There’s one thing for certain: The new ProCross Cat is completely unlike anything Arctic Cat has built before.
You could argue the 500 Sno-Pro or pure race sleds Cat has been building are pretty close but this one is much more refined and on target with a huge cross-section of the marketplace.
Its design parameters are focused on lightness, simplicity, ease of manufacture and, most importantly, a return to the Ginsu-knife handling Cat was famous for in the late Nineties.
Any market space the company had given up the last five years is targeted to be reclaimed with a product able to deliver on all aspects of snowmobiling.
Because Cat has virtually led the industry in skidframe design, ride became a perfect foundation to build from. However, the Twin Spar platform, although greatly refined from its earliest versions, was never reputed for its precise handling or lightness – two features modern snowmobile buyers simply don’t want to give up.
Another strength Cat had initiated with the former Twin Spar was ergonomic adjustability and comfort.
Adjustable seat, adjustable handlebars – those priorities had endeared consumers to the brand and prior to this ride we had questioned if the company would be willing to compromise those benefits in order to control mass.
Our first impression of this new Cat is its intuitive ergonomics. It feels absolutely right, sitting or standing. The relationship between the handlebars, footrests, seat and controls is 100-percent spot-on excellent.
The handlebar riser is perfect, the seat foam is just right and the seat itself is high enough so moving from sitting to a standing position can be done in a nanosecond.
You feel centered on the snowmobile, much like a Ski-Doo XP or a Polaris RUSH, but there’s a near-perfect balance to the riding position that just flat-out inspires confidence.
