Driven: Can-Am Maverick R Max X-RS Doubles the Fun
First glance: Is this thing really not an alien spacecraft?
When I first saw the 2025 Can-Am Maverick R Max X-RS parked at the test drive site, to be honest, I was stunned for a few seconds. The front design of the car is like a machine that slipped out of the set of "Crazy Max"-sharp LED lights, huge air intakes, and the ridiculously exaggerated wide-body wheel arch. You can even feel it roaring at you: "Come on, come and behave in the mud!" To be honest, I was a little scared by its momentum, but more of a "can't wait to sit in" excitement. The attitude of this car is wider and lower than that of the ordinary Maverick R, and the wheelbase is obviously lengthened, giving the visual sense of "flying close to the ground". Of course, what really makes my heart beat faster is the 900cc three-cylinder turbocharged engine behind it, which is said to be capable of exploding more than 200 horsepower-at this level, it is basically a monster.
In the cockpit: Two seats? No, it's a carnival for four people
The moment I got into the cockpit, the first thing I noticed was the meaning of the suffix "R Max": double rows of seats! That's right, it is no longer the "lone ranger" who can only bring one co-pilot, but can drag three best friends together to go crazy. The rear space is more reasonable than I imagined-I am 1.78 meters tall and sit in, and my knees are more than a punch away from the front seat, and the wrapping nature of the seat is not compromised. The center console is a 10.25-inch touch screen that responds as quickly as an off-road vehicle should have. But what surprised me most was its storage design-door panels, central armrest, under the seats... there was space filled with snacks and tools everywhere. Wait, can the air conditioner outlet adjust the direction? This is even more considerate than my city SUV! But don't be fooled by this "exquisiteness"-the entire compartment is made of waterproof material and non-slip rubber, and there are drainage plugs on the floor, which means you can directly flush the interior with water pipes. Well, this is the real "hard-core luxury".
The moment I stepped on the accelerator, I almost laughed out loud
Ignition, the 900cc three-cylinder turbine emits a metallic roar, not as deep as the V8, but sharper and more aggressive. Put in gear, release the brake, and go down the accelerator-my back was pressed directly into the seat back. What is the concept of more than 200 horsepower driving a UTV of less than 800 kilograms? It takes about 4 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 96km/h (official data does not say, but the body feeling is definitely at this level). What's even more terrifying is its gearbox-a 7-speed dual clutch, which changes gears as fast as a skip cut in a movie clip. Every upshift will make the engine howl to 7000 rpm, and then "click" into the next gear. I tried to keep floor oil on a straight road for a few seconds, and the speedometer jumped directly over 120km/h. At this time, the body was as stable as it was on the track, not like a car with a chassis as high as it. Okay, I admit I laughed-the smirk, like the look I had when I first rode a motorcycle when I was a kid.
Hanging: Dance in bumps instead of head-on
What really made my jaw fall off was its hanging performance. The X-RS version is equipped with Fox 3.0 Live Valve X2 smart shock absorbers, with front and rear strokes exceeding 50 centimeters each. What does it mean? I deliberately drove across a washboard road covered with fist-sized stones. At normal speed, there was only a slight shake from the steering wheel, and there was almost no shake from the car body due to bumps. What's even more amazing is that it can actively harden when cornering at high speed-I tried to cross a right-angle corner at 60km/h, the body roll was amazingly small, and four 33-inch Maxxis Bighorn tires were biting the ground. This suspension is like a magical brain: it knows when to be soft as cotton and when to be hard as steel plate. If you switch the mode to "Baja" mode (yes, this mode really exists), the whole car will instantly become cranky-the throttle response becomes neurotic, and the shock absorbers will predict the road conditions in advance. I even started drifting on a dirt road, reversing the direction, refueling, and maintaining the angle-the sense of balance between losing control and being controllable can only be described as "addictive".
Price? It's ridiculously expensive... but do you think it's worth it?
Back to reality: The starting price of this Maverick R Max X-RS is about US$40,000. If you have a top-of-the-line option, you can easily go for 50,000. At this price, you can already buy a brand new Jeep Wrangler or a second-hand Porsche Cayenne. But-pay attention to this but-can the Wrangler and Cayenne take you deep into the swamp, jump on the sand dunes, roll around like a pig in the mud? Only this Can-Am can do it. It's not made for commuting, it's just for the pure, guilt-free joy of cross-country. Although its fuel consumption will make you cry (measured at about 17 liters per 100 kilometers), although its noise will make neighbors hate you, although it does not have any active safety system (except a four-point seat belt)... when you hold the steering wheel and look at the dancing smiling faces of three friends in the rearview mirror, you know that the money is worth it. If you really plan to buy it, I suggest getting the X-RS version in one step. Don't ask why, it means "Double Happiness".
