2022 Polaris Scrambler XP 1000 S Limited Edition First Look

To see the Polaris Scrambler XP 1000 S LE up close for the first time, well, I can’t repeat the first words out of my mouth. After gawking at it for the first two minutes and mopping up the drool from my chin with a shop rag, I took a step back for a wider view. It’s huge. Stare at it for too long and it becomes intimidating. On paper, the numbers add up to even more magnitude. Width, height, length, suspension travel, tire size, horsepower, and let’s not forget overall weight; all of these specifications step over the line and into territory best described as excessive—but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, so let’s dig in.

Under all of that plastic there’s a 952cc parallel-twin engine that Polaris claims puts out 89 hp. A dash-mounted switch provides two power modes, Standard for cruising trails and Performance when hard hitting acceleration is desired. Needless to say, this Scrambler is not for beginner riders.

The automatic CVT transmission includes park, reverse, neutral, and low and high gear selections. Picking between 2WD and AWD operation can be accomplished on the fly with a yellow switch just above the thumb throttle. As is typical with all Polaris ATVs, a front locking differential is not an option on the Polaris One Touch On-Demand AWD system.

The Scrambler XP 1000 S LE is 55 inches wide, sidewall to sidewall. That’s 5 inches wider than most every other ATV available, sport quads included, and 7 inches wider that this machine’s arch nemesis, the Can-Am Renegade X XC. One of our test riders described it as a RZR with handlebars, which is an apt description, minus all of the extra steel tubing.

At 57.4 inches, the Scrambler’s wheelbase is long for a single-rider ATV. It’s a half-inch longer than the two-rider Polaris Sportsman Touring XP 1000 Trail ATV and 6.4 inches longer than the Can-Am Renegade. The oversized combination of width and wheelbase should make the Scrambler XP 1000 S LE one of the most stable ATVs on the market. While it’s a little too wide for woods racing, we’re betting it’s one hell of a rock crawler and an exceptional choice for open desert riding.

Walker Evans shocks are mounted at all four wheels with dual-rate springs, designed to provide optimal cushion from idle to top speed. Available suspension travel rivals, and even surpasses, that of some side-by-sides. Up front, there are 12.5 inches of available suspension travel. At the rear, long shock bodies provide a whopping 14 inches of suspension travel. And check out that 14.5 inches of ground clearance.

One thing I’ve noticed while moving the Scrambler around the shop is that the suspension feels more stiff than that of the Polaris Sportsman XP 1000 that we recently tested. We’re betting that these shocks and the standard sway bar provide much sportier handling characteristics and less body roll than that of the Sportsman. It’s an area that we will be paying close attention to in our upcoming ride review.

The Walker Evans shocks are three-way adjustable. There are 9.5 inches of threaded preload/height adjustment up front and over 11 inches at the rear. A spanner wrench is included in the provided tool kit for making preload changes.

At the top of the shock, high-speed and low-speed compression (stiffness) are adjustable without the need for tools. The red anodized outer dial controls low speed and the inner black dial adjusts high speed.

At the bottom of the shock, rebound (how fast the shock recovers from a hit) is adjustable using a flat-head screwdriver, also included in the tool kit. Compression and rebound adjustment dials use audible clickers when making tweaks, so it’s easy to keep shocks synced equally and working together.

When seated, you can’t help but appreciate how comfortable the Scrambler is. The seat is thick, wide, and plush. All controls are easily accessible and the pod-mounted dash display is easy to read. The Scrambler favors a taller rider with its tall seat and raised handlebars. That’s not to say that shorter riders won’t like it; on the contrary, it just doesn’t feel cramped for those of us who hit 6 feet and taller. Standing up from a seated position is easy and there’s plenty of leg space on tap, which should enhance the ability to lean into corners at speed.

Huge footwells accommodate boots of all sizes with room to spare, but the all-plastic floorboards remain a problem for us. We’d much rather see some form of a steel serrated footpeg for better grip in wet riding conditions. Plastic also wears down with time and heavy use. This is an easy fix that has already been addressed by aftermarket companies. We wouldn’t call it a deal breaker, but we expect more out of an ATV that fetches well north of 16 big ones.

Further enhancing comfort, the Scrambler received a 3-inch bar riser that allows the handlebars to be adjusted for different sized riders. Hand guards are also standard, keeping gloves protected from mud, wind, and trail debris.

The digital display presents all of the essential information we’ve come to expect, like mph, engine rpm, dual trip odometers, an hourmeter, gear indicator, fuel gauge, 2WD/AWD indicator, and the usual array of warning indicators.

An optional security feature is available through the digital display, requiring a PIN to be punched in before the engine will turn over. A PIN is easily created by toggling through prompts on the display screen.

The digital display also lets you select between three levels of electric power steering (EPS) assistance—low, medium, and high. Now this is a heavy ATV. Polaris estimates dry weight at 881 pounds. We weighed it on our Proform vehicle scale with all fluids and a topped-off 5.25-gallon fuel tank at 949 pounds. With the power turned off, you really have to muscle the bars to get them to turn when the Scrambler is stationary. With the ignition on and EPS assistance set to high, the bars can be turned effortlessly with one finger.

Cargo capacity is on the light side with 25 pounds max on the front rack and 50 pounds on the small rear rack. In Polaris’ defense, this is a sport 4x4 designed for a purpose other than trucking hay bales. It still has enough carrying capacity for a bed roll and camping supplies, and both the front and rear rack are Lock & Ride equipped to accept Polaris-branded accessories. However, If you’re looking for something that can haul more weight and still perform, might we suggest you take a look at the Polaris Sportsman XP 1000 S.

The Scrambler has very limited personal storage space. A small sealed pocket is located underneath the rear cargo rack with just enough room for the included tool kit and a small water bottle.

We’ve heard it said by some that the Scrambler XP 1000 S LE is ugly, which isn’t true at all. It might not be photogenic, but it’s a handsome beast in person that commands a lot of respect. The Radar Blue painted fenders with yellow trim and graphics give it modern and sporty appeal.

Key maintenance points are easily accessible without the use of tools. These include oil filler tubes and drain plugs. The seat pops off to access the air filter. It’s a paper filter wrapped with a polyester prefilter. The fuel tank is located in front of the engine with the filler cap below the handlebars on the left side. Pop the front rack/hood and you’ve got access to the battery, fuses, rear brake fluid reservoir, radiator, and upper shock mounts. The CVT belt drive cover, located at the rear of the engine, is easy to reach without the removal of body panels. The Scrambler comes prewired for installation of a factory Polaris winch, which we have obtained, so look for a video of our winch install in the coming weeks.

The 27x9-12 six-ply-rated Duro Power Grip II tires come mounted on black aluminum wheels. This is a tall all-terrain tire that works well on hard surfaces, sand, mud, and rocks. Grip is excellent in all of these terrain types. These tires also include a fair amount of sidewall protection.

Stock headlights are of the halogen variety, which we always complain about, but we’ll give Polaris a pass since it included a Pro Armor LED light bar as standard equipment. It’s more than enough candlepower to provide bright white lighting during all-night trail fun, and it barely taxes battery power. The light bar switch is located just below the digital dash display.

We’re currently putting the Scrambler XP 1000 S through rock testing in Utah, desert testing in Arizona, and we might even enter it in an off-road race. Look for those stories and more soon, right here at atvrider.com.

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