The Evolution of the Gator: John Deere XUV Press Event, Part 1
The 50-hp, three-cylinder engine growled as the new John Deere Gator 825i XUV ripped through the rutted off-road corner.
23 mph…28…32…40…
The Gator held steady at 44 mph before I let off the gas to take the next corner. Luckily, the sports-tuned suspension and (optional, forthcoming) power-steering compensated for my novice driving as I avoided a spinout. I let out a chuckle and glanced over at my white-knuckled riding partner who refused to take his eyes off the path. But I wasn’t worried — the 825i had the power to rip through the terrain at the Carolina Adventure World, where John Deere held its Gator XUV press event yesterday.
While the thrust of the new line of Gator XUVs is sport and recreation, John Deere hasn’t forsaken its work-horse heritage. In addition to the completely re-designed front and rear independent suspension system and an entirely new braking system that improves stopping performance over previous models, The Gator XUV also features 1500 lbs. of towing and 1400 lbs. of payload capacity. The all-new hybrid metal and composite cargo box offers 16.4 cu-ft of capacity, the most in its class, and an available factory installed spray-in bed liner with 20 integrated tie downs to help keep cargo in place. The sides of this cargo box are removable as well, giving the user a flat bed that’s easy to load and unload from any side.
In addition to the XUV 825i, John Deere also offers the 625i and the 855D to round out its full line of crossover utility vehicles. Here are the basic specifications for those two models:
Gator XUV 625i
• Gas EFI
• 617cc, liquid cooled V-twin engine
• 23-hp engine
• 30 mph top speed
Gator XUV 855D
• Diesel
• 854cc, liquid cooled 3 cylinder engine
• 25-hp
• 35 mph top speed
• Now with full clutch enclosure
“[The 825i] is the fastest Gator we’ve ever built and this is an example of the commitment we’ve made to provide top-of-the-line XUVs for the outdoor enthusiast,” said David Gigandet, tactical marketing manager for John Deere utility vehicles. “John Deere has a long heritage in the utility vehicle category with the Gator as a tried and true workhorse. With the introduction of the 2011 XUV, the new Gator line-up now delivers the innovation and top performance consumers desire, as well as the best in class utility, reliability and quality we’re known for.”
The 825i wasn’t the only ground-breaking utility vehicle John Deere showed off at the XUV press event. But you’ll have to tune in Monday for a look at John Deere’s Top Secret (ok, not so Top Secret because I’ve seen it) military XUV — The R-Gator. Here’s a teaser: The R stands for “Robot.”
