High elevation definitely robs power. You'd probably want at least a 700cc machine preferably a v-twin to combat that.

 

but with so much competition, I foresee a possible "bubble".

 

I hear ya...if I had the Rocky mountains in my backyard you bet I would have a 1000 cc machine, but for the hills I have....my 450 is more than enough. Went to H/M in W. Virgina a few years back with my Praire 300, many said it would be a problem....wasn't a hill I couldn't climb!! Mabey not the fastest but made everyone of them without a problem. Besides that I just can't see myself going up a hill at high speed with a 200 ft drop less than 5' off the trail, and yes they have many there.

 

I think its more the altitude than the hills themselves. Efi will compensate a bit for altitude but it still sucks some power out of it. I've heard as much as 30% at about 10,000 feet. The Kymco 450 seems to have the best power of engines of similar displacement. The 475cc Foreman engine in the Honda Pioneer 500 has quite a bit less for example. The Yamaha 450 that was in the Kodiak, Wolverine and Rhino has less too. The Kymco 450 is probably right about on par with the Polaris 500 efi. The 450cc engine in the Can-Am Outlander L is probably the only engine of that displacement that has more power.

 

Kymco is a Taiwanese company, not Chinese and they make some pretty decent stuff BUT they have absolutely nothing on the Japanese, Americans or Canadians in terms of overall engineering. I think alot of it has to do with the time that the others have had skin in the game paired with the fact that most of the engineers and designers in Taiwan have never even rode a quad in their lives. The exact opposite is true in the other countries.

For instance, Taiwanese Motor Companies build very reliable products but there are always glaring low points which ALMOST make you think it IS chinese. For instance, every Taiwanese Vehicle I've ever drove or rode has handled like a pile of bricks and suspension calibrations are all over the place. Ergonomics are usually wacky and The quality of the fit and finish is almost always of a lower grade than the competition and wear parts such as brake pads, belts, tie rods,bearings and gaskets usually have a shorter life. Generalizing? Of course! But for the most part, these stereotypes hold true!

As a Taiwanese American, I know my native country has come a long way, but they still have a little ways to go before I buy one.

 

When I was on vacation back in 2004 we drove over the Rocky Mountains. I had a GMC Sierra 2500 HD with the 6.0 liter gas engine. Going over the pass it felt more like a 6 cylinder. It was somewhere around 10,000 ft.

 

On my trip to Utah last year there was twice when my truck stayed a gear lower and wouldn't upshift even though I really wasn't going uphill or anything that should have made it that way, but now maybe I know why.

 

I subscribe to a channel on Youtube called The Fast Lane Truck and they test new trucks out in Colorado on the Eisenhower Turnpike, claimed to be steepest section of interstate highway in the U.S. and at around 10,000 ft elevation and up to a 7% grade. Probably the toughest towing test any truck will ever have. As far as light duty 1/2 trucks go, the Ford F-150 with the ecoboost V6 usually outperforms the rest because the turbocharged engine combats the altitude better than the naturally aspirated V8's the others have. It doesn't lose as much power at altitude.

 

Asaran...I would highly recommend taking another look at the Kymco lineup.
Here you will find some of the best build quality and design on todays market. As an older gent I am not afraid to take my time and do research and as a toolmaker for more than 40 years I understand build quality and engineering design. I researched for more than 6 months the availiable UTV's in my budget range, including most all the major brands sold. I even went to the dealers and test rode and crawled under, around and thru, even went into service areas to see inside machines they were working on. I even went to each manufacturers web forum to review what others had to say about different brands. I did not find one negative comment about the Kymco brand from people that actually rode or tried one personally. Many negative comments from people that just assumed that being made in Taiwan made them crap, but no real world experience. Having done all my research with an open mind I did choose the Kymco brand and will gladly do a side x side comparison to any other brand of UTV in its price range for build quality, riding comfort, fit and finnish. It also produces the best performance and HP rating of any 450 cc machine on the market. I felt the same way you do for many years until I actually started looking into buying one of these, and let me say my eyes were opened!!

 

I have a little bit of experience with Kymco Kymco450i. My Family members have been riding Kymco Scooters and Motorcyles for a few years now back in Taiwan and my Cousin (who lives here in the states) own a 2012 Maxxer 450 with independent rear suspension. I'm not sure if it's the same motor as your UTV but it's a Kymco none the less. It's a decent quad but in my opinion, my buddies wolverine 450 is a much better machine and its a few years older. The yamaha is faster in a drag race, rides smoother, handles better and has needed less wear and tear parts.