If any company wants to stay relevant in this fast-paced world that we’re all living in, it must be continually evolving and innovating. This isn’t only true of the automotive world, but of powersports as well. In fact, there’s no other market right now that is as fiercely competitive as the performance side-by-side segment. Even though Can-Am’s flagship Maverick X3 received major updates for the 2021 model year, that didn’t stop the company from improving the go-fast off-road UTV for the 2022 model year. The company also updated its workhorse Defender model for 2022 as well.
In order to sample the new wares, Can-Am invited us out to the fabulous Iron Mountain Resort off-road park in Dahlonega, Georgia. When we arrived, there were more than a dozen 2022 Maverick X3 and Defender side-by-sides of varying models waiting for us … along with an impending spring storm. With the rain coming down hard, we geared up in between thunderclaps and headed off to the trails. Our morning was spent in the Maverick X3. Then, after lunch, as the rain pummeled the hills even harder, we buckled into the Defender for a sporty jaunt around the property. How did these updated UTVs handle the mud and rain? Read on to find out!
2022 Can-Am Maverick X3 X RS Turbo RR
Can-Am laid out a spread of about eight different 2022 Maverick X3 models for us to choose from. Naturally, we made a beeline for the top-of-the-line two seat model: The 2022 Can-Am Maverick X3 X RS Turbo RR with Smart-Shox technology. What does this mouthful of letters mean, exactly? Let’s break it down. First, Can-Am is the manufacturer, and Maverick X3 is the model. The second X denotes a trim package, and RS indicates that the suspension is 72 inches wide (versus the DS and MR at 64 inches). Turbo RR shows that the side-by-side has the 200-hp turbocharged engine, and Smart-Shox is Fox’s brand name for their electronically controlled dampers.
Maverick X3: What’s New for 2022?
The biggest improvement that Can-Am made to the 2022 Maverick X3 lineup was increasing the maximum horsepower produced by the UTV’s turbocharged 900cc inline triple-cylinder engine from 195 to 200 hp. When this was announced in August of 2021, the company was the first with a side-by-side to crack the 200 hp mark. Since then, Polaris has brought to market its 2022 RZR Pro R with a 225-hp four-cylinder engine. This engine choice, however, places the vehicle in a different class than the Can-Am Maverick X3 in most states, so we’ll just sit back and let these two heavyweights duke it out for who actually has the most power in their respective classes. We’ll just end with the fact that 200 hp in a vehicle that weighs less than 2,000 pounds wet is ludicrous no matter how you slice it.
Aside from the slight bump in horsepower, the 2022 Can-Am Maverick X3 Turbo RR models were also fitted with an upgraded clutch that utilizes the company’s pDrive roller clutch system and Quick Response System X (QRS-X) CVT. Also new for 2022, Can-Am has increased the suspension ride height and now offers a 32-inch Maxxis Carnivore tire. The 2022 Maverick X3’s frame has also been stiffened in key areas, but that’s less noticeable to the end user.
How Does the 2022 Can-Am Commander X3 Ride?
We spent an extensive amount of time traversing the desert Southwest with a 2021 Can-Am Commander X3 Max X RS Turbo RR, so to say that we’re familiar with the vehicle would be an understatement. However, we’d been geographically limited to the open deserts and were excited to take a crack at some woods riding. Unfortunately, as previously mentioned, Mother Nature had different plans for our adventure. A sloppy mud-ride is also a unique experience to us, so we buckled in for a messy good time as the rain continued to fall.
The biggest disappointment because of the rain is that we weren’t able to fully open up the throttle to experience the Maverick X3 Turbo RR’s full 200 hp. In fact, while we’d been able to get our 2021 model to over 90 mph (top speed is officially listed as limited to 85 mph), our trail ride in Georgia probably averaged just 25 mph. But we know the 5 hp is more of a bragging right than something you’d actually feel, so we’ll forgive this.
The bigger news is that Can-Am actually solved many of our biggest complaints from our time with the 2021 model. Low ground clearance proved to be a big issue in our riding, and the increased ground clearance and addition of 32-inch tires for 2022 has completely rectified this. While the 2021 Maverick X3 would frequently hit the belly skidplate on the trail, we never once managed to bottom out the 2022 model. Yes, the trails were a bit different, but it was immediately noticeable that the massive 16-inches of ground clearance would allow the Maverick X3 to drive over just about anything.
