Yamaha’s new Viking utility vehicle

The new 2014 Yamaha Viking UTV received both positive and negative reviews from a mix of dealers who saw the vehicle in person and consumers commenting online about the various features of the vehicle.  In general, dealers sound more positive about the vehicle and see it as a step forward as Yamaha moves on from their Rhino offering. For dealers they find the value of the vehicle appealing. The three person seating capacity and other features make for a vehicle that can crossover from recreation to hunting to work. The versatility also comes at a nice price point for dealers, $11,499, the same as the 2013 Rhino. The dealers also liked Yamaha’s plans to introduce a new model for each of the next five years. Consumers were hoping the vehicle would be powered by a new engine rather than the modified version of the Rhino engine that is being used. Learn more:  Powersportsbusiness.com

Comment:  Once the Viking actually starts being sold and used by consumers the real assessment of the vehicle will be made. Nonetheless, the new Viking from Yamaha and plans for new model introductions annually is another sign of increasing competitiveness in the growing UTV market. With the likes of Honda, Arctic Cat, John Deere and Can Am all adding new models or whole new product lines, consumers should be the real winners in the long run as the competition drives new feature innovation and value pricing.