Kawasaki Jet ski Ultra 300X

Kawasaki enhanced the overall design of the 1500cc Supercharged engine, reinforced the hull and transformed the Ultra in such a way that it remains in top of the muscle craft class.

Since Kawasaki celebrates its 37th anniversary in the personal watercraft business this year, everyone believed that the Green Team was going to release the most talked about fourstroke stand-up. Though, the Akashi factory put the market research on the table and decided to come stronger during this current economic crisis by presenting the most powerful muscle craft in the personal water scene. Power matters and Kawasaki was always ahead in terms of overall true performance and is the only manufacturer that has won more titles than anyone else in the Pro Runabout Open at the World Finals. The Ultra X hull was proven to be unbeatable especially under rough water conditions and this was the reason that made Kawasaki keep the outer shape of this hull and provide a meaner and more powerful engine having as a main scope to increase the acceleration, overall performance and in addition to provide a new package of electronics than people require for recreational reasons.

Yamaha Waverunner VXR

Yamaha’s new naturally aspirated, sport-oriented WaveRunner VXR provides a thrilling ride and phenomenal speed, while keeping the costs at a minimum with its low fuel consumption engine, cheaper maintenance costs and Yamaha reliability. At £12,999 this a machine that the industry has been waiting for.

The success of the Yamaha 4-stroke marine engine and the WaveRunner brand is already well known amongst personal watercraft enthusiasts, especially since 2003, when the FX140 made its first appearance. However, this year Yamaha wanted to take a step forward for those of us that prefer to keep things simple. In other words for the watercraft enthusiast or rental business that do not want the hassle of supercharger maintenance with its associated high costs, but still want to have fun with a lightweight, fast and enjoyable watercraft.

BARMY BARRACUDA - £7,998

Is it a sports boat? Is it a personal watercraft? Is it an accessory? Nobody seems quite sure, but what we do know is that this boat created a lot of interest at the Southampton Boat Show. It’s the 3.4-metre Barracuda from Yellowfin Marine and it is designed to provide a huge amount of fun on engines as small as 20hp – which makes it particularly ideal for places where the use of regular PWs is prohibited. The price includes a power tilt 20hp Tohatsu and an aluminium trailer. It will take up to 40hp and it is light enough to be towed by the smallest of family hatchbacks. For less than £8,000, it has to be a tempter.

www.yellowfinmarine.co.uk
02920 787192

The previous Sportage wasn’t a pretty sight. So Kia approached its successor with a clean sheet of paper – and, as Paul Guinness reports, the end result is impressive.

With this, the third-generation Sportage, Kia has really pulled out the stops. For a start, this is the first model from the Korean maker to have been styled from scratch by former Audi designer Peter Schreyer – and that means it’s a shape that’s bold, distinctive and up-to-the-minute. From its sleek front end through to its upright rump – plus the rearward slant of the two back doors – everything about the new Sportage says ‘stylish’ and ‘modern’.

Its role in life is, of course, to give Kia a healthy share of the compact-crossover market, effectively created by the Nissan Qashqai a few years back. And with the full range of Sportages about to go on sale, there’s an array of different versions – ranging in price from £16,645 to £26,170, and with a choice of four engines (two petrols, two diesels). The range is split into three trim levels, simply called ‘1’, ‘2’ and ‘3’, with all-wheel-drive available on the ‘2’ and ‘3’ versions, badged as the KX2 and KX3 to differentiate them from the two-wheel drive models.

To launch the Sportage, though, Kia imported a limited number of First Edition versions, and it’s this – powered by the 134bhp, 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine – that we’ve been trying out. And it gets off to a good start, with Kia quoting a top speed of 112mph, hitting 62mph in less than eleven seconds. But it’s the way the Sportage feels that really impresses; in everyday use, it seems surprisingly rapid, with plenty of midrange ‘oomph’ for safe overtaking. And with 236lb.ft. of torque on offer, it pulls well from low revs.

To read more pick up your November/December issue of Jet Skier & PW or subscribe here