In addition to the ground clearance improvement, we also immediately noticed that the clutch engagement of the 2022 Maverick X3 Turbo RR was far and away better than we experienced with the 2021 model. Engagement of the 2021 Can-Am Maverick X3 Max X RS Turbo RR clutch was very jerky and felt at times unrefined. It’s a tough feeling to describe with words, but the clutch would chatter like a manual transmission truck’s clutch slipping, and would also clang and bang like a gearset with a very loose mesh. This always happened at low speed or when the throttle was released. Now, with the improvements for the 2022 model year Turbo RR cars, Can-Am has given this side-by-side the “instant-on” power that it deserves. Rolling into the throttle on the 2022 delivers smooth and brisk acceleration, much more akin to a performance car with an automatic transmission than the old clutch.
Aside from the big improvements for 2022, the Can-Am Maverick X3 is still an incredible joy to drive. We love the four-point retractable (shoulders) seat belts, the seats are easy to get comfortable in, and the automotive-style instrument cluster makes it easy to keep an eye one what’s happening with the machine. We also really appreciate the ability to switch between two- and four-wheel drive on the fly, which is something the competition doesn’t have. The Fox Podium shocks (2.5-inch in front and 3.0-inch bypass in the rear) with Smart-Shox technology dampen well even when traversing trails at slower speeds (we kept them in “Comfort” setting most of the trail). And the adjustable electronic power steering is a nice touch for dialing in the right amount of effort for the terrain.
All-in-all, we feel that the 2022 model is a really solid improvement for the Can-Am Maverick X3 lineup, even if Mother Nature wouldn’t let us test it to its limits.
2022 Can-Am Defender Limited
While the Maverick X3 was certainly the star of the show, Can-Am brought out another of their products for us to experience: the 2022 Can-Am Defender. Having never driven the Defender prior (we’ve been in the Maverick X3 and Commander), this was set to be quite the adventure for us. Unlike the Maverick X3, the Defender is built for work around the ranch or farm. These utility side-by-sides come in a wide variety of cab configurations, wheelbases, powertrain options, and there’s even a six-wheel drive version. Since the rain was coming down harder than it had all day at the time and we were gearing up to head out in the Defender, we opted to quickly jump into a top-of-the-line 2022 Defender Limited that was fitted with a full cab and included a heater and windshield wiper. Apologies to those who didn’t even get a roof—hopefully you’re dry by now.
The 2022 Can-Am Defender Limited that we were driving was fitted with the company’s HD10 Rotax 976cc V-twin engine, which makes 82 hp and 69 lb-ft of torque. This Defender was equipped with four-wheel drive with a front locking differential, had 10 inches of wheel travel, and was fitted with 27-inch XPS Trail Force tires. This particular model featured a payload capacity of 1,200 pounds, a bed capacity of 1,000 pounds, and an impressive 2,500-pound tow rating.
Stifled by the storm, much of our time behind the wheel of the Can-Am Defender was spent cruising along either paved or gravel roads, fighting off fogged-up windows. Before we get hate mail calling us soft, don’t worry; we tested it thoroughly and found that the full cab of the Defender Limited isn’t exactly weatherproof. This evinced itself as we throttled down into a large mud hole, sending a wave of red water over the cab and through every single seam in the cab structure, soaking us inside. It was quite amusing, to say the least (sorry about your interior, Can-Am). We finally got onto some muddy trails before calling it a day (not our choice—we would have wheeled until the UTVs turned into boats).
We really did enjoy our brief time in the 2022 Can-Am Defender Limited. The utility UTV had plenty of power to get down the road, the suspension soaked up the bumps with ease, and the electronic power steering made tight maneuvering effortless. The XPS Trail Force tires provided plenty of traction in the soupy Georgia mud, and when things got extra sticky, the front locking differential pulled us through. Our only real regret is that we didn’t get to the six-wheel-drive Defender 6×6 first.
When the Mud Dries
After a day on the trails, chasing torrential rain, slogging through deep mud, and generally having a blast, the only things that we couldn’t wash off were the smiles from our collective faces. It doesn’t matter if it’s the high-horsepower, big-wheel-travel Can-Am Maverick X3 or the utilitarian Defender, any time spent on the trail is going to be a blast. And the improvements that Can-Am has made to the lineup just makes these types of adventures even more enjoyable. Now we just need one of those Maverick X3 X RS Turbo RRs to make its way to our trailer for more, um, “testing.”
Keyword: Riding Can-Am’s 2022 Side-by-Side Lineup in the Wet Georgia Clay