2027 Can-Am Side-by-Side Lineup: New Defender XU, Trail-Ready Mavericks and a Cheaper Commander
Can-Am has officially revealed its 2027 side-by-side lineup, and while several familiar names return, the new model year brings meaningful changes for both utility and recreational buyers.
The biggest news is not simply more horsepower. Instead, Can-Am appears to be focusing heavily on making its machines better equipped for the jobs their owners are actually using them for.
Farmers and ranchers get new work-focused Defender XU models. Trail riders get factory-equipped Maverick Sport and Maverick X3 packages. The narrow Maverick Trail receives a more heavily equipped X package, and perhaps most surprisingly, the starting MSRP of the Commander has actually dropped.
Here is what stands out in the 2027 Can-Am SXS lineup.
2027 Can-Am Defender: More Focus on Real Work
The Defender continues to be one of the most important machines in Can-Am’s lineup, especially for farms, ranches, hunting properties and job sites.
Can-Am continues to offer its first-generation Defender HD7, HD9 and HD10 family for buyers looking for a more affordable utility SXS. For 2027, that lineup starts at $12,999 before transportation and preparation charges.
Above those machines sits the newer Defender HD10/HD11 generation.
The 2027 Defender HD10/HD11 starts at $19,799 and offers up to 95 horsepower and 70 pound-feet of torque. The newer platform uses Can-Am’s 999cc inline-three engine paired with its pDrive primary clutch and Quick Response System CVT.
However, the more interesting addition for 2027 may be the Defender XU.
New Defender XU Targets Farmers and Commercial Users
The all-new 2027 Defender XU HD10/HD11 builds on the Gen 2 Defender platform and adds more equipment specifically intended for work.
Starting at $19,799, the XU is available with HD10 and HD11 three-cylinder engines.
The HD10 produces 80 horsepower and 65 pound-feet of torque, while the HD11 produces 95 horsepower and 70 pound-feet of torque.
The XU XT adds equipment including a metal headache rack, hitch hardware, full skid protection, a hard roof, heavy-duty front bumper and a 4,500-pound winch with synthetic cable.
Can-Am is also emphasizing longer service intervals and lower maintenance costs with these work-focused models.
That may not sound as exciting as another 20 horsepower in a sport SXS, but it could be much more important to someone using a Defender every morning to check livestock, haul fencing supplies or work around a large property.
Can-Am also continues to offer the work-oriented Defender XU PRO and 6x6, with additional cargo and utility capability. The 2027 XU PRO/6x6 family starts at $25,399.
2027 Maverick X3 Gets More Standard Equipment
The Maverick X3 is not going away just because the more powerful Maverick R sits above it.
For 2027, the X3 starts at $19,999 and continues to offer its 900cc turbocharged three-cylinder engine in configurations producing either 135 or 200 horsepower.
One of the better changes for buyers is the addition of more standard factory equipment.
Can-Am says the 2027 X3 lineup receives a full roof, quarter doors and window nets across the lineup, meaning buyers should not immediately need to shop for some of the basic protection that has traditionally been added after purchase.
There is also a particularly interesting version called the Maverick X3 X.
Starting at $22,499, the X3 X is positioned as a premium trail-focused package. It uses the 135-horsepower turbo engine and adds equipment including FOX 2.5 PODIUM RC2 shocks, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, rear camera, 30-inch XPS Trac Force tires and additional protection.
For riders who want more power, the Turbo RR versions continue with 200 horsepower.
That makes the X3 an interesting middle ground in Can-Am’s lineup: considerably more serious than the recreational machines without requiring Maverick R money.
Maverick R Returns With 240 Horsepower
At the top of Can-Am’s performance hierarchy remains the 2027 Maverick R.
The Maverick R starts at $39,699 and retains its 999cc turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 240 horsepower.
Unlike the CVT-equipped Maverick X3, the Maverick R uses Can-Am’s seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Can-Am says the DCT can shift gears in approximately 0.2 seconds without interrupting torque delivery to the wheels.
Launch control also remains part of the package.
For buyers wanting something even more specialized, the Maverick R X rc starts at $48,199 and is designed for rock crawling with 35-inch XPS Hammer King tires, Smart-Lok with Rock mode, beadlock wheels and available Smart-Shox.
