Unfortunately the mid size Rancher doesn't exist anymore, they're all the same size now. I had a Wolverine 450 before and it was even smaller than the Grizzly 450. If Yamaha had kept it in the lineup and put a bigger engine like the 550 in it, they'd still be selling it. It was very nimble and torquey, just lacked any punch on the top end. Putting the 550 engine in it would have made it much more sporty and it still could have been very light and compact. Yamaha just gave up on it I think, only to rehash the name in the new side by side. But yes I do agree that the mid-sized utility quads do definitely have their advantages. Most notably the price, that's the big selling point. Not everyone wants to spend even $7000 to get a new 4x4 utility. $5000 sounds a lot better. That's honestly how much a 450 class 4x4 utility should cost in my opinion.

 

Most of the 2016 models are new or greatly revised. I would guess the rest of the models will be released later and have seen no revisions this year. I would love to see a smaller, sporty 4x4 in the lineup. The big bore flagship models are great, but a lot of riders can make do with much less. Plus Yamaha needs a bigger twin to compete with the domestic makes.

 

Yes, I think that must be the case, they simply haven't released the rest of their models yet. If Yamaha were to revive the Wolverine atv platform, I think its a machine that would sell. I guess they would have to call it something else now since they used the name for the new side by side. Id simply call it the Yamaha Sport 4x4. I'd take the Grizzly 350 chassis and find a way to fit the 550 engine in it. I'd even keep the solid rear axle to keep the weight down. Eliminate the front rack and put a smaller rear rack on it, similar to the one on the new Polaris Scrambler. No need for a low range in the transmission either or diff-lock. Basically similar to the old Wolverine 450 but with a bit more power. Keep the weight to 550 lbs dry weight or less, hense the reason for no low range, irs or diff-lock. Give it a bit more aggressive clutching in the cvt to enhance the sporty performance. If they built it, people would buy it. Price it competitively or even less than the Renegade 500 and Yamaha would have a winner.