TESTED | YAMAHA WOLVERINE X4 | First Impression | Tested

We head to Mount Doom to test Yamaha’s Wolverine X4 side-by-side.

Queenstown truly is a place of adventure, and if it’s good enough for Lord Of The Rings then it’s good enough for Yamaha to launch the Wolverine X4.

The driving took place only 15 minutes out of town on a property belonging to Off Road Adventures Queenstown, a family-run tour company with 25 years’ experience operating dirtbike, quad, buggy and 4×4 tours in New Zealand.

They have their own 12,000-acre playground overlooking Queenstown and the trails are epic. The day of the test was forecast to be wet and for once they got it right. It didn’t rain right away though; it wasn’t until we’d all jumped in our chosen Wolverines the heavens opened.

One of the Wolverines was sporting the optional enclosed cab, something that probably won’t sell well in Australia but in New Zealand some farmers might option for it. It isn’t cheap however, costing $7495 but there are cheaper options to stay out of the weather.

Because it wasn’t raining when we were choosing our side-by-sides no one was in a hurry to jump in the enclosed cab so it was left to myself and a slightly dusty Sean Goldhawk from Yamaha Australia.

I wasn’t that excited about the enclosed cab but Geez showing his experience assured me we’d made the right call and within five minutes he was passed out in the back. I was enjoying myself climbing mountains and jumping off erosion mounds, both of us bone dry while the rest of the journos looked like drowned rats.

Although the enclosed cab kept me and the sleeping Geez dry it did take away from the experience of blasting through the forest in a side-by-side, it felt more like I was just in a small 4WD.

The wet weather also exposed one flaw, the windscreen kept fogging up, an issue that can be addressed with the optional heater.

My dry spell was short lived however, when Yamaha Australia’s Lance Turnley commandeered the now highly sort after enclosed cab Wolverine under the false pretences of needing to show the New Zealand Farming Journalists its features. I offered to show them myself but he declined and pointed me in the direction of their roofless machine.

Climbing into the soggy, mud-covered seat, I actually felt more comfortable in the open Wolverine despite the water quickly soaking my jeans – it’s the way driving a side-by-side should feel!

Visibility from the open Wolverine was much better, no foggy windscreen or thick A-Pillars obstructing my view so I could really wick it up to see what the 847cc twin-cylinder engine could do.

Because power from the parallel twin is fed through a continuously variable transmission that Yamaha calls the Yamaha Ultramatic V-belt, the power delivery is smooth no matter how aggressive you get with the drive-by-wire throttle.

It’s automatic and self governing so there are no gear changes and no clutch, just stomp the pedal and go. The transmission makes it possible for a wide range of users to drive the Wolverine and if you have kids who are hassling you for a drive, Yamaha has you covered.

The Wolverine is fitted with a “Valet Key” that has tortoise and hare mode. Essentially, a key under the bonnet that you turn to limit the top speed of the machine.

High and low range are the two drive options, plus reverse, which can be fed through 2WD, 4WD or 4WD Diff Lock arrangements. Even for the tough conditions on the test I didn’t find myself needing low range. The engine produces so much torque that high range even at low revs produces enough pulling power to climb everything we encountered in the Queenstown mountains.

Low range would come into its own when the terrain gets too rough and you need to slow things right down, or when towing a trailer with the optional tow bar. Although the test conditions were wet and incredibly slick, you could still carry some speed so high range was the go.

4WD was the best choice for the conditions and with 4WD Diff Lock engaged there wouldn’t be much that could stop the Wolverine. Its ability to scale gnarly, slick, rocky hills is impressive. The type of rocky hills that would require a lot of skill to climb on a dirtbike, the Wolverine just destroyed. The chunky tyres and torquey engine find grip on everything!

Grip is also made better by the fact Yamaha has fitted the Wolverine with highly capable suspension. It’s very plush making for a comfortable ride, the jolts and hits transferred to the cab are nothing compared to what you feel in a normal 4WD car. Its party trick is the self-levelling feature, which ensures ground clearance stays consistent when the Wolverine is empty and when it’s fully loaded.

Which is good because Yamaha has designed this thing to handle serious load. In people mover spec it’ll comfortably seat four passengers, and even at 195cm, I had excess leg room in the back.

Slide the two back seats forward and you have 275kg of load carrying capacity in the tray plus 900kg tow capacity.

There is no question side-by-sides are a hell of a lot of fun and the Wolverine brings a practical aspect to all the fun and games. As a farming tool it’ll get places your old paddock basher could never dream and as a toy you’ll struggle to find an agricultural vehicle that brings you as much fun.

Notable Accessories

Hard Sun Top $ 990.00

Heater $ 1,065.06

Windshield, Plastic $ 553.29

Rear Cargo Box $ 597.07

Rock Sliders $ 394.74

Front Bash Plate $ 195.62

Skid Plates $ 1,106.63

Front Winch Mount $ 237.11

Vantage 3000 Winch $ 770.41

Second Battery Kit $ 632.36

Interior Padding Kit $ 162.94

Sub Woofer & AMP $ 972.37

Head Unit w/2 spkrs prem top $ 796.16

Tow Bar Hitch Insert $ 120.95

LED lightbar $ 681.02

LED 10W Spot lIght – Pair $ 469.11

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine

Type: Parallel twin, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC

Displacement: 847cc

Bore x stroke: 82 mm x 80.2 mm

Compression ratio: 10.5 : 1

Lubrication system: Dry sump

Fuel system: Mikuni fuel injection with drive by wire, dual 36mm throttle bodies

Ignition system: TCI

Starter system: Electric

Transmission system: Yamaha Ultramatic® CVT automatic V-belt

Drive system: On-Command® 2WD, 4WD, 4WD with diff-lock

Final transmission: Shaft

Dimensions

Overall length: 3100 mm

Overall width: 1519 mm

Overall height: 1960 mm

Wheelbase: 2100 mm

Minimum ground clearance: 273 mm

Min. turning radius: 4.5 m

Wet weight (including full oil and fuel tank): 754 kg

Fuel capacity: 35 L

Oil capacity: 4.4 L

Suspension

Front Suspension system: Independent double wishbone, 221 mm of wheel travel

Rear suspension system: Independent double wishbone, 226 mm of wheel travel

Brakes

Front brake: Dual ventilated hydraulic disc

Rear brake: Dual ventilated hydraulic disc

Running Gear

Front tyres: MAXXIS MU75, AT26 x 8-12

Rear tyres: MAXXIS MU76, AT26 x 10-12

Loading limits and additional features

Steering System: Rack and pinion steering assembly with Electric Power Steering

Cargo bed: 71kg

Towing capacity: 900 kg

Price and Contact

RRP (inc GST): $23,999

Warranty: Three-year factory extended

Colour: Matt Silver

Website: www.yamaha-motor.com.au

Phone: (02) 9757 0011