Farms & Farm Machinery #385

UTV/ATV REVIEWS
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On a mission
Barry Ashenhurst said
Kymco’s UXV700i sideby-side
was a smart little
package for those who want
civilised features in this
2019 review
Kymco UXV700i
Engine
Cap
Fuel delivery
Claimed
output
Fuel cap
Trans
Park brake
Gear selector
Wheels and
tyres
Susp
Shocks
Brakes
L/W/H
Wheelbase
Tray size
Payload cap
Towing cap
Claimed
ground
clearance
Claimed dry
weight
SOHC 4-stroke single
695cc
Electronic injection
45hp (33.6kW) at 6,500rpm
32 litres
CVT auto with high/low
range, front diff lock
‘P’ in the gearbox and a
mechanical handbrake
Sequential shifter between
the seats (PRNHL)
25-inch Maxxis tyres on 12-
inch, four-stud wheels
Dual A-arms front and rear
Kaifa gas, with rebound,
comp, and preload
adjustment
Dual front discs/ single rear
disc, with braided lines
2,870 x 1,500 x 1,850mm
1,910mm
1,210 x 820 x 310mm
200kg
550kg
300mm
543kg
Here’s some unsolicited advice. If you’re in the market for a
new UTV, conduct a box ticking exercise. Run through the
specs of every machine in your price range to determine which
offers the most for the money. But make sure you and anyone
who will drive it gets to test it out.
We’ve had brief experience with the Taiwanese Kymco brand
but impressions have been favourable. The machines appear to
be well made for the price and the specs are competitive at the
softer end of the market where Kymco operates.
Kymcos aren’t the biggest, fastest, strongest or toughest, but are
made by a recognised equipment manufacturer, not a can-opener
factory with a sideline in UTVs.
Recent improvements to the new UXV700i include giving it a
45hp (33.6kW) and new fuel injection mapping, with transmission
to match.
The front suspension A-arms have been redesigned to increase
ground clearance, and the Kaifa gas shocks have preload,
compression and rebound adjustment – instead of the more
typical preload only.
Rollcage and seatbelt designs are new; as are the steering wheel
and high-backed seats, and this model has a shaft-mounted
handbrake and a Park slot in the gearbox.
A recreational version of the 700i is available in the US but the
Australian version is farm only. Here’s what we think of it.
COMPACT AND COMFORATABLE
The UXV is a compact machine, perfectly suited to crawling
through tight scrub and along twisty creek-beds but with decent
on-road performance thanks to a 700cc engine. It’s a neat
combination of on and off-road capability and turns out to be
a very pleasant thing to drive – reaching 90km/h on our gravel
dragstrip and easily fording the Brisbane River.
Ground clearance is said to be 12 inches (300mm) and not once
was the Kymco hung up on trail obstacles or in rocky creekbeds.
It’s also quite agile for a machine with a rollover protection system
(ROPS) and if you’re careful you can sneak under low hanging
branches and through ‘tree tunnels’. Its electronic power steering
is well weighted, the brakes are strong and engine braking is
excellent in the low range.
5
1. The UXV 700i’s 700cc
engine gives it a neat
combination of on and offroad
capability
2. The smallish tray drops
easily under its own steam
and has a useful rubber liner
3. Dual discs up front and
single disc on the driveshaft.
Braided lines are
part of the package
4. Sliding the driver’s seat
forward gives access to a
handy storage bin
5. Daily maintenance items
are easily reached. The
large black object topleft
is a huge (unsealed)
storage bin
The two-seater arrangement is laid out nicely. The high-back
bucket seats are more than comfortable and better than you’d
expect in this price range.
The 700i has a number of other features that will enhance its
crossover appeal – including a smooth gear change system and
good ride quality. No doubt this will make the Kymco popular with
those who find mo e agricultural machines clunky things to drive.
Storage space is also well thought out. In-cab is a two-slot
cupholder, a small tray in the centre of the dash and a glovebox
to the right. Moving the driver’s seat forward reveals a lidded bin,
while there is another huge storage bin – albeit unsealed – under
the bonnet. The radiator is well protected with a mesh guard.
The cargo bed is smaller than you’d get in a purely commercial
machine but has a nice rubber liner and tips easily under its own
effort when you pull back the latch. Controls are well placed. A
small switch-dial to the left of the steering wheel chooses two or
four-wheel drive and engages the diff lock.
In-dash are a 12-volt socket and a USB port. The instrument
cluster is small but easy to read. A bright, coloured row of gear
position indicators runs along the bottom of the digital display to
let you know what gear you’re in.
To make sure you fit your seatbelt the vehicle will do no more
than 10km/h until you buckle up. Kymco fitted net doors bu
there’s only a small shoulder bolster on either side.
We can’t be anything but positive about this neat little machine.
It may have faults we didn’t find in the six hours we had it – the
all might – but on the face of it, the Kymco has a lot going for it.
It’s for those who don’t need big carrying or towing capacity, or
serious rough terrain ability, but a comfortable people mover that
can handle a bit of rough terrain if it happens to be in the way.
And you can play in it, which does no harm at all. As a crossover
vehicle, it’s good value for money. That it comes with a five-yea
limited warranty is a bonus.
Looking for an
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