For model year 2026, Polaris is following the lead of other brands by offering two different versions of its top-end crossover snowmobile.
In recent years, Arctic Cat offered buyers Riot and Riot X versions of its crossover with narrow or wide skis stances, respectively. The idea? Give self-identifying crossover riders the option of one machine that is better on the trail and another that is more playoff off of the groomed path.
Cat actually took that option away when it introduced the Catalyst layout, but Ski-Doo jumped into the gap. That brand had traditionally only offered its Backcountry models with a 39-inch ski stance. For model year 2025, though, the Backcountry X-RS was offered with a buyer’s choice either that off-trail-agile 39-inch stance or 43-inch stance aimed at on-trail stability. For 2026, Ski-Doo expanded that narrow vs. wide option deeper into its Backcountry lineup.
Now for 2026, you can count Polaris as another brand participating in this trend. With its own twist, of course.
Switchback Assault Options
As you’ll see in the video (recorded at the 2026 Rode Reports/Snow Shoot spring event after riding both machines), the Switchback Assault for 2026 can be ordered with Polaris’ traditional, trail-focused Race IFS front suspension geometry. Or it can now be ordered with what Polaris is calling the Escape Front Suspension.
The Race IFS option is a known quantity to Polaris riders. Long a standard on Switchback Assaults as well as pretty much all Polaris trail-focused machines, it features a 42.5-inch stance between the centers of the brand’s Pro Steer skis. It features steel A-arms and forged spindles. On the Switchback Assault, it utilizes Walker Evans Racing Velocity piggyback clicker shocks with a 2-inch bore.
The Escape Front Suspension is the new option for Switchback customers. Its wide Gripper skis that come straight from the mountain-focused RMK lineup are set at a stance that is adjustable between 39 and 41 inches. It also has forged spindles straight from Polaris’ RMK lineup plus forged aluminum A-arm and Walker Evans Velocity shocks with a 1.75-inch bore.
Otherwise, the machines are quite similar. They share the uncoupled IGX rear suspension, three engine options (850, 850 Boost and 9R) and a multitude of track options.
As mentioned in the video, however, the machines react quite differently on and off of trails. Maybe even more so than competitive designs.
The new narrow version is definitely the one to have in off-trail playgrounds. It tilts onto one ski more easily, hold that position more readily and feels quite agile when knifing between trees or riding on sloped terrain.
However, that narrow version can be somewhat of a handful when trying to make good time on a groomed trail. While the wider Switchback Assault can be hucked through turns almost as well as an Indy model, the narrow version is more of a handful. We had to slow down and be more patient in turns on this machine.
So, for crossover customers, the real key is truly identifying the person in the mirror. Folks who spend the majority of their riding time on trails or forest roads without slopes should probably stick with the traditional layout. Riders who regularly avoid trails and instead are mostly riding between the trails on slopes hills with dig this new option.
Ultimately, the choice is yours.
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