The Kawasaki Jet Ski range is poised to receive a major boost with two new models due to be unveiled on 1 February 2023.
Overnight, the Kawasaki USA Facebook page told its audience: “The holidays are over but there are still a few things to unwrap. Four new vehicles dropping (1 February 2023). Mark those calendars.”
The image shows two motorcycles and two Jet Skis under covers.
While Kawasaki is yet to confirm what is under the Jet Ski covers, there is plenty of speculation about what the two new models could be.
The most likely option is a non-supercharged version of the recently overhauled Kawasaki Ultra Jet Ski, after the previous model (pictured below) went out of production earlier this year.
Kawasaki Ultra LX Jet Ski production ends after 15 years, now for the new model
Three new flagship supercharged versions of the Kawasaki Ultra Jet Ski range were unveiled in the US in October 2021, though didn’t start arriving in Australia until the second half of 2022 due to ongoing production slowdowns and shipping bottlenecks.
Kawasaki has been without the non-supercharged, full-size Ultra Jet Ski for close to 12 months after that model disappeared from the line-up.
Adopting the new Kawasaki Ultra top-deck – while retaining the previous non-supercharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine and the previous hull design – would provide an opportunity to reintroduce this popular model, which is a rival to the Yamaha FX HO and Sea-Doo GTX 170.
It is also possible Kawasaki could expand the non-supercharged Ultra LX range to include more than one model (in the same way Yamaha has the FX HO and Yamaha FX HO Cruiser with tiered seating).
When Kawasaki introduced the supercharged versions of the overhauled Ultra Jet Ski platform, the company added the option of a deck extension, clip-on accessories, and hi-tech features such as daytime running lights, a digital dash, and a four-speaker audio system.
Our best guess is there could be two variants: a base model of the non-supercharged Kawasaki Ultra Jet Ski as well as a premium non-supercharged model with the deck extension, daytime running lights and the four-speaker audio system shared with the top-line supercharged Kawasaki Ultra Jet Ski model unveiled in October 2021.
Kawasaki Australia representatives have previously told Watercraft Zone the company is preparing to reclaim market share by introducing new models over the next year or so.
Confidential figures show Kawasaki Jet Ski had a 6 per cent share of the personal watercraft market in Australia last year compared to Sea-Doo (77 per cent) and Yamaha WaveRunner (17 per cent).
At the 2022 Sydney Boat Show, the national sales and marketing manager for Kawasaki Motors Australia, Robert Walker, told Watercraft Zone: “We want to expand our market share and that means we need to introduce new models. The company is fully behind expanding and growing our Jet Ski model range.”
Mr Walker said while the Kawasaki Ultra LX (pictured above) is currently out of the range “there will eventually be another model that will fit into that category.”
“We have a couple of model variants on the drawing board that we will add to the range,” he said.
When asked about fitting the new top deck from the latest supercharged Kawasaki Ultra Jet Ski series onto a range of non-supercharged models, the Kawasaki Australia executive said:
“We have access to the hulls, we have access to the top decks, and we can mix and match.”
There is also unsubstantiated speculation the company could add a supercharged version of the mid-size Kawasaki STX 160 Jet Ski (which is currently powered by a non-supercharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine).
Such a machine could deliver the highest power-to-weight ratio in the Jet Ski market.
Although a Kawasaki outlet in Australia – Brisbane-based KSpeed – and enthusiasts in Japan and France have experimented with a supercharged version of the STX 160, it remains to be seen whether the factory will one day build its own.
In the meantime, check back with Watercraft Zone on 1 February 2023 for more details on the two new Kawasaki Jet Ski models and when they are due in Australia.
Timing is yet to be confirmed, but if history is a guide, the new models could arrive in local showrooms in late 2023 or early 2024.
We will publish more information as it becomes available.
MORE: 2022 Kawasaki Ultra Jet Ski supercharged range unveiled
MORE: Kawasaki Ultra LX goes out of production
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