Three-wheeled Polaris Slingshot hits the streets
Polaris Industries is known in the automobile industry for their range of ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) and snowmobiles, and their ownership of the Victory and Indian Motorcycle brands. With manufacturers nowadays showing leniency towards crossover models, the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based manufacturer isn’t one to fall behind the trend. Their answer is the 2015 Polaris Slingshot. The Slingshot combines the attributes of a motorcycle and a fast car with only three wheels touching the ground.
Devoid of a fourth wheel, the Polaris Slingshot is technically deemed a motorcycle in the U.S.A. The design reminds one of the KTM X-Bow with razor sharp lines and the semi-naked exterior. The vehicle is constructed in a steel spaceframe and the body panels are made of light-weight polymers. Under the hood, the Slingshot is powered by a GM sourced 2.4-litre EcoTec engine developing 173bhp at 6200rpm and 225Nm at 4700rpm. The power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox and a carbon-reinforced drive belt. The vehicle also weights just 771kg which will aide in better handling and performance. The Slingshots comes in a single base variant and a higher spec SL variant. The Slingshot SL runs on a set of 225/45 R18 spec tyres at the front while the rear gets 255/35 R20 spec. With just 127mm of ground clearance, the driver and passenger sit low which gives a better speed experience according to Polaris.
The Slingshot also comes with a glovebox and storage area behind the seats, both lockable. The seats are water-proof and the electronic-power assisted steering comes with rake adjust. The Slingshot SL boasts of a media console which consists of a 4.3-inch screen, a backup camera, Bluetooth and USB connectivity and a six speaker output. On the safety front, the Slingshot features roll hoops, centre mounted three-point seatbelts, projector-beam headlamps and LED tail-lamps. The 2015 Slingshot is priced at $19,999 (approximately Rs 12.03 lakh) for the base version while the top-spec SL has been priced at $23,999 (approximately Rs 14.5 lakh).
