If any automaker in the world dropped a new track-oriented sports car tomorrow with a mid-mounted supercharged one-liter inline-4 engine, four-wheel drive and a 2,363-pound curb weight, real driving enthusiasts would worship at its altar forevermore. Those specs in an off-road toy from Team Green don't seem to move the needle quite as much, but they damn well should! Kawasaki launched the new 2026 Teryx H2 this week to little fanfare, but this off-road monster is an incredible fun-per-dollar proposition. I might even argue that it's significantly more fun to drive than whatever track car or motorcycle you're building, and with seats for five this thing lets you bring the whole family along.
Just looking at the name you can instantly see what Kawasaki have done. The company's somewhat also-ran Teryx side-by-side has been given a monster revamp with power from the company's incredible (but discontinued) Ninja H2 superbike. In order to keep up with the 240-hp Can Am Maverick R or 225-hp Polaris RZR Pro R, Kawasaki has gone ahead and cranked the knob all the way to 12 with 250 supercharged ponies on tap. That supercharger is working overtime, too, pushing almost 35 pounds per square inch of boost into the engine while the impeller spins at up to 130,000 rpm. Watch out dirt nerds, there's a new high-tech high-power flagship side by side in town.
Like most side by sides, the Teryx makes use of a continuously variable transmission. Though unlike other side by sides, the supercharged engine is much less peaky than the turbocharged high-revvers from the competition, meaning power delivery should be better matched to the CVT. Whether you're planning to use a Teryx H2 for your weekend rips at Glamis or in competition at Baja, this extra power should be perfectly useable.
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King Of The Desert
If you're a little afraid of giving your Teryx H2 a bootful of throttle, it thankfully offers three selectable drive modes. Low Power mode reduces output to about 60%, while Mid Power jumps up to 80%, and Full gives it the beans. If you're just getting used to your new ride, it's nice to know that you can dial it back for a bit until you feel comfortable with it. 150 ponies in low power mode is still enough to give you the willies if you get too wild with it.
OK, so this thing is about more than just an engine, right? With a wide stance and a long wheelbase, this monster should be somewhat manageable in the deepest of desert sands or rocky crawls. The wheels are pushed out to each of the four corners with a 74-inch front track and "combined approach and departure angles of over 90 degrees." Even with the long wheelbase, having 16.1 inches of ground clearance means the Teryx H2 is still capable of a 34-degree breakover angle. With Fox internal bypass shocks and Kawasaki's proprietary electronically controlled suspension available, the driver can easily adjust the suspension on the fly to get over practically anything.
All of this bonkers exciting off-road equipment doesn't come cheap, unfortunately, but you'd be hard pressed to go as far or as fast off road in anything that started as an SUV for even double the money. It also manages to undercut the Can Am and Polaris by a decent chunk, while being lighter and more powerful than either. Kawasaki packs the Teryx H2 with eye-watering performance stats, and priced it at just $37,199.
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