Review: 2026 Polaris XPEDITION ADV 1000 Northstar

It was an ugly winter in the Northeast. Just how the XPEDITION likes it.

Have you ever stopped to consider how many ways we have to identify a side-by-side? SxS, UTV (Utility Task Vehicle), SSV (SxSVehicle), ORV (Off-Road Vehicle), ROV (Recreational Offroad Vehicle), OHV (Off Highway Vehicle)…It’s quite the bowl of alphabet soup. And even with all these labels at the ready, Polaris knew when penning up their XPEDITION that none of them would do. Thus was born a new moniker – one that pertains to the XPEDITION alone: ADV. That’s short for adventure or, if you’re especially passionate about your acronyms- ADventure Vehicle.

This is our second foray with the big ADV class machine, our first coming in the form of the 2025 1000cc Northstar Edition tested here. The first time we really didn’t know what to expect. Here was this machine that cost no less than a loaded SUV, wasn’t much smaller or lighter than one, that literally stole the show at every trail we brought it to. It was deceptively fast, injected a dose of refinement in its interior, and, did we mention got a lot of attention? People will drop what they’re doing to ogle the XPEDITION, they’ll leave their spouse talking to themselves to ask if it’s road legal, they’ll pull over on the side of the road to check it out on the trailer. We learned quickly how celebrities must feel at the Taco Bell drive thru window whenever we loaded up the ADV for a post-ride Chicken Quesadilla.

For 2026, Polaris opted not to reinvent the wheel with the XPEDITION line because, and we’re sure you’ve heard this before, don’t fix what isn’t broken. Unlike most SxS lines out there, the XPEDITION ADV options are surprisingly simplified. The XPEDITION 1000 Northstar is the whole line. What you decide is whether you want the 2-seat or 5-seat variant then you pick from one of these colorways – Slate Gray, Performance Red or Matte Super Graphite. That’s it! Well, okay, there is a bit more but that’s strictly optional. Polaris offers three specialized packages loaded with OEM accessories to further refine the ADV experience if you’re so inclined: Trail Package, Hunting Package, and Overland Package. And if none of these scratch your proverbial itch – there are a lot of accessories available for these things! Setting up your own dream package for snow or mud or camping is all a matter of mixing and matching till your credit card starts to smoke under the strain.

What’s that you say? We forgot to mention the XP XPEDITION line? Ah yes, that’s here too. The primary difference this year is that the XPs retain the open dump bed out back rather than the fully enclosed cargo box of the ADV. All XPEDITIONs come with fully enclosed, HVAC equipped cabs and boast the same engine, seating options etc.

We took delivery of a 2026 XPEDITION ADV Northstar 2 seater in Performance Red in early December right as the mercury fell out of the bottom of our thermometers. It was unseasonably cold (a high of 4°F) when we took the shake down cruise of the XPEDITION. This, ladies and gentlemen, is when an enclosed HVAC machine quickly becomes the most brilliant of all human technical achievement. We’ll try not to let this reality bias us too much in the following review but but when you see your buddies trying to thaw their frozen digits despite endless layers of gear but you’re comfortable with the heat on low and the tunes from that JBL Trail Pro 4100 audio system flow with your sip of steaming coffee inside the cab of the XPEDITION. Suddenly nothing else out there compares.

Climbing In

So what’s it like climbing into the XPEDITION 1000? It’s a little bit more in tune with what you’d expect in the Jeep or overland SUV arena. The doors are weighty, the bucket seats are deep inside the cockpit, the familiar controls (things like your RIDE COMMAND screen, power windows rockers, heating and AC controls) surround you, and the dash rises up high. You adjust your seat just like you would in a car, tilt the wheel to your angle of preference, adjust your heater vents and buckle up. The entire experience is very automotive-inspired with just a hint of savagery lingering about. You may notice the ceiling is far higher above you than in any SUV, the windshield contains a lever that allows you to push it forward and out of your way if you’d like.

Fire it up and the rumbling exhaust and requisite vibration remind you this is off-road territory here. Even the most badass road-legal overland SUVs and Jeeps always remind us that they are refined for the road first and foremost and set up for conquering the rough second. Not so with the XPEDITION. Because Polaris needs not concern themselves with the emissions, safety equipment and general neutering that goes along with DOT compliance, the ADV makes sure you realize off-roading is what it’s for and what it does. Sure, it offers some luxury and creature comforts along the way, but this platform was cut from the same cloth as the rest of Polaris’ SxS line. We were happy to be reminded of this every time we turned the key.

Blast Off

You could just drop the console-mounted lever into D and hammer the pedal but allow us to remind that you have quite a few output options right at your fingertips as well – high and low range of the PVT itself (that’s selected right there at the above mentioned lever), power delivery in Standard, Comfort or Sport mode and push button AWD with rear wheel drive options consisting of true 2WD or single-wheel VersaTrac Turf Mode.

Once you’ve decided on the best choices for the conditions, it’s go-time. Your right foot gets those 114 ponies dancing in a hurry. How you want them to perform, however, is entirely up to you and how hard you stomp that pedal. Good throttle control will net you smooth, torquey acceleration from the standstill. Continue applying smooth, even pressure and the bulk of the XPEDITION disappears in a hurry. Act like a hooligan and stomp it and prepare to send any drivewheel spinning wildly.

