Ski-Doo has honed, toned, tuned, and designed for those unique things that make each rider their own. This year was no different. Ski-Doo has the largest lineup again for 2016, here are a few of our faves and impressions from the reveal of the line!
Crossovers
The focus was put squarely on expanding the offerings in the Renegade crossover line, and the GSX was axed.
The first notable change in the ‘Gade’ lineup was the addition of the full-feature in-season Renegade Enduro. This sleds falls directly into what AmSnow has been affectionately calling the ‘Enduro-Venture’ segment of the crossover market and will compete against the likes of the Crosstour from Arctic Cat, the Adventure from Polaris, and the Viper S-TX DX from Yamaha. This one is meant to ‘do it all’ with four engine options (800 and 600 E-TEC, 1200 4TEC, or 900ACE) along with tailored features such as the new Pilot TS adjustable skis (see more on these skis in AmSnow’s Spring Issue), heavy duty front bumper and more, all standard. Like other sleds in the Enduro-Venture segment, this one has lots of bells and whistles including electric start, RER reverse, 12V power outlet and heated visor outlet.
More big news in the Renegade line includes changes to the X-RS (it gets the new TS adjustable ski and a new Cobra 1.6-inch track), but possibly more notable are the changes to the Backcountry model. The Backcountry gets a big off-trail upgrade with a new 146-inch mountain tMotion rear suspension with a new Cobra FlexEdge 16-inch wide and 1.6-inch lugged track. Other options are also available in the Spring Buy program.
Other noteworthy news in the Gade lineup is that you can now get the new 1200 4-TEC with iTC in the Spring Only Renegade X package. This comes with the RAS 2 front suspension and premium HPG Plus R front shocks and a top notch KYB Pro 36 rear shock with high and low speed compression adjustment that’s easy to get to.
Trails
The 129-inch track and suspension looks to be quickly replacing the 121-inch as the standard trail length. In an early release Ski-Doo introduced the Iron Dog version of the MXZ trail sled with a 129-inch suspension, and the RS snocross race sled already had the 129 on it. Obviously this was a precursor of things to come, and the new ultra performance X-RS spring buy sled comes with this rMotion rear.
In addition to the X-RS getting the 129-inch rear suspension, the new MXZ Blizzard also has the new bump-soaking, quick stopping, 
and increased traction of the 129-inch rear end.The Blizzard also gets a 1.25-inch lugged Ice Ripper track standard with its small carbide studs embedded in the ends of the lugs for traction, performance and safety. The Blizzard also gets the new TS adjustable skis standard and there’s the option of the new 1200 4-TEC with iTC in this package as well. Basically think of the Blizzard as the ‘best true in-season model you can get’ as it is a step-up from the TNT.
When we discuss the new 1200 4-TEC with iTC we are referring to the fact that Ski-Doo has totally revamped their largest triple 4-stroke engine to be similar to their ACE engine package. The iTC is a throttle-by-wire system that has many positives. The system on the 4-TEC will have the 3 modes currently available on the ACE models with this system that include Sport, Standard, and Eco (economy) modes. You’ll find a full technical review of this revamped engine in our Spring Issue.
After riding several sleds with this system we will say that the difference between Sport and Standard seems small 
when riding at somewhat standard to aggressive trail speeds. However, if you switch between standard and Eco, there is a pronounced difference in performance and it is very limited.
No huge changes were made to the TNT lineup of MXZ trail sleds for 2016, but the 1200 4-TEC with iTC is now available in this line. The MXZ Sport continues as the value leader in the trail segment.
Utility and Touring
The most surprisingly fun to ride sled of all the new 2016s that we tested (mind you this was mostly a trail test with some loose snow) was the all new Expedition Xtreme. Yep, that’s right a utility sled was fun to drive!
Following up on the success and overall fun factor of the Tundra Xtreme, the Expedition Xtreme goes to a new level of big and bad. With an 800R E-TEC in it, this beast is ferocious on and off trail. I can attest to that, after chasing Ski-Doo Product Manager Pascal Vincent through the woods (bush) of Quebec, there is almost nothing more fun than riding a comfortable, warm, big sled like this that actually handles!
The Xtreme comes with electric start, reverse, a 1-up modular seat (2-up is an accessory), cargo rack, hitch, mountain grab bar and more great options standard. This sled hauls all the mail you want to carry and does so in a plush manner with the SC-5U rear suspension with articulated rail (2 positions – free or locked down). Plus it has top-o-the-line KYB Pro 36 shocks with compression adjustment up front.
Mountain
Last year the intro of the big 174-inch Summit T3 made headlines across the snow world as the longest production sled currently made. Ski-Doo owns the top mountain market position in Canada and is making strides to overtake the #1 mountain position in the U.S. A monster reason is the big 3-inch lugs first available on the T3 and the weight savings. These are both now available across the Summit line as the X-models have the T3 and 3-inch lugs standard in the 154, 163 and 174 packages. Summit SP’s will get the new Pilot DS 3 skis, the new chaincase from the T3 package for the taller track lugs, new T3 geometry with light suspension arms, and of course the new PowderMax track with FlexEdge tech. In addition, the standard sleds in all these lengths have the upgrade available. All the standard Summits for 2016 will get the new RAS 2 front suspension too, so nearly every mountain sled in the yellow line will be upgradable to the latest and greatest.
One big difference to remember here is that the spring only X Summit T3 package weighs about 7 pounds less than the standard SP package. The shocks are aluminum not steel (5 pounds), and the X uses ice scratchers not more idler wheels (2 pounds). A new Summit quick adjust 2 position limiter strap is also available. The rotating cam switch mounts flush with the brake-hand side of the tunnel (2-inch adjustability on the strap, longer = more ski lift and shorter = less lift).
Snowboarders have also become a focus of the 2016 Summit line with the addition of the summit Burton. This 800 E-TEC sled, a collaboration with snowboard manufacturer Burton, features a cool new rack that can be used for skis/poles or a snowboard. A new REV-XM seat that was made to be able to accommodate two riders, but is not too big or bulky to move around for solo riders, is standard on this model.
Look for more details on the 2016 Ski-Doo models in the upcoming Spring Issue of American Snowmobiler magazine! Make sure you don’t miss out by subscribing here today!