After last winter’s painfully slow start we’ve got near record breaking snow here at our World Headquarters and 2025 press units showing up daily. We’ll do our best to get you the latest info on how the new stuff performs so let’s start with an often-overlooked sled; the 2025 Ski-Doo Grand Touring LE featuring the ROTAX 900 ACE Turbo R engine.
First and foremost, this is a ridiculous powerplant for a purpose-built twofer. Know what? We completely agree with SD on its use of the 185 HP turbocharged and intercooled ACE 900 mill. After spinning almost 200 kilometers on the GTLE I can honestly say I am thoroughly impressed.
Everything that makes an MX-Z or a Renegade awesome is here on this sled. Yes, it has r-Motion X, RAS X and Pilot TX adjustable carbide skis. The sled swings a 137 X 1.25 proprietary “Silent” track with Ice Ripper-ish studs. Traction – dare I say – is remarkable. I quickly discovered Ski-Doo has tightened up the coupling moment on the r-Motion X. The sled refuses to wheelie but rather “launches” with authority delivering a surprising amount of rear skid traction as a result of keeping the front end lower by coupling the rear arm early.
This posture is what you want for a sled which will be regularly carrying two. Keeping the skis on the ground with a second passenger out back provides nice even bite when exiting fast turns. I was shocked to see both ends of the GT Touring LE sporting “X” geometry. Truth is that a sled this fast and this power needs the new “X” parts.
Aside from a plethora of whiz bang features I have to say the coolest parts here are its power, suspension and handling prowess. This sled will not take a back seat to a Renegade or anything else in this HP class in terms of acceleration and top end jam. It carves trails and swallows craters like no Ski-Doo before it.
In terms of comfort I can say with conviction this snowmobile exceeds the standard equipment load of any other snowmobile in MY 2025. The comfort amenities run wild here with a full-on air-ride rear arm shock that compensates for passengers who have consumed a few too many cheeseburgers.
In terms of warmth the driver gets the expected heated grips and throttle, but the rear passenger is treated like royalty with a 2-speed heated seat, heated hand holds and even a jack for heated boots. The windshield may not be the coolest looking, but the GTLE is the warmest sled I’ve ridden in at least a couple years. I almost forgot to mention the standard 16-gallon capacity rear trunk. Stuff appears to stay dry and snow-free in both.
What impresses me most about this ride is the exceptional integration of a monster 4-stroke engine into a sled many would say is meant for Moms and Pops. The engine starts, runs and accelerates with uncanny smoothness and easy-to-modulate throttle control. BTW – no throttle lag here whatsoever.
With the aforementioned suspension tweaks aimed at better traction and cornering control the GTLE is not the least bit intimidating. I found myself cruising comfortably at any speed I dialed into the throttle. Its only unrefined issue is the music the turbo dump valve elicits when you blip the throttle. Frankly, I like that sound.
Needless to say, no one will have to apologize they bought this sled after a full throttle run down Kevlar Lake. Odds are your riding buds will be squarely in the standard rear-view mirrors.
