Arctic
Cat Brand Name Changed to Textron Off Road
Arctic Cat ATV & SXS Vehicles are now Textron
Off Road
Augusta, GA (4/25/2017) - Textron
Specialized Vehicles Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:
TXT) company, announced to its dealer network
its plan for growth as it incorporates Arctic
Cat into the company, including its future powersports
brand portfolio, and a tease of new and upcoming
products across its snowmobile, side-by-side and
ATV product lines.
Company President and CEO Kevin Holleran welcomed
a select gathering of employees and dealers in
Texas, and outlined the value and synergies that
Arctic Cat and Textron bring to each other. Arctic
Cat joins a portfolio of Textron brands and products
that includes not just E-Z-GO golf cars and Textron
Off Road side-by-sides, but also Cessna and Beechcraft
fixed-wing aircraft, Bell helicopters, Greenlee
professional tools, Kautex automotive fuel systems,
and many other leading products in industries
across the globe, Holleran said.
“Everything Textron Specialized Vehicles makes
is created by tapping the same world-class engineering
expertise, manufacturing know-how and Fortune
500 resources that power these brands,” he said,
pointing out as an example that TSV Vice President,
Engineering Chris Spencer spent more than two
decades at Bell Helicopter as a lead engineer
on military programs such as the Bell-Boeing V-22
Osprey.
“Moving forward, the company will transition
all side-by-sides and ATV’s to become a part of
the Textron Off Road brand,” said John Collins,
TSV vice president, consumer. The iconic Arctic
Cat brand, built on decades of performance and
leadership in snowmobiles, will remain in use
on the company’s innovative, high-performance
snowmobile product lines.
Arctic Cat’s legacy and heritage in side-by-sides
and ATVs will also live on in the powerful Alterra™,
Wildcat™ and Prowler™ products, which will join
Textron Off Road’s existing Stampede® side-by-side
in the company’s family of off-road vehicles.
The decision to rebrand side-by-sides and ATVs
under the Textron Off Road name was not taken
lightly, Collins said, and was the result of consultation
and research with consumers and dealers that showed
that the Textron Off Road brand offered the best
opportunity for future growth across all regions,
particularly outside of the snow belt.
Collins revealed a sneak peek of the next Textron
Off Road-branded side-by-side, to be released
this fall. As yet unnamed, this new “crossover”
vehicle will bridge the gap between utility side-by-sides
and sport models, with 100-plus horsepower, a
class-leading suspension set apart by King Shocks,
bucket seats and an extended cab with industry-leading,
usable storage.
In addition, Collins announced more details of
the next-generation Wildcat sport side-by-side,
the Wildcat XX, which will be released in spring
2018. Powered by a 998cc triple engine generating
125hp, the Wildcat XX will also feature a suspension
with King shocks and 18- inches of suspension
travel, 30-inch tires on 15-inch KMC wheels, and
full doors.
Collins also outlined the tremendous opportunity
that E-Z-GO models offer the dealer network, by
bringing to the powersports dealer a new customer
base seeking the brand’s line of personal golf
cars and transportation vehicles.
“Carrying all three of these brands, and attracting
each of their distinct customer bases, can create
a truly unique opportunity for growth,” Collins
stated.
Textron’s engineering expertise and resources
will accelerate the pace of technological innovation
in Arctic Cat’s already groundbreaking snowmobiles,
said Erik Nelson, TSV president and general manager,
snow and international. Nelson stressed that the
Arctic Cat brand will always live on in the company’s
snow products. New snowmobiles such as the M 8000
and ZR 8000, with the new 800cc C-TEC2 two-stroke
twin engine, and the ZR200 youth model, are generating
strong interest from enthusiasts in advance of
the winter season, Nelson said.
The event took place in an airplane hangar at
Fort Worth’s Alliance Airport, where an extensive
display of Textron products underscored the company’s
technological DNA and marketing might. Arctic
Cat products stood alongside the Textron Off Road
Stampede side-by-side and an array of E-Z-GO personal
transportation vehicles. Flanking the stage were
a Bell 407GXP helicopter and the Textron AirLand
Scorpion, a tactical jet aircraft designed for
a variety of roles and missions, including intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), maritime
control, close air support, armed reconnaissance
and pilot training.
About Textron Specialized
Vehicles Inc.
Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. is a leading
global manufacturer of golf cars, utility and
personal transportation vehicles, snowmobiles,
side-by-sides, all-terrain vehicles, professional
turf-care equipment, and ground support equipment.
Textron Specialized Vehicles markets products
under the E-Z-GO®, Cushman®, Arctic Cat®, Textron
Off Road™, Jacobsen®, Dixie Chopper®, Ransomes®,
TUG™, Douglas™, Premier™ and Safeaero™ brands.
Its vehicles are found in environments ranging
from golf courses to factories, airports to planned
communities, and theme parks to hunting preserves.
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that
leverages its global network of aircraft, defense,
industrial and finance businesses to provide customers
with innovative solutions and services. Textron
is known around the world for its powerful brands
such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker,
Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee,
Textron Off Road, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation
+ Training. For more information visit www.textron.com.
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