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Can-Am Just Built Its 500,000th Defender

The Defender is one of the most successful side-by-sides in history.

Updated: 3 hours ago

Can-Am has made almost as many variations of the Defender as they have individual Defenders.Justin W. Coffey

Can-Am met a crazy milestone for a side-by-side manufacturer last month when the company built its 500,000th Defender at its plant in Juárez, Mexico. The Defender was introduced in 2015 as a 2016 model year utility rig, and it has consistently been one of the most popular UTVs on sale since. Hell, UTV Driver has owned two of them in the last three years.

We’ve had a raft of Defenders through our shop over the last three years, and have had a good experience with all of them.Kevan Ray

Carmakers hit 500,000 units routinely, but for a side-by-side manufacturer to hit that figure is a serious feat. Even now, UTVs are a niche product, and they are by no means a regular household item. But it’s easy to see why the Defender has hit the mark.

First of all, Can-Am makes an array of variations of the Defender. There are bare-bones, stripped-down pure utility models that come in south of $20,000, and there are fully decked-out versions with enclosed cabs, power windows, and HVAC.

Can-Am isn’t showing any signs of slowing down Defender production, so here’s to another 500,000.Justin W. Coffey

And no matter which one you buy, every Defender is a super-capable, reliable, and rugged little pack mule. Even the most luxurious Defender is a workhorse at heart. So it’s an impressive feat, but not entirely surprising, given how good the machine is. Can-Am is showing no signs of slowing down with the Defender, so we fully expect another 500,000 to come off the line before all is said and done.

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