Two
decades since the introduction of the very first Polaris RANGER, the historic
legacy continues with the launch of the RANGER XP 1000.
The
RANGER XP 1000 is the latest addition to our strong utility vehicle line-up,
and sets a new industry standard with over one hundred user-inspired
improvements.
It
features class-leading power (82hp) and torque (61lb-ft), industry-leading
towing (over 1100kg) and ground clearance (330mm) – which make it is the
hardest working, smoothest riding SXS built.
So
what does it take to design the new RANGER XP 1000? Steve
Wilcox, Senior Industrial Designer at Polaris Industries commented on
development: “The process of getting a new product ready for production
involves research, sketching, clay modeling and then a full-size hard model is
created. This is followed by A-side Computer Aided Design (CAD) data for
tooling.
"During
the early phases of sketches and clay development, a new model can take between
24-32 months to complete a ground up design, with several team members
contributing up to 65 hours per week.”
Steve
was the Senior Designer of the RANGER XP 1000, and responsible for the creation
of the 2D exterior styling concept that was chosen to go into production and
also overseeing the development of the design in clay, Computer Aided Design
(CAD) and production.
The
Industrial Design department can often have five to six major programs running
simultaneously, each having their own designer assigned. Very often, Senior
Designers like Steve can often work on more than one project at once.
Customer
insight was used for the developments made to the RANGER XP 1000 with 100
customer inspired updates being incorporated into the product.
