RIP YXZ: Yamaha UTV Officially Discontinued After Nine Years

Pour one out for the YXZ. It was a good run.

Yamaha just unveiled its 2026 lineup, and the YXZ is nowhere to be found. Big Blue’s staple sport side-by-side was first unveiled in 2015 as a 2016 model year, meaning the YXZ was only in production for nine years before Yamaha called it quits. Now, the tuning fork brand is left without a proper sport UTV, and will focus production efforts toward the RMAX, X2, and Viking side-by-sides.

The Yamaha YXZ stood out among the rest for being the industry’s first three-pedal manual side-by-side. It had an actual five-speed transmission, a stark difference from traditional CVTs found in the majority of the market.

In 2024, Yamaha updated the YXZ to include a six-speed gearbox, further improving the capability of the side-by-side. That sparked a rejuvenated interest in the YXZ, and brought about new hope for the rig’s future.

But sadly, two years after the update, Yamaha has officially discontinued the YXZ. What does this mean for the future of Yamaha’s sport segment? We’re not quite sure. But we do know that it’s unlikely that Yamaha will let Honda and Kawasaki overtake it in that part of the market, and we’re excited to see what Big Blue has in store for the future. The smart money says the tuning fork brand is already coming up with something on the drawing board.