Heavy Equipment

Cat, Textron Sign Deal to Manufacture Utility Vehicles

The vehicles will be sold through participating Cat® dealerships starting next year.

Updated on

October 17, 2017

Caterpillar has signed a deal with Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. to manufacture and distribute utility vehicles, as the American construction equipment maker seeks to explore new markets.

The partnership will see Caterpillar offering utility vehicle models that will be sold through participating Cat® dealerships starting early next year.

“We are excited about our introduction of the first-ever Cat UTV models. We look forward to offering a vehicle specifically designed to serve the needs of our existing as well as new customers,” Steve Schoening, product manager said in a statement.

Mr Schoening said the utility vehicles will offer “exceptional performance and stability at full load, superior reliability, and a quiet, spacious operator environment.”

The new Cat UTVs are designed to serve numerous industries and are marketed under several brands. Cat is hoping to tap into Textron’s expertise to win customers in the UTV market.

Featuring a rugged steel cargo bed, the new Caterpillar UTVs reliably handle up to 450 kilograms of material and tools, and they offer a 900-kilogram towing capacity. The utility vehicles also provide ample headroom and legroom for tall riders.

“Cat UTVs offer easy-to-access service points for maintenance and customers can rely on the unmatched service and support offered by participating Cat dealers to keep their UTVs working at peak performance,” Mr Schoening added.

Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc., which is best known for its Bell helicopter, is a key manufacturer of utility vehicles.

Its product lines include Cushman utility vehicles, Textron Off Road side-by-sides and ATVs, Arctic Cat snowmobiles, Jacobsen professional turf equipment and E-Z-GO golf cars.

On the other hand, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining machinery – with sales and revenues of $38.5 billion in 2016.

For comparison, its closest competitor – Japanese Komatsu – generated about $15 billion in construction, mining, and utility sales last year.