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KYMCO hits the mark with 50th anniversary lineup

All-new UXV 450i, 500i Generator models top the list

KYMCO is going out of its way to make sure its 50th anniversary celebration is one that is memorable for dealers. The U.S. operations of the Taiwanese OEM gathered media for the 2015 reveal of many of its 32 models of off-road vehicles during at Big Buck Farms near KYMCO’s USA’s Spartanburg, S.C., headquarters.

The GNCC trail provided an ideal venue for testing the all-new UXV 450i side-by-side, and the UXV 500i G helped power an industrial-sized fan to cool the media tent in the 90-plus-degree temperatures.

The 450i offers a completely revised design and retails for $7,999. Also available are the UXV 450i TURF ($8,499), UXV 450i CAMO ($8,499) and UXV 450i LE 50th ($8,699). All are powered by a fuel-injected 443cc SOHC 4-stroke 4-valve liquid-cooled engine.

“The UXV 450 is definitely the bright star in our lineup for 2015,” said Bruce Ramsey, KYMCO USA vice president of sales and operations. “It’s proven to be excellent on the trails, and it fits in the bed of a full-size pickup. We started booking orders for it [earlier this summer], and I’m having to go back to the factory because I’m oversold, which is a great place to be for a change.”

KYMCO’s new mid-size UXV 450i ($7,999) is part of an impressive 50th anniversary lineup. The OEM revealed 32 off-road models as part of the celebration.
KYMCO’s new mid-size UXV 450i ($7,999) is part of an impressive 50th anniversary lineup. The OEM revealed 32 off-road models as part of the celebration.

Ramsey, along with Joe Wofford, KYMCO USA’s vice president of technical services, and director of marketing Rick Pawelka, also were proud to announce that EPS has been added as a standard feature for the 2015 MXU 700i EPS LE 50th ($9,799) and the MXU 700i EPS CAMO ($9,399), along with the MXU 500i EPS LE 50th ($8,699) and MXU 500i EPS CAMO ($8,299).

“By September we’ll start production on the 500 and 700 side-by-sides, so by the end of year we’ll have EPS on the side-by-sides as well,” Ramsey said. 

Due to its superior handling, as noticed on the trails, it’s unlikely the new UXV 450 will get EPS added.

“When dealers have a chance to drive it, they’ll be very pleased with the performance. The fact that it’s mid-size and the price point are the defining factors. To get it under $8,000 took some work, but it really makes a difference,” Ramsey said. “The acceleration really sets it apart. As a matter of fact it’s on par or a little bit better accelerating out of the hole than the 500. And it’s nimble. It’s not quite trail width, so it’s not applicable to 50-inch trails, but it can get through some pretty tight areas, and it easily fits into a full-size pickup bed.”

Blazing a trail

Many of the enthusiast media were taken aback by the innovation that KYMCO showed with its UXV 500i G ($12,999), an industry first vehicle that features a totally enclosed, fan-cooled 5-kilowatt generator.

“It was about five years ago that we came up with the idea to put an internal generator into a side-by-side, and at the time the 500 platform was the only side-by-side we built, so that became a natural choice,” Ramsey said. “We built a fully encased generator set that goes under the driver seat. The key was to be able to have all of your bed space available and still have an onboard generator. It’s pretty easy to go grab a 5KW generator at the store and throw in the back, but then you have no carrying capacity. Now you can carry a compressor, and whatever tools or equipment you need in the bed of the 500 G.”

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The vehicle powers any light construction or landscaping jobs. After a few short safety steps upon arrival at the work, a button is switched to generator mode, and the work can begin. It features four 110/120-volt outlets and one 220-volt outlet. The 110 and 220 outlets cannot be used simultaneously.

“It’s a great niche product, and nobody has anything like it,” Ramsey said. “We’re really excited about bringing it to market. It’s definitely in a class by itself. It’s one of the few times that KYMCO has stepped out to the box and not produced product that everyone else is producing.” psb

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