There is also a four-seat Maverick R MAX X rc starting at $51,699.
At that point, pricing is firmly in new-car territory for an off-road recreational vehicle, but the equipment and performance show just how far the SXS market has evolved.
2027 Maverick Sport X Becomes a Factory Trail Package
The Maverick Sport also gets an interesting update for 2027.
The new Maverick Sport X starts at $18,499 and uses Can-Am’s naturally aspirated 976cc V-twin producing 100 horsepower.
More importantly, it comes from the factory with much of the equipment trail riders often add later:
- 30-inch XPS Trac Force tires
- 14-inch aluminum wheels
- FOX 2.5 PODIUM QS3 shocks
- 4,500-pound winch with synthetic cable
- Full hard roof
- Premium half doors
- Heavy-duty skid protection
- LED lighting
- 15 inches of ground clearance
There is also a Maverick Sport MAX X four-seat version starting at $21,499.
For many recreational riders, this may be one of the most interesting machines in the entire 2027 lineup.
It gives buyers 100 horsepower, serious suspension and added protection without forcing them into the significantly more expensive X3 or Maverick R.
Maverick Trail Remains Only 50 Inches Wide
For riders dealing with trails that impose width restrictions, the Maverick Trail remains in the lineup.
The 2027 Maverick Trail starts at $15,499 and retains its narrow 50-inch width.
The upgraded Trail X package adds equipment that makes it far more ready to ride directly from the showroom, including a full hard roof, premium half doors, heavy-duty skid plate and 4,500-pound winch.
Engine choices include a 52-horsepower 650cc single-cylinder and a 75-horsepower 976cc V-twin, depending on configuration.
It will not grab headlines next to a 240-horsepower Maverick R, but a 50-inch machine remains important for riders whose local trail systems simply will not accommodate wider performance SXS models.
2027 Commander Gets a Significant Price Cut
One of the biggest surprises in the entire announcement is not a new engine or suspension system.
It is the price of the Commander.
The 2027 Can-Am Commander starts at $14,199, compared with $15,399 for the entry 2026 Commander.
That is a $1,200 reduction in starting MSRP before transportation and preparation charges.
The Commander continues with available 700 and 1000R engines and remains positioned as Can-Am’s crossover between utility and recreation.
It also retains a 2,000-pound towing capacity and dumping cargo box, giving it substantially more utility than a dedicated sport SXS.
For someone who wants one SXS to work around the property during the week and hit trails on the weekend, the lower starting price makes the Commander considerably more interesting.
2027 Can-Am SXS Starting Prices
For reference, the major 2027 Can-Am side-by-side families currently start at:
Defender HD7/HD9/HD10: $12,999 Commander: $14,199 Maverick Trail: $15,499 Maverick Sport X: $18,499 Defender HD10/HD11: $19,799 Defender XU HD10/HD11: $19,799 Maverick X3: $19,999 Maverick R: $39,699
Prices are U.S. starting MSRPs and do not include transportation, preparation, accessories or other applicable charges.
Eastern Bluegrass Reviews Take
The 2027 Can-Am lineup is interesting because the company did not simply chase one headline number.
The Maverick R remains the 240-horsepower halo machine, but some of the more meaningful changes happen much farther down the price range.
Adding factory trail equipment to the Maverick Sport and X3 could save buyers from immediately spending thousands of dollars on accessories. The new Defender XU packages make sense for farmers, ranchers and commercial users who view a side-by-side as equipment rather than a toy.
Lowering the entry price of the Commander also makes Can-Am’s work-and-play crossover more competitive at a time when SXS prices have moved increasingly close to automobile territory.
For performance buyers, the X3 and Maverick R remain the machines to watch.
For the average property owner or trail rider, however, the Commander, Maverick Sport X and Defender XU may be the most important additions to Can-Am’s 2027 lineup.
Which one offers the best value will depend heavily on whether your SXS spends its life hauling feed and fencing materials, running narrow trails, or chasing speed through the woods and dunes.
Eastern Bluegrass Reviews will continue covering the 2027 SXS lineup as manufacturers announce additional models, pricing and availability.