2012 Polaris RZR 570 Review and Trip
Report
By Joseph “Joey D.” DiGiovanni for
UTVUnderground.com &
UTVGuide.net
Like many in the UTV world when I got news of Polaris’ new 2012 UTV, the
RZR 570 I was a bit skeptical. I began to run all sorts of questions
through my mind to try and justify this release. Did we really need
another 50” RZR, especially one with less power? My next thought was,
who would buy this? Why wouldn’t they just buy the 800? If they had
their kids in mind then like most other segments Polaris has that
covered with their child friendly RZR 170. So just who would want a 50”
RZR with less power than what they already offered?
 Being
based in the southwest and off-roading primarily in the open deserts of
Southern California my whole teenage and adult life I have been
subconsciously brainwashed into thinking that I need POWER and
SUSPENSION to have a good time when off-roading. Polaris has filled my
and many others need for power and suspension multiple times over and in
consecutive model years starting with the Polaris RZR-S 800, then RZR-4
800, and now the ultimate UTV, the RZR XP900. So when I got my press
pack that said the new model for 2012 was a smaller version of the
smallest UTV they already make (RZR 800 50”) I was a bit bewildered.
To begin to understand the release of the 570 I had to first step
outside of my personal preferences. I had to abandon my pre-conceived
notion that bigger is better. To this day, despite all the hype
surrounding Polaris’ other top selling UTV’s, their #1 selling
recreational UTV continues to be their first, the RZR 800 50”. Yep,
that’s right! The original 50” RZR model continues to dominate the
market and so it only makes sense that while Polaris has been feeding us
sport minded riders all we could ever want, they take a step back and
offer their core customers another option. But still, who would want
this and why would Polaris spend the time to create it?
 I
wasn’t alone in my quest to understand the thought process behind the
RZR 570 and Polaris knew that. So a short time after Polaris released
the RZR 570 they sent us our invitation for a press ride that would be
held on the Keweenaw Peninsula located in Lac LaBelle, Michigan which is
in the Upper Peninsula, otherwise known as the U.P. of Michigan. Jon
Crowley of UTVGuide.net and I would be
scheduled to make the trip together, as we have done many times over
now. Unfortunately for Jon his trip would end right where it would
start, as his flight would be cancelled the morning of his scheduled
departure. Due to the remote location of where we were going there would
be no other way to get there in time. So while Jon turned and headed
home I was in route to the U.P. where I would meet up with all of our
other media friends. My inability to wrap my mind around the RZR 570
still abounded and the tight travel plans didn’t help me get too excited
about the press intro. Plus I was thinking how could Polaris possibly
top our 2011 model year intro in Montana where we were able to test and
drive the entire lineup of Polaris Off-Road Vehicles and ATV’s in a
setting like no other? How could they top the introduction of the
industry shifting Polaris XP900 where we would be the first to test and
drive this new powerful machine? Well let me start by saying this. Not
only did they top Montana in terms of ride location and scenery, they
produced a big time over achiever in the RZR 570 which made it ALMOST as
fun as the XP900 to drive!
 Upon
our arrival to Lac LaBelle, MI and the Lac LaBelle Lodge Store &
rentals, we were presented with our cabin room keys and itinerary for
the weekend. A gift of custom Polaris bath towels were given to each of
us along with some Polaris branded RZ Mask’s! We all like gifts of
course! Mind you, about half of us, mainly west coast guys, didn’t
arrive to the lodge until midnight, so we were all ready for bed. On our
way to the cabin’s we noticed a shop of sorts opened up with a couple of
men standing around a large piece of hanging meat. I assumed it was a
deer so before heading to bed I grabbed my camera and approached to snap
a couple of pictures. Upon them greeting us and inviting us in we
quickly noticed this was no deer, it was a freshly hunted Black Bear
that one of the gentleman had shot just hours previous. By the time we
had arrived it was skinned and trimmed and ready for the freezer. Right
then I knew we were in a glorious part of the country as the men
explained to us that they had seen multiple bear and deer in the same
area we would be riding in the next day.
As we awoke on ride day I stepped out of my cabin only to realize I was
sitting lakefront in one of the most beautiful areas I had ever been in.
The entire area was surrounded with fall and autumn colors, leaves
falling and fresh, clean, cool air. After a quick breakfast we proceeded
to Polaris’ semi trailer where we would officially be introduced to the
new Polaris RZR 570 and also be educated on how our ride day would go
down. A dozen or so Polaris employees greeted us and trail guides from
the local Keweenaw ATV Club were there as well. A host of brand new RZR
570’s surrounded us and upon looking at the cut-away model they had on
display it was clear to see that this wasn’t just a scaled down model of
the 50” RZR 800 but rather a brand new platform.
