Polaris Industries Unveils Cleaner, Quieter Four-Stroke Snowmobile
ORLANDO, Fla.--Feb. 20, 2001--Today at its international snowmobile dealer convention in Orlando, Polaris Industries introduced a new, more environmentally friendly snowmobile featuring a four-stroke engine designed specifically for snowmobiles. Polaris plans to begin limited production of the new cleaner, quieter snowmobile, called the Indy Frontier, in November. The snowmobiles will become available through select rental operators in the Yellowstone National Park area by December and will eventually be available to consumers.
"With the development of the four-stroke snowmobile engine, Polaris now offers consumers a cleaner, quieter and more fuel-efficient alternative in snowmobiling," said Tom Tiller, Polaris CEO. "Rather than trying to use an off-the-shelf engine, we designed a four-stroke engine specifically for snowmobiles. The engine was designed to mount low in the chassis so that the Indy Frontier's handling meets the industry leading standards Polaris snowmobiles are known for."
The new 48-horsepower engine was designed by Polaris engineers and assembled in Polaris' Osceola, Wis. facility, with components sourced worldwide. The engine design includes a block heater for easier severe cold-weather starting, and closed-loop EFI induction to keep the snowmobile operating at optimum levels to further reduce emissions. The new two-passenger snowmobile also touts the award-winning Polaris EDGE chassis and a chokeless ignition with electric start.
Polaris' new four-stroke snowmobile will initially be available to select rental operators in the West Yellowstone area where there is a high density of snowmobile operation. The company plans to make the Indy Frontier available to consumers through Polaris dealerships during the 2002-2003 season.
While the snowmobile industry is currently working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop reasonable emissions standards, Polaris is continuously researching and developing new environmentally friendly technology for its products.
In 1999, Polaris was the first manufacturer to introduce environmentally friendly direct fuel injection technology with the Polaris Genesis i -- one of the world's cleanest-running personal watercraft. This direct fuel injection technology results in emissions levels already below EPA requirements for the year 2006, and produces up to 76 percent lower emissions levels and 60 percent less noise than a traditional watercraft. Polaris now uses direct fuel injection technology in two of its 2001 watercraft, the Genesis i and the Virage i.
Information about the complete line of Polaris products is available from authorized Polaris dealers or from the Polaris home page at www.polarisindustries.com.
Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, Victory motorcycles, personal watercraft, and the Polaris RANGER for recreational and utility use. Polaris is the largest snowmobile manufacturer in the world, and one of the largest manufacturers of ATVs and personal watercraft. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a complete line of PurePolaris apparel, accessories and parts available at Polaris dealerships. Consumers also can purchase apparel and vehicle accessories around the clock online at www.polarisindustries.com. Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange and the Pacific Stock Exchange under the symbol "PII," and the company is included in the S&P SmallCap 600 price index.