The latest utility terrain vehicle (UTV) from Japanese manufacturer Kubota has arrived in the UK and Irish markets. The new diesel Kubota RTV-X900 will ultimately replace the diesel RTV900, which has been on the market for well over a decade. Both are built at Kubota’s manufacturing facility in the USA.

The RTV-X900 was launched to both dealers and press over the last few weeks. It looks very similar to the old models at first glance but according to Tim Yates from Kubota UK, the only thing it has in common with the old model is the engine. The engine in the RTV-X900 is Kubota’s own D902, a 21.6hp, 898cc, three-cylinder liquid-cooled unit.

Kubota is perhaps the only manufacturer to use a hydrostatic transmission in a UTV. The vast majority of other manufacturers use a belt-based CVT unit, with the exception of Honda which uses a transmission derived from its auto sector.

The RTV-X900 also has a new hydrostatic transmission, Kubota’s VHT-X unit. According to the firm, “it offers a wider torque band and large coolers to boost performance and durability”.

The new unit has two forward speeds and one reverse. The transmission used in Kubota’s outgoing RTV900 is a three-speed unit plus reverse.

The engine and transmission sit into a new chassis with new suspension. Gone is the rigid back axle with leaf-spring suspension. In its place is independent, double-wishbone suspension on all four corners.

Springs and shock absorbers are combined in single McPherson struts at each corner. According to Kubota UK, these provide around 20cm of suspension travel.

Suspension comfort and height can be manually adjusted on each to suit the terrain or load. There are five settings in total. An anti-roll bar has also been added to the rear axle to aid comfort levels.

The new suspension system on the Kubota RTV-X900 considerably increases its ground clearance in comparison with the outgoing model. Ground clearance on the new machine is quoted at 260mm, around 65mm more than the previous model.

Drive shafts are now auto-style, with rubber boots sealing the constant velocity joints, as opposed to open universal joints.

Load capacity remains at 500kg. Towing capacity has been doubled to 1,000kg, which is considerable for such a machine.

There were numerous roll cage and cab options available on the RTV900. These included Kubota-made options from the roll-over protection system (ROPS) frame, right through to full cab options, plus the option of a full cab from Austrian firm Mauser.

If a Mauser cab was specified by the customer, the Kubota ROPS frame had to be removed and the Mauser cab installed. This was not a cost-effective system.

This has been simplified on the RTV-X900, with Kubota UK opting for an all-Mauser solution. The RTV-X900 arrives from the USA without any ROPS frame or cab.

Base specification RTV-X900s are fitted with a Mauser ROPS frame and canopy. There are three options to build up to a fully enclosed cab. Step one adds an opening front windscreen and wiper. Step two adds doors (plus step one), while step three is the fully kitted-out cab, which includes a heater, sun visor and position to install a radio. Aside from the Mauser frame to cab options, cosmetically, the RTV-X900 is quite different from the older machine. A full-width auto-style bonnet incorporates headlights.

Raising the bonnet reveals that the air filter and radiator have been relocated to here. On the RTV900, the air filter was positioned on the outside of the chassis under the load bed, while the radiator was under the driver’s seat and vulnerable to debris from the front wheels.

The new radiator is 20% bigger, according to Kubota, and provides easier access to clean. The air filter has not just been relocated, but is also positioned much higher and in a safer place.

In the cab itself, there is a new layout. Gone are the analogue gauges, replaced instead by a digital dash. Gear selection is simpler, with a straight slot, and the handbrake is also now mounted on the dash.

Seating arrangements are a single seat for the driver and a double seat for two passengers. Homologated versions get road lighting.

On fully cabbed versions, noise levels at the driver’s ear have been reduced by 2dB, according to Kubota – from 85dB to 83dB.

Standard features include a hydraulically tipping load bed. An external double-acting hydraulic service is also available. In addition to cab options, there is a camouflage option, road-legal version plus various tyre and implement options. Pricing is expected to be around £12,600 to £13,000 plus vat (€16,000 to €16,500 at current exchange rate).

Driving

At the launch of the Kubota RTV-X900, the Irish Farmers Journal had an opportunity to drive it around a four-wheel-drive track. Like all UTVs, it was left-hand drive, which not an issue for most users.

The track featured some steep hills and muddy terrain. The low gear was selected for this task.

Immediately noticeable was the responsiveness of the new transmission.

The transmission on the RTV900 was a little sluggish in comparison with the new VHT-X.

According to Kubota UK, this can be attributed to the design of the new unit, which has a single pump and a single motor, whereas the old unit had two pumps and two motors.

Considering the engines are identical on old and new generation UTVs, performance was nicely different, far more lively. The hydrostatic design of the new transmission is ideal for UTVs. Lift your foot off the throttle and it will come to a stop. This is the case regardless of whether you are on the flat or on a hill. This feature is very useful if your farm is hilly.

When the going got tough, you could lock up the rear axle differential by operating a pedal at your left heel. The front axle features a limited slip differential as standard. Steering is hydraulic, so is very light and doesn’t snatch over rough terrain.

The extra ground clearance and supple suspension was also an asset while navigating the track.

The suspension provided a much higher level of comfort for the operator around the course, in comparison with the old model, which Kubota also had at its launch.

I would prefer the analogue gauges of the older RTV900 – they are always easier to pick out and see. The jury is out on the dash-mounted handbrake – a nice idea, but I’m not sure if it is as easy to operate as the conventional handbrake on the RTV900.

Overall though, a big thumbs up for the new Kubota RTV-X900.