We have tested this 1000cc engine of Polaris’ half a dozen times in recent years across a wide variety of platforms. While it’s never a slouch for performance in any of its configurations, there is something about the XPEDITION platform and that NorthStar tuning that makes its delivery feel a bit more punchy all across the powerspread. If this means nothing to you, imagine being parked on a steep incline in this, a machine that tips the scales at close to 3,000 pounds loaded up. Lesser engines might struggle to get the machine moving upward, crawling for traction all the while up the ascent. The XPEDITION pounces into motion, regardless of how steep the terrain. If you get sloppy on the throttle, the wheels will break free and start to blast earth in all directions in the process. This a very lively engine / transmission package, one that makes even a machine as large and heavy as this one feel nimble.

Handling

So much of the overland experience centers on handling and just like with last year’s XPEDITION, we came away quite impressed with what Polaris manages to accomplish here. Machines of this caliber require a very specific state of balance if one is to extract the performance at hand successfully. Make it too stiff and yes it will corner without wallowing but it will also beat up its occupants on the trails. Make it too soft and it feels like a La-Z-Boy but leans like a lowrider with hydraulics. The real engineering feat stems from a rigid chassis coupled to active suspension.

Polaris knows how to build a chassis – just check out any of their RZRs and the trophies they manage to accumulate each season for further evidence. For the XPEDITION, Polaris opts for FOX 2.0 Podium QS3 suspension with Position-Sensitive Spiral Technology. Don’t let this intimidate – what it means in simple English is an internal piston valve is made beefy so as to absorb the big hits and hard landings but a small spiral groove is machined inside the shock body to allow fluid to pass through in both directions so as to remain active in the smaller clutter.

This is good stuff! We liked it last year too but had more of an opportunity to see what it’s capable of this time around. It allows the XPEDITION to track straight and confident across all of the sticks, rocks, divots, humps and limbs of the average east coast trail while keeping the rider level and comfortable. Slam an unseen rut, stump, root, ditch or drop and don’t worry, FOX did their homework. These shocks ramp up quickly when called upon. Plus they stiffen up during hard cornering so there is virtually no body roll to complain about here. Let us remind again we’re talking nearly 3,000 pounds of machine being pushed hard into a flat corner. These are when a spec sheet becomes so much more.

Odds and Ends

There’s a lot to talk about here because since the XPEDITION line of ADVs are all the same package, there is really no such thing as a “base model”. Ours, even with all of its bells and whistles, can be had for the starting price of $40,499. For that you’re getting:

114 HP ProStar 1000 Gen 2 Engine
Heat & Air Conditioning w/ Temperature & Zone Control
Enclosed Cab with Lockable Full Doors & Power Windows
Enclosed Rear Cargo Storage
FOX 2.0 Podium QS3 with Position-Sensitive Spiral Technology
7” Display, Powered by RIDE COMMAND & RIDE COMMAND+ Connected Technology
JBL Trail Pro 4100 Audio
Tip-Out Laminated Glass w/ Wash & Wiper
Lock & Ride MAX Cargo System
High-Clearance Dual A-Arms with Stabilizer Bars
14″ of Ground Clearance

One of the most common complaints we hear is that the XPEDITION is an expensive off-road vehicle and, while we can’t deny that, what really dispels a lot of these concerns is challenging anyone to spec out a cheaper model SxS comparatively for less. The type of goodies you’re getting here aren’t cheap and this entire line is absolutely premium as far as the SxS market goes.

Braking is competent, confident and, just like with the suspension, has a heavy work load. We never wanted for more and, given the slippery conditions we pushed this thing through, that’s saying a lot.

Ground clearance is excellent. Straddling stumps and obstructions without fear of getting hung up is a luxury an XPEDITION operator can come to relish in no time. We personally dealt with feet of snowfall in a lot of our testing and never came close to touching the frame.

That FOX suspension isn’t only fantastic, it’s fully adjustable as well – meaning if you don’t mind doing a little trial and error work with the external shock clickers, you can customize the experience to your riding style and/or conditions of choice. Unfortunately the nature of the rear upper shock mount in relation to the engine / exhaust means attempting to reach in there without heavy gloves after the machine’s been running is not a good idea. And it’s already a very cramped spot.

We sound like a broken record with every Polaris vehicle we review but RIDE COMMAND is one of those features that quietly does everything you can imagine and does it ridiculously well. The 7″ glove-touch display does everything you can fathom from onboard GPS, to instant route maps, to group ride tracking, to cellular-free communication. This system is good and it keeps getting better with every iteration. This is really saying something because every time we’ve used it in the past, we came away thinking there was nothing that could possibly need improving. Somehow Polaris keeps managing to make the best even better.

There are efforts each year to lower the cab noise in the XPEDITION and it shows. Somehow it still sounds louder than the same configurations we’ve tested where there is no sound shielding between engine and operator but at least it’s getting better each year. Plus, that JBL sound system has no trouble competing with any such noise.

