At a time when the powersports industry is suffering and companies and dealership Chapter 11 bankruptcies every other week, a manufacturer stepping in to provide much-needed affordability to powersports is at an all-time high. Enter Denago, a US subsidiary of Tao Holding, and although most of the production takes place in China, the final assembly and quality control happen in the US. What's important today is the launch of the brand's new NightHawk 650FI UTV.
The term 'affordable' is a relative one, but in the world of UTVs, anything that costs in the region of $10,000 is thought of as a steal, and the RanchHawk has an MSRP of $9,999. To be fair, most manufacturers now have a UTV in this price range, like the Polaris Ranger 500, which has an identical price, or Kawasaki's Mule SX, which starts at just $8,749. But the aforementioned UTVs, although from reputable brands, are as bare bones as it gets, unlike the RanchHawk.
Denago Powersports, GM David Garibyan, said, "The UTV segment is very popular, but their prices have soared and put them out of reach."
The RanchHawk 650FI had its first public unveiling at the AIMExpo and impressed as an alternative UTV for those who want more features as standard, for the same price as the competition. Anyone who picks up a RanchHawk will benefit from hign-and low-rang gearing, switchable 4-wheel-drive, EPS, and a locking differential. However, there are no details yet regarding engine power from the fuel-injected 623cc overhead-cam unit or towing/payload capacity, so we'll have to wait and see how it performs in terms of utility.
While the jury is out on utility, it should certainly beat out the competition when it comes to comfort. This model comes with a reverse camera that works with a 10-inch TFT infotainment screen, GPS mapping, audio system, YouTube streaming, tilting windshield, bumpers, doors, and towing kits. Finishing off the list of things you'd usually pay extra for is a winch and a trailer hitch. As you'd expect, it comes with adjustable remote-reservoir shocks and 13 inches of ground clearance, and a tilting cargo bed.
“The RanchHawk continues Denago’s legacy of providing the best value in powersports, offering the most standard features at an affordable price point,” Garibyan continued. “While some of our competitors charge extra for windshields, bumpers, doors, and towing kits, we include them as standard equipment.”
This could well be what the power sports industry has been calling out for—more for the same price. However, considering the uncertain socio-economic times we live in, I'd cautiously say providing the same for a lower price might work even better.
