2020 Ski-Doo Renegade X 900 ACE Turbo – Pre-Ride Analysis

For the fifth year in a row, I have the immense privilege of being one of Sledmagazine.com’s test riders who will have the chance to test drive a new snowmobile as part of the long-term testing program. It’s also for a second consecutive year with our partner Les Motoneiges Géro, a BRP dealership in St-Jean-de-Matha. 

 

Our test model is really no ordinary one, it’s one of the most popular on Quebec’s trails, the Ski-Doo Renegade X with 900 ACE Turbo engine. It is therefore with great enthusiasm and expectations that I start this season at the controls of this high-performance snowmobile.

 

 

 

The 900 ACE Turbo engine made a very noticeable entry into the Ski-Doo range last year. Highly appreciated by the brand’s enthusiasts, this engine offers 150 HP, about 20 more than its venerable predecessor the 1200 4-TEC. Equipped with the intelligent iTC throttle and pDrive pulley, the 900 ACE Turbo engine offers significantly more power and torque to satisfy the vast majority of performance enthusiasts. Given what was done at Can-Am, it is obvious that this engine has a lot of potential for the future. Although BRP has positioned it well in the 150 HP category, it is likely that in a future iteration it will add a few more standard horsepower. It is important to note in this test that the 900 ACE engine in Turbo version is not an ordinary 900 ACE or the naturally aspirated engine that has been renewed for 2019. It has been specially designed to handle all the additional power produced by the Turbo. Therefore, the mechanical components are much more robust to ensure performance, reliability and durability. It is important to mention that our test model is equipped with Ski-Doo’s pDrive pulley, which allows the 900 ACE Turbo engine to transmit all its power to the track with great efficiency.

 

 

 

Just like last year, Ski-Doo snowmobiles equipped with a 900 ACE Turbo engine are assembled on the expanded REV GEN 4 chassis design. The side panels being wider than the narrow version for E-TEC engines will undoubtedly offer, just like last year, additional protection against wind and weather. We still have the same ergonomics with the Ergo-Step panels that allow us to move easily on the snowmobile. The new look is really impressive and turns heads. The design of the front grill with the Turbo air cooler and the “X” on the front grill shows a very sporty side. 

 

 

 

Our test snowmobile has a RAS 3 front suspension with HPG PLUS shock absorbers. At the rear we have a 137-inch rMotion suspension coupled with an HPG PLUS shock absorber at the front and a KYB PRO 36 “piggy back” type shock absorber at the rear. It can be finely adjusted to 22 positions for rebound with a knob on the shock absorber. The standard quality and performance of the Renegade X’s rear suspension is one of the key elements that characterize the sporty side of this model. In order to properly adapt the snowmobile to the main test rider, the original springs were replaced by a model with an increased preload capacity.

 

 

 

The Renegade X 900 ACE Turbo features the all-new 7.2-inch digital display dial. This new LCD dial is fully digital and customizable. It has the advantage of being easy to read and automatically adjusts to changes in ambient light. Whether you’re standing or sitting, it offers excellent visibility of all the snowmobile’s driving and operating parameters.

 

 

 

The X version of the Renegade range has an adjustable elevation block that allows, without tools, to customize the position of the 4-inch handlebars, either forward or backward depending on the rider’s preference. This is a nice addition when you want to ride sporty (forward) or a little more relaxed (backward).

 

Adjustable Elevation Block

 

 

Like any high-performing sports snowmobile, beyond engine and suspension performance, you also need to be able to slow down effectively. The Ski-Doo team has added to the Renegade X a racing brake with BREMBO caliper with stainless steel woven conduit. This is another detail of this snowmobile’s sporty personality.

 

 

The main option that was added as a spring order to our test snowmobile is the 1.25-inch ICE Ripper XT track. With the variable snow, rain and ice conditions we come across during winter, particularly in southern Quebec, riding a snowmobile with studs is a “must.” For me, it’s a question of safety long before the gain in performance, which is just as appreciative.

 

1.25 inch ICE Ripper XT Track

 

This year, thanks to our partners BRP and Les Motoneiges Géro, we have the chance to try out numerous accessories with the snowmobile. Here is the list:

 

Each of these accessories will be the subject of comments in our test reports and videos that will be produced throughout the season.

 

We will also continue to use other LinQ accessories from the Ski-Doo line in order to live the complete experience with our test vehicle. Many of them are useful to take with us our photo and video equipment for our reports during season.

 

 

In order to give you the best possible account and our impressions of this model, here are the specific elements that we will check throughout the season:

 

Our magnificent test snowmobile

 

In conclusion, I would like to thank Les Motoneiges Géro Inc., a BRP dealer in St-Jean-de-Matha, for the loan of the Ski-Doo Renegade X 900 ACE Turbo 2020 for a long-term test drive. In fact, I invite you to meet the Géro team in the store to see what’s new off-road at Ski-Doo and Can-Am. We invite you to live the ultimate Ski-Doo experience (French video) at Motoneiges Géro by clicking on the following link: 

 

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Follow us throughout the season to learn more about the testing of this snowmobile. We will publish our first impressions very soon!