2022 Polaris Sportsman 570 Ultimate Trail LE Review

The mighty midsize Sportsman.

So you’ve decided a Sportsman from Polaris is the right ATV for you. You’re looking for a nice balance of performance with utility potential, an automatic CVT transmission, do-it-all attitude and rugged styling.

The first major decision comes in the form of engine selection. For 2022 Polaris offers four choices: 450, 570, 850 and 1000cc. Now if we were to ask you which of these you thought was the best selling, would you guess it was the 570 tested here? Not only is it the best selling of the Sportsman line, it’s most popular automatic 4×4 ATV in the world. Now we don’t know about you but when we hear stats like that, we simply must dig deeper to determine why this is. Keep in mind your ATV Connection editors have tested every single one of these engine packages going into this review. To say we know our way around this machine is the understatement of the century.

We took delivery of a brand new 2022 Sportsman 570 Ultimate Trail LE in Orange Madness motif. A unit identical to ours would set you back $10,399. Remember, though, the Ultimate trim, Limited Edition includes many bells and whistles. The Sportsman 570 starts at $7,499 and Polaris offers no less than 9 configurations from which to choose this year. In short, finding the 570 that’s right for your needs is just a matter of going to their official site and selecting the right package and color that speaks to you.

Spec Story

So what makes the Ultimate Trail LE unique on the line? You get all of the standard 570 goodness like the 44-horsepower fuel injected 567cc ProStar 4-Stroke DOHC single cylinder engine, one touch On-Demand AWD/2WD, 48” wide footprint, and electric start (with 340CCA battery). In addition you’re getting 14” cast aluminum wheels, 26” Duro Power Grip 6-ply tires, Polaris HD 2,500-lb factory winch, Ride Control, Engine Braking System (EBS), orange plastics and painted springs.

All told the Sportsman 570 weighs 705 pounds.

Mounting Up

There is a familiarity when climbing into the saddle of a Polaris Sportsman, regardless of chassis or trim. If you haven’t had the experience, allow us to try and articulate it. The cockpit is roomy, with a comfortable saddle that narrows more than you’d expect as it mates up with the tank. The footwells are deep and well-enclosed and the reach to the bars is neutral and relaxed. The view is commanding and while none of the machines on the line feel particularly small or flickable, neither are they bulky or intimidating.

The machine barks to life with those 340 cold cranking amps – and we test these things in the heart of NY winter. If they were going to give cold weather starting fits, they’d be doing it on our watch. While the twin cylinder 850 and 1000cc models provide the type of starting thump that can be felt right through the chassis, the 570 is smooth, steady and hints of fun.

Like all Polaris Sportsman, selecting the gear of choice is accomplished via a right-side lever that offers both a high and low forward range as well as reverse. We spent a majority of our testing in 2WD high range (for maximum fuel efficiency) but also go to explore the depths of the machine’s capabilities in the snow.

Blast Off

Once you have your gear selected and how you want the power distributed to the wheels (AWD means you aren’t wasting fuel when its engaged, rather the computer sends the power to the wheels in need), taking off is just a matter of stabbing the right-bar-mounted thumb throttle.

The 570 is surprisingly zippy in action. Having been spoiled by the bigger bore entries of the line of late (we had just returned the Sportsman 1000 XP prior to testing the 570), we were expecting the performance deficit to be alarmingly apparent. Thankfully, that didn’t prove the case. The 570, like every Sportsman we’ve tested to date, is a very competent accelerator, building power after a slight spooling sensation and applying it to the ground in linear fashion. While the biggest entries of the line usually result in you running out of real estate long before running out of steam, the 570 is never feels out of control, even if you’re generous with the throttle.

The beauty of the modern CVT is that where speed is concerned, these machines are allowed to build and build – the gear ratio changing on the fly to compensate for the RPMs being generated. The days of hitting a rev limiter and simply falling off the power are long gone, thankfully.

The 570 is perhaps most comfortable in the woods where switchbacks and elevation changes allow its nimble handling and metered power delivery to shine. It wouldn’t be us, though, if we didn’t really test the limits. Our winters are rough and ugly, allowing us plenty of opportunity to push the Sportsman 570 through deep snow, over crunchy frozen rain, across icy frozen ponds and among the muck that results when all of it starts to melt. How did it perform? Impressively.

Again AWD is a set-it-and-forget-it affair. You flip that switch and need not devote another single brain cell to wondering if you’re venturing outside of the machine’s comfort zone. It’s a really reassuring feeling when we’d transition into a deep snow-drifted field and the tires would just keep on turning without hesitation until we reached the far side.

For particularly sticky mud or water crossings, we simply used the gear select lever to drop the range down to low and let AWD continue to do its thing. We do tend to appreciate the mental security of having the option to lock the front differential if so desired (a feature absent here), we’ll be the first to admit that the included factory winch more than makes up for any insecurities encountered. It would be no exaggeration to say that getting used to the security blanket that is a winch is so legit that now we feel naked whenever we step a leg over any machine without one!