The 12.5 gallon fuel tank is claimed good for 200+ miles of exploration and, while this isn’t false, it does depend heavily upon how much you’re carrying and how aggressive you’re driving. We were pushing through snow during a lot of our trail work and, not only was that more resistance, but did require frequent AWD sessions and even still netted roughly 180 miles per tank. Like everything in camp XPEDITION, if carrying extra fuel is on your to-do list, there are a myriad of mounting options and solutions at your disposal.

Conclusion

We’ll be completely honest here. Last year when we first stepped inside the XPEDITION, we almost wanted to come away unimpressed. Whenever everyone in the industry is hyping up the “next big thing”, it’s only natural to want to resist the trend. The thing is, Polaris has really come up with something that offers a unique overland riding experience; different from both other SxSs and from road-going vehicles. It’s got more refinement than most side-by-sides but more untamed bite than anything designed for the road. At first, the uniqueness of the experience may not even be overly apparent. If you’ve ever spent any time in an internal combustion engine powered HVAC equipped SxS, you have a good idea what to expect here. However, over time, you start to come to rely upon all the little attentions to detail that make the vehicle what it is – the ground clearance, the fit and trim, the responsive power delivery, the incredible suspension, the massive accessory catalog, the security of RIDE COMMAND…We joked around here that the XPEDITION kind of spoiled us last year for everything that followed but there was a kernel of truth in those japes.

Every once in a while a vehicle comes along that inspires new adventures and, in our case especially, makes us want to tour the world during some of the most inhospitable conditions imaginable. The Polaris XPEDITION is that vehicle and, while it’s true it isn’t cheap, we get the distinct feeling every other SxS we encounter once this thing goes back to Polaris is going to make us miss it all the more.

Specs

Engine & Drivetrain
Cooling
Liquid
Cylinders Displacement
999 cc
Drive System Type
On-demand true AWD/2WD/VersaTrac Turf Mode
Engine Type
ProStar 1000 4-stroke DOHC twin cylinder
Fuel System/Battery
Electronic fuel injection
Horsepower
114
Transmission/Final Drive
Automatic PVT P/R/N/L/H
Dimensions
Bed Box Dimensions (L x W x H)
36.2 x 47.25 x 13.38″ (92 x 120 x 34 cm)
Box Capacity
600 lbs. (272 kg) Bed
Estimated Dry Weight
2,374 lbs. (1,077 kg) CA 2,387 lbs. (1,083 kg)
Fuel Capacity
12.5 gal (47.3 L)
Ground Clearance
14″ (35.6 cm)
Hitch Type
Standard / 2″ receiver
Overall Vehicle Size (L x W x H)
122.5 x 64 x 74.9″
Payload Capacity
1,030 lbs. (467 kg)
Person Capacity
2
Towing Capacity
2,000 lbs. (907 kg)
Turning Radius
16.6′ (5.1m)
Wheelbase
87.5″
Brakes
Front/Rear Brakes
4-wheel hydraulic disc with dual-bore front and rear calipers
Parking Brake
Park in-transmission
Technology
Audio System
JBL Trail Pro 4100. 400-W 10″ subwoofer, (2) 45W 6″ stadium speakers, 200-W amp
Connected Vehicle Services
Free three-year subscription of RIDE COMMAND+ included with purchase of a factory installed vehicle
Rear Camera
Equipped
Security
Polaris P.A.S.S. anti-theft system
Touch Screen Display
7″ Display, powered by RIDE COMMAND and telematic unit
Wheel & Tires
Front Tires
30 x 10-15; Pro Armor Trekker
Rear Tires
30 x 11-15; Pro Armor Trekker
Tire Ply Rating
8-ply front and rear
Wheels
15″ Cast Aluminum
Suspension
Electronic Suspension Control System
Not Equipped
Front Shocks
FOX 2.0 Podium QS3 with position-sensitive spiral technology
Front Suspension
Long Travel, High Clearance Dual A-Arm with Stabilizer Bar, 14″ (35.6 cm) Travel
Rear Shocks
FOX 2.0 Podium QS3 with position-sensitive spiral technology
Rear Suspension
Long-travel, high-clearance dual A-arm with stabilizer bar, 15″ (38.1) travel
Exterior Features
Cargo System
Lock & Ride MAX
Door Type
Full power-window doors standard
Vehicle Protection
Front bull bumper, full-coverage skid plate
Winch
POLARIS HD 4500 LB Winch w/ Rope, Rubber stopper and Aluminum Fairlead, Auto Stop & Plow Mode
Lighting & Electrical
Electrical System
140a alternator charging system
Lighting
LED headlight with accent and LED taillights
Comfort & Convenience
Cab Components
Enclosed cab and cargo box, ProFit sport roof, convex rearview mirror
Driver Instrumentation
Driver forward information center with 4″ color display, rotary speedometer and tachometers, and center dash
Electronic Power Steering
High-output EPS
Heat and/or Air Conditioning
Heat and air conditioning with temperature and zone control
Ride Control
Not equipped
Seat Type
Bolstered bucket seats with driver seat slider
Speed Limiting
Not equipped
Steering
Tilt & telescoping

More Information