CFMOTO Qld/NT area manager Brad Cullinane with the just released U10 Pro (left) and the top-tier U10 Pro Highlander (right) at FarmFest this week.

SIDE-by-side vehicles have become a mainstay on Australian farms in recent years, hastened by a 2021 mandatory safety standard requiring new quad bikes to be fitted with rollover protection structures designed to reduce the risk of serious injury or death in the event of a crash.

The decision prompted major ATV manufacturers to withdraw their quad bikes from the Australian market, arguing the mandatory standard was not compatible with their designs or product liability policies.

The regulatory shift in turn accelerated the adoption of side-by-side vehicles (SSVs) which incorporate rollover protection structures, seat belts, and higher stability designs as standard.

At FarmFest this year Beef Central and Grain Central spoke to several companies selling side-by-side vehicles to get a handle on how the machines are being used in Australian ag, how they have evolved in recent years and what the future holds for the increasingly popular product category.

“They’re a hell of a tool”

Bill Stanway from Toowoomba Honda dealership Elite Motorcycles said the side-by-sides he has sold to farmers are used for everything from transporting gear and farming inputs to spraying weeds and carrying hay.

“They are an essential tool, you can carry gear, you can tow things, you’re protected from the sun, there’s the safety aspect,” Bill said.

“Some of the old faithful probably had to be dragged kicking and screaming to buy one of these, but they’re a hell of a tool.

“All the feedback we hear from them is we should have done this years ago.”

Bill Stanway from Elite Motorcycles Toowoomba with the Honda Pioneer 1000-6 six seater.

One eye-catching machine at the Elite Motorcycles stand was this Honda Pioneer 1000-6 six seater (right). Among the buyers of these machines have been rural property agents using them to take larger groups to otherwise inaccessible areas on property tours.

They’re also proving popular with renewable energy, oil and gas companies as people movers.

Pig hunting is another popular use. One Can-am version has a fold-up Perspex screen and an in-built gun rest.

They’re also a boon for older farmers who are no longer able to physically operate quads.

“A lot of our customers are between 70 and 90 years old and find them a lot easier to get in and out of compared to getting on a quad,” Pat Walsh from Kawasaki said.

What have been the main developments in side-by-side vehicles in recent years?

Like any product category side-by-sides have not been immune to inflationary price pressures, with many units that were selling in the low $20,000 range five years ago now in the high $20,000, low $30,000 sphere.

That places them in direct competition with some of the lower priced utes in Australia.

Why buy a side-by-side if you can buy a road-registered ute for the same money instead?

Primarily the versatility that an SSV offers over a ute, for jobs mentioned above such as spraying weeds, was one of the common responses.

“There is also the ability to get over country you can’t in a ute, and not beat the hell out of a ute,” was another explanation.

While they have a lower payload, several SSV models on display at FarmFest still come with a useful load carrying capacity of 400-500kg plus.

Safety features have also advanced over the years including integrated Rollover Protection Structures, enhanced restraint systems including seatbelts and side netting or doors, improvements in suspension systems which provide better off-road stability, wider wheel bases and in some cases machines which are limited to speeds of 40km/hour.

Power steering is now almost universal. “It’s pretty much a standard requirement now,” Pat Walsh from Kawasaki said.

“The suspension has improved; they’ve all got really nice right-hand suspension compared to what they did 10 years ago.”

A trend towards higher clearance has been another design factor to enhance safety and stability, allowing SSVs to navigate over rocks, logs, washouts and uneven paddocks and above dry grass, with several models featuring full ground clearance of 300mm and greater.

Options that can be incorporated into most SSV vehicles these days are many and varied, including roofs, windscreens, window-equipped doors, lights, bullbars, towbars, winches and tippable cargo trays (manually operated versions assisted by struts right up to fully hydraulic tilt trays).

One notable triumph of design spotted yesterday was an additional row of pop-up seats built into cargo trays on some Honda SSV models (the Pioneer 1000-5 pictured right).

In an instant the tray can be converted into a second row of seats, turning the machine from a three-seater into a five-seater, with all equipped with seatbelts. When required the second-row of seats can instantly be folded-flat back into the tray again.

There has also been a noticeable increase in choice when it comes to comfort options in mid-range to top-tier models, including speakers and entertainment systems compatible with Apple Car Play and Android, phone chargers, drink coolers and full heating and air conditioning (such as the CFMOTO U10 Pro Highlander pictured at the top of the page).

Ingenious use of space to create novel storage solutions has also become a popular selling point with some vehicles, Sophie from Black Truck and Ag told Beef Central and Grain Central.

“One example is people using them to feed horses, they can stack hay in the back and fold the seats up and put the rugs in the front so they don’t get hay all over them,” she said.

Another key decision for buyers is whether to choose a diesel or petrol version.

People selling petrol versions described the selling points as quieter machines with less vibration and ease of maintenance.

On the flip side many famers like diesel versions because it is the main fuel used on-farm.

The price point between petrol and diesel also lead people toward petrol being the cheaper option.

“It would have been the diesel up until a few years ago and then they had a big price change,” Bryce from Polaris said.

“Farmers are big on diesel because all their tractors are diesel…and then they were like $6000 extra for just having a diesel engine, I don’t think so.”

What are some of the likely changes for this category in coming years?

As the cost of SSVs continues to climb, demand for less expensive models will also rise, Michael Cook from Toowoomba Kioti dealership EngageAg said.

One result may be the development of smaller SSVs in future, closer to the footprint of the quad bikes these machines are replacing.

CFMOTO has launched the production version of the UFORCE E, marking the brand’s entry into the electric off-road vehicle market with its first pure electric off road vehicle with a range of with a range of 110 km.

Highlighting that trend was the strong sales at FarmFest this week of CFMOTO’s smaller “bread and butter, bare bones” model which comes with a front winch as standard, which was priced at just $14,990.

While petrol versus diesel is a key consideration today, a third option – electric – is about to join the argument.

One electric version on display for the first time this year was this model from CFMOTO UFORCE E(right).

Other brand representatives were also bullish about the potential for electric versions to enter the category.

Polaris also has an electric model Ranger XP Kinetic which has a 110 horsepower motor powered by a 14.9 kWh Lithium-Ion battery, with an estimated range of 70km.

“It’s got some crazy power behind it,” Bryce from Polaris said. “A big thing with these is people go hunting with them. Having a near-silent machine can be an advantage, there’s no real engine noise, the only noise you hear is the tyres moving.”

Meanwhile Kawasaki is making investments in hydrogen vehicles, with a hydrogen-powered motorcycle demonstrated in Japan last year.

The continued trend towards comfort options across all models is also on the cards.

“We’re getting more farmers wanting heating and cooling and fully sealed cabins,” Stephen from Segway Power Sports said.

“They want better options in units and they’re prepared to pay, so that’s probably where it’s going to go in the future.”

As one lower cost option, Can-Am has a six-wheeler that retails at $18,000. The Outlander is like the traditional quad bike with an extra two wheels fitted to the back.

Six wheeler

The Can-Am Outlander has been pitched as a lower cost alternative to side-by-side vehicles, retailing at $18,000.

The company had the six-wheeler available before the quad bike legislation changed and many manufacturers left the market. It was originally designed to drive through boggy conditions, with the ability to operate at 6×6, a 6×4 or 2×4.

However, Black Truck and Ag sales representatives at this year’s FarmFest told Beef Central and Grain Central it had become a lower cost alternative to side-by-sides.

The vehicle has similar functions with a tray over the back wheels and the ability to seat two people.