Handling

We are subscribers to the theory that the best performing engine in the world is all but useless without the handling prowess to make use of its output. It’s here that Polaris manages to shine. The Sportsman chassis is rigid and its strong. What this means in the real world is that it doesn’t lean or drift on you, even when the speeds start to increase.

Rather than flex or wiggle below you, the Sportsman 570 never feels any less stable than at a complete standstill in motion – and the value of its quality suspension is suddenly revealed.

Up front you’ll find a sealed MacPherson strut good for 8.2 inches of travel and out back dual A-arms (fully independent rear suspension, IRS) offering up 9.5 inches of travel.

It’s not quite supple in action but the suspension here is long-travel and offers a damping curve designed to pick up small trail clutter with ease but then to ramp up in a hurry should you take a square-edge hit or managed to get all four wheels off the ground.

In short the ground clearance is very welcome in the woods and the suspension is confidence-inspiring enough to make hard charging through most any conditions a non-affair.

Odds and Ends

Like every Sportsman on the line, braking is a single-lever affair (3 wheel hydraulic disc) – with the option of just activating the rear via the right-side foot pedal at the rider’s disposal as well. All of these machines brake exceptionally well and, love it or hate it, Polaris’s EBS (engine braking system) really does make panic braking when a tight corner comes up unexpectedly a thing of the past.

It’s also very useful on descents, when freewheeling with gravity would leave all deceleration duty to the brakes alone. We’ve come to really appreciate the EBS on the bigger bore machines and it works just as well on the midsize 570.

We’ve become pretty spoiled with Polaris’s fantastic electronic power steering (EPS) – a feature that makes deep snow riding far less exhausting. Ride control offers a trio of settings designed to alter how much or how little assist the rider wants in terms of throttle resistance.

Lastly the Duro tires are about as well spec’ed a tire as we’ve encountered. They are a bit noisy and bumpy on hardpack but claw their way through just about any other condition the planet has to offer without complaint.

Conclusion

After spending a few months with the Polaris Sportsman 570 Ultimate Trail LE we can honestly say why this is the best selling 4×4 machine in the world. It’s strong, sturdy, able to work all day, is a blast on the trails and doesn’t break the bank.

Best of all most of its functions are set-and-forget simple. We can certainly appreciate a machine that is always ready to go and lets its rider focus on the terrain ahead, the ATV ahead or just enjoy the scenery. This is as much a mode of transportation as it is an all-day companion – and when you’re miles from civilization, that can be everything.

Specs

Engine & Drivetrain
Cooling Liquid
Cylinders Displacement 567cc
Drive System Type One Touch On-Demand AWD/2WD
Engine Braking System (EBS)
Engine Type ProStar 4-Stroke DOHC Single Cylinder
Fuel System/Battery Electronic Fuel Injection / 340 CCA
Horsepower4 4 HP
Transmission/Final Drive Automatic PVT P/R/N/L/H In-line Shifting

Dimensions
Estimated Dry Weight 705 lb (319.8 kg)
Front/Rear Rack 90 lb /180 lb (40.8 kg /81.6 kg)
Fuel Capacity 4.5 gal (17.0 L)
Ground Clearance 11.5 in (29 cm)
Overall Vehicle Size (L x W x H) 83 x 48 x 47 in (210.8 x 121.9 x 119.4 cm)
Payload Capacity 485 lb (220 kg)
Person Capacity 1
Seat Height 33.75 in (85.7 cm)
Wheelbase 50.5 in (128.3 cm)

Brakes
Front/Rear Brakes Single Lever 3-Wheel Hydraulic Disc with Hydraulic Rear Foot Brake
Parking Brake Park In-Transmission / Lockable Hand Lever

Specifications
Cargo System Lock & Ride Compatible 5 Gal (18.9L) Front Dry Storage
Front Suspension Sealed MacPherson Strut With 8.2 in (20.8 cm) Travel
Rear Suspension Sealed Dual A-Arm, IRS 9.5 in (24.1 cm) Travel
Hitch Towing Rating 1,350 lb (612 kg)
Hitch Type Standard 1.25 in (3.2 cm) Receiver
Instrumentation All Digital Gauge, Speedometer, Odometer, Tachometer, Two Tripmeters, Hour Meter, Gear Indicator, Fuel Gauge, AWD Indicator, Volt Meter, Coolant Temperature, Hi-Temp Light
Lighting Halogen Pod & Bumper Lights, Triple 50w High Beams, Dual 50w Low Beams, Single LED Brake Light/Taillight

Other Standard Features
Front Rack Extender, 12 Volt Power Plug, Pre-Wired for Hand & Thumb Warmers, In Pod Battery Charger, Winch

Tires / Wheels
Front Tires 25×8-12 P373; 6 PLY
Rear Tires 25×10-12 P373; 6 PLY
Wheels Aluminum

More Information
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