2024 Kubota Sidekick Unveiled

You can tell Kubota’s RTV-XG650 Sidekick is the racy model in the lineup because it’s not orange, and one of the taglines for it is, “Durability means speed.” Then you find out “speed” means 40 mph, and you remember Big Orange clocks into work for double overtime, not a good time. The 2024 Sidekick brings a bit more joy with it, though, thanks to a horsepower bump from 48 ponies to 54 ponies.

Torque stands at 48 lb.-ft., Kubota calling that “about 6 percent increase from the previous engine.” Doing the math finds the former number was around 45 lb.-ft., something we’ll have to take the company’s word on because Kubota didn’t give a torque spec before.

The red-meat specs hold steady at up to 1,000 pounds of payload in the steel cargo bed, and towing capability of 1,500 uphill and 2,000 pounds on the flats. Moving all that weight will be a touch easier thanks to the boosted engine output, whether or not it feels that way through the Sidekick’s upright, flat, plastic bench seat.

A real potential boon we want to test is the redesigned throttle linkage. We found it difficult to be smooth with the throttle on the 2022 Sidekick we previewed and then put to work on the back 20. The company said it also took measures to cut down on noise and vibration, one of those subtle yet vital improvements to ease the fatigue of a long workday.

Kubota says the 2024 Sidekick sports a new steering wheel, shift knob, and “smart new meter panel.” Get a trim above the base model and that wheel comes with tilt adjustability. Truth be told, outside of the aforementioned changes, the 2024 Sidekick appears to be carryover from the refreshed 2022 model. There wasn’t really anything that needed fixing, though, beyond the throttle; the Sidekick’s controls are plain, but functional and fine, and you’ll clock out before it does.

Kubota hasn’t priced the 2024 model yet. There are still 48-hp 2022 Sidekicks on sale on Kubota’s site at the time of writing, those starting at $14,499. The 54-hp 2023 model starts at $14,699. Every Sidekick comes with a two-year, 1,000-mile warranty.

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