 For
Polaris this was just as exciting a project as any. This was a new kind
of challenge. They are currently dominating the sport and recreation
market so until someone else can compete with their bigger, faster
machines why not go and explore the other niches of the market and build
yet another UTV? I mean they got everything else covered right? Well
that is exactly what they did here with the 570. They sought out to
create a UTV that despite having a smaller engine cc wise, would still
out perform competition all while offering a UTV at a price point many
could afford. The first thing that I noticed was that the RZR 570’s
engine was built upon the ProStar platform which they introduced this
year in the XP900. Attached to the ProStar 570 engine is the same
transmission and gearing found in the XP900, which meant efficiently
transferring the power to the ground exactly like the XP900. Immediately
I began to think, hmm this is interesting? Along with the engine and
transmission came a similar intake and exhaust set up. It was clear to
me at this point what Polaris had done. They were taking all of their
major innovations applied to the XP900, scaling it back, thus creating a
new and improved, yet economical 50” RZR. Maybe they are setting us all
up for a new and improved RZR 800 in the future? Ok, ok, now I am
getting ahead of myself……
 The
more I listened to Polaris’s Product Manager for the RZR 570 project
John Kastanek , the more my question of “Why a 570” began to be
answered. First he described the market, the domination of the 50” RZR
and then the need for a more economical UTV. He also explained the
interest they had as a company to revisit the RZR that put them on the
map. Here they had been working these last few years on pleasing us
“bigger and faster” enthusiasts and riders and felt that it was time to
put some focus back into their largest group of recreational riders. It
was exciting for them he explained. It felt like going back home after
moving away for a while, like visiting your old favorite restaurant, or
seeing a loved one for the first time in a long time. For them it was a
way to see just how could they improve upon an already successful UTV
all while developing something all new. Soon the dissertation would turn
to our ride for that day. Volunteers of the Keewenaw ATV Club would be
leading us on a 90-mile trail ride around the U.P. taking us from tight
trails to logging roads to the shores of Lake Superior. In all I could
tell by listening and looking at my surroundings that we were in for a
real fun ride, and that’s exactly what it would be.
Strapping into my RZR 570 didn’t spark too much excitement as it is
exactly the same as the RZR 800 50” in terms of size and ergonomics. The
570’s are MSRP’d at $9,999.00, which is amazing for what you do get. But
to get to that price obviously Polaris was going to have to eliminate a
few things. So, no glove box, no additional light switch is first thing
I noticed. You get the same gauge cluster used in the Polaris RZR lineup
that includes Temp, Fuel Meter, Mileage, and RPM’s in addition to the
MPH/KPH tach. What I did like was the sound the 570 produces along with
its automotive style exhaust and muffler. Despite its compact size it
has a nice little purr to it. It also has like most UTV’s, selectable
4wd, which I played with quite a bit.
 Once
we started moving it was easy to see it packed a punch for being so
compact. It was very responsive and quick and once we got running on the
trails and were able to open it up we soon realized that this 570
ProStar engine is no slouch! A few of us were jockeying for position the
entire day and at our first stop we all climbed out of the RZR 570’s
with ear-to-ear grins. Our expressions were that of both amazement in
just how fun it was and surprise as to the fact that this was the
“small” engine? I mean, these 570’s top out at 60mph on the rev limiter!
What other UTV in its class or price range can compete with that? It’s
un-equal length rear a-arm suspension left much to be desired in terms
of shock tuning but it still did well. I was by myself so bottoming out
wasn’t a problem but a few who were riding 2 up ended up increasing the
ride height to compensate for the added weight. The handling was
awesome; the steering is responsive and predictable. At speed the 570
really shined and ripping the trails up with the group was as much fun
as I have had on any other run. One thing that really stood out to me
near the end of the run and gave me even more insight as to “why a 570?”
was fuel economy! Despite our heavy foots, and fast paced riding we used
very little fuel. At the 60-70 mile point I had only dropped a couple
bars on the fuel meter.
 The
more time I spent in the RZR and the more time we spent talking to
Polaris the more I realized just “Why a 570?” It was fuel efficient, it
was affordable, it was quick, it was nimble, it was fun, and it was
still customizable! It has all the makings of another top selling UTV
for Polaris. The price tag alone will get people to buy into the idea of
the UTV and couple that with the fun factor you have possibly the best
UTV to buy when looking for Bang For Your Buck! In fact, I would go as
far as saying that if you were to take the 570 stickers off the side of
this RZR and let people drive it they would have no idea they weren’t in
an 800! Only time will tell where Polaris goes from here. But I can tell
you that if they keep up this pace of development they will be hard to
compete with in the future as they continue to develop something for
everyone with budget and needs in mind. While I am not the target
customer for a 50” UTV, if I was I would go as far to say that I would
buy the 570 before an 800 just for all the reasons I have stated above.
Fuel Mileage, Cost, and Performance – the Polaris RZR 570 has it all!
Jon and I want to thank Polaris for bringing us on another awesome
adventure. The U.P. of Michigan was one of the most beautiful places I
have ever seen let alone ridden in. They couldn’t have done any better
of a job in putting this event together and for that we remain thankful
for being included in their events! We also want to thank the Keewenaw
ATV Club for their hospitality and guidance on our ride. And lastly we
want to that the people at the Lac LaBelle Lodge. Food and
accommodations were amazing and if I ever have another chance to go back
to the U.P. I will definitely be looking them up!
Until next time, keep the peddle and rubber side down………
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