Can-Am Defender HD10 Limited raises the bar

A prime attraction at AgQuip 2023’s Can-Am display was its new flagship UTV, the Can-Am Defender HD10 Limited.

Described by Can-Am Asia Pacific’s Mick Andrewartha as “the boss’s machine”, the new model boasts the capability and rugged construction of the brand’s regular 976cc V-twin Rotax-powered models, but raises the bar in terms of comfort, refinement, and even luxury.

The Limited has the same 1134kg tow rating as its litre-class stablemates and it will comfortably lug up to 454kg in the rear tipper tray, while its 30-inch eight-ply tyres afford incredible traction while delivering impressive ground clearance. However, this UTV stands apart for other reasons.

“The cab is what it’s all about,” says Mick. “It’s got the tip-up glass windscreen and the full doors with the glass power windows. It’s designed to keep the dust out and to keep it nice and quiet and comfortable inside.”

Add in a full HVAC (heating, venting, air-conditioning) system and while outside it may be swelteringly hot and dusty, the operator is cosseted in a cool and clean environment inside, which ultimately spells less fatigue and greater productivity and safety.

Retailing from $42,029, the Can-Am Defender HD10 Limited also commands premium pricing, but Mick says it’s important to bear in mind just what this vehicle is capable of.

“Some people will say, ‘Oh, for the sort of dollars you pay for one of our high-end machines you could potentially go out and buy a second-hand ute’,” he says.

“But they’re just not going to do the same job. These vehicles are so light they can get into the very heavy, very wet paddocks and get through there with no problem at all. If they do get stuck, they’re easy to get out. They're super easy to clean and very cheap to maintain. We’ve got a 200-hour service interval on these machines now and on the whole Defender range, which is double the industry norm.

“They’re engineered to be driven for a long, long period of time without having to have too much maintenance at all. And if you do have to do maintenance, they’re very, very easy to work on.”

According to Can-Am, another strength of the Defender range is its ability to easily handle a mix of both fast and slow work, thanks to the Can-Am CVT Belt Drive transmission. The Can-Am Defender HD10 Limited can operate at speeds of up to 110km/h, making light work of zipping from one paddock to another or, say, overtaking a logging truck or tractor on a dirt road.

On the flip side, it’s equally adept at bringing in the sheep or cattle, negotiating technical terrain or any other instance where slow speeds and pinpoint precision come to the fore, with the Limited happy to crawl along at walking pace or under.

“You can creep along nice and slow behind stock without the machine getting hot and without running into the machine stalling or dropping out of the clutch,” says Mick. “It’s a really good setup – they do slow just as well as they do fast.”

Safety, too, is at the forefront of the Can-Am Defender range. This Limited model boasts a full ROPS-approved roll cage and door nets as standard, while speed is limited to 20km/h if the driver isn’t wearing their seat belt.

Can-Am’s optional DESS (Digitally Encoded Security System) feature provides three different speed keys that limit the vehicle’s top speed, providing an extra layer of safety for operators of varying levels of experience and allowing owners to tailor the UTV’s performance for certain applications or conditions.

And in a market that has been plagued with stock availability issues since the pandemic, Can-Am says it has healthy stock levels across its range.

“A lot of manufacturers are struggling to get side-by-sides at the moment after COVID,” says Mick. “But we’re in a very fortunate situation now that we’ve got back to the situation where stock is available for all dealers. So whatever model you’re looking at, the biggest wait you’re going to have is maybe a couple of months.”

And for those who need even more people-carrying capacity, the Defender HD10 Limited will be joined next year by the new six-seater 2024 Can-Am Defender HD10 Limited MAX.

For more information on the Can-Am Defender HD10 Limited see your nearest Can-Am dealer.