This is Kawasaki's NAV 4e, and I got to take it around the neighborhood for a day during the global launch a couple of months ago. Throughout the event, Kawasaki stressed to us that although appearances might be deceiving, the all-new NAV 4e isn't a golf cart.
What is it? According to Team Green, it's something more. But what did I think after driving it?
The link above goes to my long-form written review, but if you're more of a visual person and you want the short, quick-and-dirty video take, it's up on the RideApart YouTube channel right now.
The most immediate differences are suspension, handling, and general tactile feel of the NAV 4e. If you've ridden in a golf cart before, you probably know exactly how much fun it isn't if you roll over rough pavement, tree roots, or similar unsettling situations. It's all pretty standard stuff if you're just going about your low-speed business, but a lot of other machines don't necessarily keep those lumps and bumps from making you question whether you've just given yourself a weird back injury.
Not so with the NAV 4e; at least, not the top-trim version I drove. Going over rough curbs or broken pavement wasn't a problem. The area we were test driving these PTVs in didn't really have potholes, or I would have gladly tested it over one of those so I could report back on how it did. But it did pretty well at uneven curbs, so that has to count for something!
Handling is pretty tight and precise, too; not at all vague or sloppy. The top-trim version we were driving also had four speakers mounted at the corners of the canopy, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the dash so you can always have your tunes with you on your ride. The sound quality was pretty decent, too; and since it's an EV, you can spend more time listening to your chosen tunes on your way to wherever you're going.
Hit the video and read the written review if you want to know more about it! Given the rising cost of everything, it might not be the worst choice if you only travel a short distance in your neighborhood on the regular, too.
