Arctic Cat is Back Again

Arctic Cat has survived once again, and the new company owners and returning core employees say the brand is positioned to thrive. 

After a fall and winter filled with grim headlines including notices of mass layoffs, no promise of future products and an owner in Textron that seemed to treat the brand like a red-headed stepchild (at best), the assembly lines in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, are now rolling once more. 

When news broke of Cat’s new life, Team Arctic fanatics rejoiced, most riders and industry insiders celebrated and even the brand’s competitors and detractors breathed a big sigh of relief. 

The savior on the white stallion was former Cat VP Brad Darling. Now president of amphibious vehicle maker Argo and its parent company Ontario Drive & Gear, Darling led a group of Argo investors to purchase Arctic Cat from Textron. He will serve as president of both companies, which will run in parallel with some shared resources. 

The deal was announced on April 24, though financial terms were not disclosed. But the very next day – April 25 – Darling and Director of Snowmobile Product Strategy Troy Halvorson unveiled a surprisingly complete 2026 Arctic Cat snowmobile lineup that was 27 models deep. It included a first-of-its-kind two-stroke trail sled with electric-assist power steering (EPS), a high-output touring sled and the return of twin-rail mountain sleds. 

“As you know, we’ve been kind of under a weird umbrella over the last six or seven months with the announcement by Textron about not doing production beyond the first half of the year,” Halvorson told the snowmobile media. “But Textron was good in that they let us continue to develop because we all knew that this brand is so important to a lot of people, to the industry, to the diehard customer base, that we felt pretty confident that someone was going to pick us up.” 

Through a quiet summer, a few naysayers asked, “Is Cat really back?” But then, just as Darling promised in April, the Arctic Cat assembly lines started rolling again in August.

“Arctic Cat is in the hands of believers,” Darling said on August 8. “From day one I knew everyone involved was ready to roll up their sleeves and dig in. That proof continues to show itself every day. Now, in the past couple of weeks, we have not only released a new off-road lineup but also hit the start button on the production line. I couldn’t be prouder of the efforts put forth and everything we have been able to accomplish in the first 90 days.” 

The new company has announced it will return to racing, plus it showed dealers an ATV/UTV lineup in July. But we know our readers care most about the 2026 Arctic Cat sleds. 

Trail Machines

The 2026 Arctic Cat snowmobile lineup is dominated by Catalyst chassis two strokes for the trails, mountains and crossovers. There are also powerful returning four-strokes sled in the ProCross/Ascender platform with Yamaha engines – yes, Yamaha will still be an engine supplier to Cat. Mid-sized sleds (previously called “Blasts”) also return. 

 The biggest buzz, though, was generated by two purple and black sleds that dominated the spring order program: An innovative new Arctic Cat EXT Special, and a commemorative ZR 120 youth sled with throwback Kitty Cat graphics. 

The EXT truly should be special. Found in the third-year Catalyst chassis and powered by the second-year 858cc big bore twin, it’ll be the first two-stroke snowmobile featuring EPS. 

Four-stroke Cat and Yamaha buyers have loved the EPS system for its ability to ease steering effort and also mute negative handlebar feedback. But an added benefit is that, with steering effort negated, designers can get more aggressive with other machine parts. 

That is reflected on the EXT Special with C&A Pro XPT skis, aggressive carbides and an Ice Ripper XT track. Also, Cat officials altered the steering ratio so the skis turn more with less handlebar movement. The EXT also gets handlebar-controlled Fox iQS shocks on all four points. Throwback graphics harken to the legendary 1971 EXT Special. 

All Cats equipped with the 858cc two-stroke, including the EXT Special, have updates to the engine mounting system, oil and fuel calibrations, airbox sealing and more to make the torquey twin vibrate less and run better. 

Beyond the EXT, Cat’s single-passenger trail Catalyst lineup looks familiar for 2026. It includes: 

• ZR Sno Pro models (600 or 858, in 129- or 137-inch track lengths) with ACS5 shocks and a sport gauge; 

• ZR ATAC 137 models (600 or 858) with push-button controlled Fox iQS shocks above the skis and on the rear arm, and the high-tech G8 touchscreen display with mapping; and 

• Hard-charging ZR R-XC 137 models (600 or 858) with upgraded shocks, chassis reinforcements and features from Cat’s cross-country racing effort. 

Four-stroke fans can choose between the returning ZR 7000 with a naturally aspired 1049cc Yamaha triple or Thundercat EPS ATAC with a 200 HP, 998cc boosted triple. Both will be in the dated ProCross chassis that carries four strokes well. 

Two-up riders see the return of the Pantera 7000 plus a new turbocharged Pantera 9000 with EPS. The “new” model is essentially Yamaha’s retired Sidewinder S-TX GT, now rebranded and kept alive as a Cat. 

Tiny & Tweeners

As teased, the ZR 120 was a star during the spring program for two reasons. First, it’s adorned with striking throwback colors and graphics cueing the original 1972 Kitty Cat. Second, Cat announced that it will be a final edition now that the 120 is overshadowed by the popular (and returning) ZR 200. 

Bridging the gap between those youth sleds and the full-sized models are the former Blast mid-sized sleds powered by a 399cc single-cylinder two-stroke. They are:

• A trail-focused ZR 400 with a 121-inch track and 38-inch ski stance; 

• A Riot 400 crossover with a 146-inch track and

38-inch stance; 

• A Riot 400 Touring with a two-up seat, 146-inch track, 40-inch stance and swaybar;

• An M 400 deep-snow sled with a 146- by 2-inch track; and

• A Norseman 400 utility sled with a 146- by 1.6-inch track and cargo rack. 

Cat’s 2026 Mountain Lineup

In recent years, Arctic Cat tied its deep-snow wagon to its unique, single-beam Alpha rear suspension. Many riders loved it, but not all. So Cat is bringing back twin-rail options for 2026 in two new models.

New are the HCX (for Hard Core Extreme) and HCR (for Hill Climb Racer) 858 models. The HCX targets jumpers and is similar to the old Hardcore M models, with Fox FLOAT QS3 shocks and a braced, twin-beam Float-Action rear suspension surrounded by a 146-inch PowderClaw. Designed for competition, the HCR uses coil-over Fox QS3 shocks, a vertical steering post and a 154- by 2.6-inch PowderClaw.

Returning M-series sleds – Sno Pros with ACS5 shocks or ATAC models with iQSLs – come with up to 7 pounds of weight reduction thanks to an aluminum drive shaft, lightweight brake disc, Stealth 88 brake caliper and master cylinder, plus some changes to the ring gear. Plus, the G8 digital display is now flat-mounted for better visibility while standing.

All 858 deep-snow models come with the refinements mentioned earlier to reduce vibration and improve run quality.

Riot Crossovers  

Like in the ZR and M lineups, the Riot 858 two-strokes ditch the base model with cheap shocks, giving riders the choice between a Sno Pro with five-position ACS5 shocks or an ATAC models with push-button-control of Fox iQS3 shocks. Both use 146-inch Hurricane tracks with 1.75-inch lugs, the uncoupled Cross-Action skid, wide skis and an adjustable 38-40-inch stance. 

  Rounding out the lineup is a returning four-stroke Riot 9000 EPS, which is essentially a Thundercat with a 146-inch shoe and an uncoupled rear suspension.

Cat officials have admitted that this first year the total build may be limited by parts availability from suppliers, given Cat’s late relaunch. But the brand it back – refreshed and re-energized.