We Build a Better Polaris General

Ironically, the biggest problem with the 2025 Polaris General is also the loudest argument for how good it is. The problem? It’s old. Surrounded by a bunch of upstart newcomers like the Polaris Xpedition and Ranger XD 1500, it’s a relic of simpler times. Its last substantive update came in 2019, when Polaris added the XP 1000 to the General lineup.

But its age means it’s a really good machine; Polaris hasn’t had to mess with the General to keep it current. It was introduced in 2016 as the General 1000, and Polaris added the General XP 1000 in 2019. Neither has changed materially since it was launched. It’s a fun, capable, reliable, and rugged platform that tackles anything from hustling along flowy two-tracks to backwoods camping trips to solid rock-crawling sessions.

But since the General is older than Methuselah’s house cat, and Polaris makes a bunch of more modern (and expensive) rigs that do what the General does, it’s time for an update. And since we’ve already reviewed the General several times, let’s talk about what we’d like to see in the next General.

Full disclosure: We have no idea when an updated General might break cover. But we think it’s still worth looking at what should be next for Polaris’ plucky little rec-ute. We’ll break down our wish list into the areas we think need the most improvement.

Stepping into a General is like stepping into side-by-sides’ past. The plastics are cheap, the surfaces rough, and the fit and finish is marginal. When it came out, this was in line with the rest of the market. Interiors were rugged and easy to clean first, comfortable and luxurious second. The seats are good, but the rest of the cabin looks and feels cheap and old.

Whenever Polaris updates the General, we’d love to see the seats, dashboard, and storage cubbies from the Xpedition. The Xped is a step up in terms of ergonomic layout, comfort, storage, and materials, but still rugged and easy to hose out after a long drive in gross conditions. The stereo and Ride Command from the Xped wouldn’t hurt either.

And that’s it. For us, the General makes sense as an entry-level analog to the Xpedition. Polaris doesn’t sell an open-cab Xpedition this year, so if you want to go overlanding for less than $40,000, the General is the solution. We think it should stay that way for the next-generation General, so leaving out the enclosed cab is just fine.

The General actually rides on a pretty solid chassis, but driven back to back with an Xpedition, RZR XP, or Ranger XD 1500, it’s clear an update is due. Comparatively, the General has nervous handling, and feels less stable over uneven ground. It smooths out when you pick up the pace, but it’s still overmatched against the newer machines.

Since the General is a rec-ute UTV, we’d love to see the Fox suspension from the latest RZR XP replace the now-dated Walker Evans shocks. For the frame itself, a combination of the Xpedition’s stiffness and load-carrying capacity with the RZR XP’s confident, flickable handling would be perfect. Think either a nimbler Xped or a stouter RZR and you’re there.

And, if Polaris is feeling generous, why not chuck a version of its excellent Dynamix DV electronic suspension at the updated General? It wouldn’t be cheap, but a General XP 1000 Ultimate with a quick-handling chassis and electronic suspension would be damn hard to argue with

This one is pretty simple.

The 100-hp ProStar parallel twin is the General’s best feature. It revs quickly, has lots of power in the low- and midrange, and is perfectly matched to the chassis. The 114-hp ProStar II parallel twin that Polaris uses in the RZR XP and the Xpedition has the same playfulness, but feels a bit more refined and powerful. Chuck it in the new General and call it good.

As for the transmission, we think there are two options. The first is the nuclear option; give the General the steel-belt CVT from the Ranger XD 1500 and tune it for performance rather than work. It’s easily the best transmission and shifter in Polaris’ current lineup, and we want to see it in more machines.

Realistically, that’s not the most cost-effective option. With that in mind, the CVT from the RZR XP combined with updated shifter cables from the 2025 RZR Pro R will do just fine. The latest Pro R got updated cables that cured our age-old gripe about Polaris’ clunky and inaccurate shifters. Get that in the General and we will shut up about it. For a little while, anyway.

The General, especially in four-door form, is already a pretty handy rig, especially if you’re camping or hauling recreation gear. The bed is really too small to make it a truly effective utility rig, but it’s handy for a tent and kitchen setup.

For the updated General, we’d like to see the two-door chassis lengthened some to accommodate a small, flat storage floor behind the front seats. Think the rear-seat storage area in the Xpedition, complete with tie-downs, but miniaturized. Plus, maybe give it the bed from the XD 1500 for more cargo space, and leave the 2-inch trailer hitch receiver in place.

For four-door Generals, pull in the same rear-seat storage floor that the Xpedition gets, and keep the XD 1500′s cargo bed.

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