New generation Defender HD11
The all-new 2026 Can-Am Defender HD11 looks likely to raise the bar in the highly competitive side-by-side category.
Needing a side by side for his rolling home property, Sir David packs no punches when he says, “Every farmer should own a Can-Am.”
Having owned numerous machines over a lifetime of farming, here’s how the 16-times record winning shearer sums up the latest Can-Am Defender XT HD-10: “The stability, suspension, power and the handling means there is no comparison. Its features and technology make it incredibly safe for me and the family.”
Taking a closer look, the Defender XT HD-10 is powered by the company’s own V-twin, 976cc water-cooled engine that pushes out 82hp. Power delivery is instant and smooth from a slow crawl at tick-over right up to maximum speed, with delivery linear, ensuring the operator has precise control at all times.
Much of that driveability also falls to a CVT transmission set-up that responds smoothly to changing throttle inputs, with Extra Low, High, Neutral, Reverse and Park choices, alongside integral features such as high airflow ventilation and an electronic drive belt protection system.
Taking Sir David’s machine – standard except for some grippy ITP Cryptid tyres – around the farm quickly establishes that its capabilities are never going to come into question. Travelling along metalled tracks, comfort is akin to any car on the public highway, delivered by double A-arm set ups in each corner with up to 11-inches of travel, twintube gas filled shocks and a large external sway bar on the rear.
Driving the machine off-road on the typical King Country property takes us across steeply undulating paddocks, through a rock-strewn stream and traversing some steep slopes, with the main man demonstrating the machine’s capability with ease, bringing into play controls such as low ratio, 4WD, diff locking and electronic Hill Descent Control.
At no point did the machine feel unstable or likely to be beaten by the gnarly terrain, but it also delivered the reassurance that it could be brought to a controlled stop at any time, using engine revs and the more than capable dual disc brakes all-round. This point becomes interesting as the HD-10 is no lightweight, tipping the scales at 736kg dry weight, no doubt combining with a low centre of gravity to give the feeling of stability.
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It is also capable of carrying a load in the bed of up to 454kg and up to 1,134kg at the tow-bar.
In practice, the likelihood of loading the tray to its max is low, but hooking up to a heavyduty trailer loaded with fencing supplies showed the extended capabilities of the Defender, demonstrating oodles of power, plenty of grip and high levels of control.
To sum up the machine, using Sir David’s words, “Out on the farm the Defender is incredibly comfortable, stable, durable and more than capable for any of the tasks we throw at it… It makes me happy to know that if I’m away from the property, my wife can go and get the jobs done and I know she will be safe.”
That’s probably the reason that Can-Am is claiming a market-leading position for 2022 with a share of 31.5% (YTD).
www.can-am.brp.com/off-road/nz
