle to people in my situation. Sometimes, there just literally isn’t room to carry a larger 4 seat vehicle. If storage is limited, this could be just the vehicle for which you have been looking. The Teryx 4 has many features that make it stand out in the crowd. It will definitely be a top contender in the four seater market. We are looking forward to spending some more time with the all new Teryx 4.
The 2012 Teryx 4 is available in the following models:
Standard
-Red or green
-No power steering
-Black wheels
-MSRP $13,399
EPS
-Electric power steering
-Two tone seats
-Deluxe graphics
-Available in blue of full-body camo (Realtree APG HD)
-MSRP camo – $14,999, blue $14,399
EPS LE
-Electric power steering
-Two tone seats
-Polished, cast aluminum wheels
-Deluxe Graphics
-OEM plastic sun top
-Red or Yellow
-MSRP $15,199
