Polaris Industries has begun teasing the next iteration of its three-wheeled sporting machine, better known as the Slingshot.
First debuting for the 2015 model year, Polaris in 2020 is finally bringing an update/new edition to the Slingshot line, which will hopefully help spur sales for this autocar.
The American brand isn’t saying too much about their new Slingshot right now, but our Bothan spies have tipped us to an automatic transmission option for the reverse-trike car.
Beyond those details, all we really know about the 2020 Polaris Slingshot is that it will have a styling update, and presumably other features to help entice buyers into its seats.
It is hard to say how far Polaris will go in revamping the three-wheeler though, as the more pressing issue for the American company seems to be persuading state legislatures in the United States to classify the Slingshot as an “autocar” that requires only an automobile driver’s license to operate, though it doesn’t adhere to any of the safety regulations that come to four-wheeled automobiles.
This has been a sticking point for the Polaris Slingshot, which seems to have an unending series of recalls and safety concerns, while only having to meet very basic safety standards to be used on the road.
Despite its three-wheeled format, the Slingshot very much looks like a car, drives like a car, and is used like a car…but doesn’t have to meet DOT standards for being a car.
While the transportation sector is certainly up for grabs right now, and companies are looking for niches outside and in-between the established segments, federal and state definitions for vehicles are going to have to catch up to these new vehicles – of which the Slingshot is just one of many.
What will have to be balanced with this progress in personal transport and recreation will be the regulations that govern the use and production of these vehicles.
For a case in point, look no further than the electric scooter craze from companies like Bird and Lime, which have become the scourge of many metropolitans because of the actions of their users. But, we digress…
Expect to see the 2020 Polaris Slingshot debuting January 14th at 7PM (PST). Until then, here is a slightly more “enhanced” version of the above photo, to show some more details.
Source: Polaris
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