2016 Kawasaki Mule PRO-DX and DXT Review
- Updated: November 24, 2015
If you were as impressed as I was with Kawasaki’s Mule PRO FX but wished it was available in a diesel-powered model, wish no longer, the DX and four-door DXT is now a reality.
As a member of the media, I was invited to Boerne, Texas to test what I feel will be one of Kawasaki’s most valuable products, the new 2016 Mule PRO DX and DXT.
If you get things done with heavy equipment that runs on diesel you know first hand how a diesel powered machine can effortlessly yank a trailer or haul a load, are more dependable, last longer, get better mileage and cost less to maintain. You probably even have off-road diesel on your property. If I’m right about the above you need to keep reading because the new Mule PRO DX or perhaps DXT might be the perfect off-road vehicle for you.
After investing $16 million to better mass produce their mighty Mule PRO series in their Lincoln, Nebraska plant, where they’re now able to churn out 80 units per day, Kawasaki has turned to the media to demonstrate just how capable their newest Mule is.
Kawasaki organizers set up six stations at a working ranch near San Antonio, each station featured a typical task that a farmer, ranch employee or construction worker might need to accomplish on any given day. Kawasaki’s goal was to demonstrate how the Mule PRO DX or DXT could accomplish each task with ease. While Kawasaki employees awaited me with instruction at each station, it was my job to use their new diesel-powered Mule to get the job done and provide our readers with my opinion of the new diesel Mule PRO machine with this ride review feature.
The capability of the Mule PRO DX and DXT is pretty impressive. You can carry 1000 pounds and pull another 2000 pounds. In six person mode the DXT’s bed is 22 inches and has a capacity of 350 pounds. Simply slide the rear seat forward and you get an impressive 42.7” of cargo bed. Of course, the width of the bed does not change in either configuration. It measures a generous 53.7” making it the largest in its class, it’s big enough to fit a wood pallet and you can still shut the tailgate! It also features a diamond-plate steel cargo bed floor for added durability and since it’s steel you can spot weld whatever you need directly to the bed, you sure can’t do that with a plastic bed. In addition, the cargo bed has integrated steel cargo rails, allowing loads to be secured. The bed rails also accommodate optional Kawasaki quick release mounts, which allow items like a cargo box or a gun boot to be quickly installed in the cargo bed without the use of tools.
To prove the impressive numbers above, we hauled 800 pounds of sand, pulled a 2000 pound trailer full of hay, graded dirt with a big weighted railroad tie, plowed mulch and tested the machine through Texas Hill Country.
