This season, thanks to the collaboration of the BRP dealer Les Motoneiges Géro in St-Jean-de-Matha, I have the chance to test ride the 2022 Ski-Doo Renegade Enduro 900 ACE Turbo (130). It is a model known for its sporty and comfortable ride.
At the time of writing, and despite a late and freezing winter, I have covered enough kilometers to share my first impressions with you.
Rotax 900 ACE Turbo engine
Once again this year, I am impressed by the performance of the Rotax 900 ACE Turbo engine, even if it has 20 HP less than its predecessor.
The engine is smooth, powerful and linear when accelerating. The torque is excellent at all rpm and the power range is constant. This engine offers 130 HP, a level of power that is highly sought after by snowmobilers who are both performance and touring enthusiasts.
I was surprised by the fuel economy of this engine. In fact, the fuel consumption of this engine is almost identical to that of the naturally-aspirated 900 Ace engine.
With this turbo engine, driving is very pleasant, whether in standard or sport mode. Standard mode offers performance that is optimized for trail driving, i.e., hard acceleration, but with a level of response that is predictable. In sport mode, acceleration is much more aggressive. This is ideal for an adrenaline rush. However, unlike the previous turbo model (150 HP) where it was preferable to drive in standard mode on trails with tight turns, you feel very comfortable with the sport mode on all kinds of trails.
In addition, the engine’s compression is much lower when decelerating compared to the 150 HP turbo engine.
The ECO mode is also available, but I haven’t tried it yet.
Suspension
For 2022, the Renegade Enduro is offered with the rMotion X suspension coupled with an air shock at the rear and RAS X at the front.
The air shock adds comfort to the already very capable rMotion X.
The RAS X suspension, with HPG shocks that offer nearly 1 inch more travel than the RAS 3, also allows you to change the distance between the skis by offering three possibilities: 42.1 – 43.0 – 43.9 inches. Normally, most of BRP’s other snowmobiles have a 42.4 inches spacing. I chose to install the skis at 43.0 inches to start the season. The snowmobile is more stable and the skis do not try to lift in turns.
The new rMotion X and RAS X suspensions are so good that BRP had to make a new ski to complete the marriage with the X suspensions.
The Enduro comes equipped with Pilot TX skis that allow you to change the depth of the track in the snow according to your preferences and trail conditions.
I haven’t experienced any swaying yet. The skis bite very well on trails without requiring too much effort to turn and do not try to lift in the curves. So we end up with a snowmobile that is very comfortable and pleasant to ride.
Various equipment
The snowmobile is equipped with a new 7.8-inch wide color LCD panoramic display, which offers excellent visibility of operating parameters. It provides all the relevant information, including speed, revolutions per minute, engine temperature, distance traveled, time, etc.
Personally, I would like to see the figures for engine temperature, distance and time larger.
There are three choices of display, clear for daytime, dark for evening and automatic. I find that with the clear display, it is easier to visualize the information.
We can also connect the BRP Connect application which allows us to have the map of the trails and our position.
We install our phone in the heated case that is in the glove compartment, we plug it in the USB plug and that’s it.
However, I am a person who takes a lot of pictures with my cell phone and I have to unplug it from the USB port to get into photo mode when I am on the BRP Connect application. I’m still adjusting to all the functions of the dial, so there may be a way to fix this and I’ll give you a full report in my season review.
The adjustable windshield is very appreciated, with the cold of January, I found it very useful. The heated seat is also always appreciated.
Finally, “Les motoneiges Géro” also installed ice scrapers and I already had to use them on a few occasions.
The snow in the trails was so hard that the slides were complaining and the ice scrapers immediately solved the situation.
Overall riding experience
I personally enjoy my riding experience so far with the Renegade Enduro 900 ACE Turbo. It’s a comfortable snowmobile while still offering performance. I can easily rack up the miles and don’t get tired at the end of my rides. The more I ride it, the more mileage I want.
I will give you a full report after using it in different conditions.
In closing, I would like to thank Les Motoneiges Géro, a BRP dealer in St-Jean-de-Matha, for the loan of this snowmobile for this long-term test. I invite you to meet the Géro team in store to see the new Ski-Doo and Can-Am off-road machines. Follow us throughout the season to learn more and for our end-of-season review.
