An all-new Sea-Doo Spark – and Sea-Doo Spark Trixx – were due to be unveiled this year, but the highly-anticipated second-generation models have reportedly been delayed until at least 2024.
Sea-Doo changeovers usually occur nine years after the launch of the previous model.
Given the Sea-Doo Spark was introduced in 2014 – joined in 2018 by the tail-riding Spark Trixx – industry insiders were expecting to see an all-new model unveiled this year ahead of 2023 showroom arrivals.
However, ongoing production interruptions appear to have put the brakes on the new Sea-Doo Spark and Trixx editions, while parent company BRP focuses on more profitable models in its watercraft range.
Priced from less than $8000 when it was introduced in 2014 (though pricing has since climbed to between $8769 and $13,699 excluding trailer and registration), the Sea-Doo Spark established a new entry point in the personal watercraft market globally.
Watercraft Zone understands the Sea-Doo Spark and Trixx updates have been delayed while manufacturer BRP redirects its engineering resources to other more lucrative models across its vast portfolio.
Helpfully for Sea-Doo, the Spark and Spark Trixx remain hugely popular – and still look fresh – despite their age.
Compared to other Sea-Doo models, they are also less reliant on semiconductors, a shortage of which has slammed the brakes on production of Jet Skis, automobiles, and other tech-heavy industries.
Kevin Shaw, the editor-in-chief of The Watercraft Journal, the world’s biggest Jet Ski website, has reported that major updates to the Sea-Doo Spark and Sea-Doo Spark Trixx twins have been postponed.
“Sea-Doo does a really good job getting the media on brand-new skis really fast,” Shaw said in his latest YouTube broadcast.
“They have something new come out, they’re really good about getting (media) on units. This year, they’re not doing a big (media event).
“And that leads me to believe that we are definitely not seeing the new-generation Spark anytime soon, because when it’s a big deal like a redesigned Spark, (Sea-Doo) makes a big deal about it.
“The Sea-Doo Spark redesign has been pushed back minimum a year.”
Meantime, the design of the next-generation Sea-Doo Spark and Sea-Doo Spark Trixx remain under wraps. And it is for now unclear what will power the new models.
Last year, The Watercraft Journal reported that Sea-Doo had experimented with a 1630cc three-cylinder in the tiny lightweight Spark hull.
In its most modest guise, Sea-Doo’s 1630cc three-cylinder has an output of 130 horsepower, versus 60 horsepower and 90 horsepower from the current Sea-Doo Spark’s 900cc three-cylinder.
At the time, the Watercraft Journal reported that, if such a model were to get the go-ahead, the high-powered Sea-Doo Spark of the future could wear an ‘X’ badge.
The so-called Sea-Doo Spark X would bring the entry model of the range into Sea-Doo’s performance family (Sea-Doo RXP-X300, Sea-Doo RXT-X300), possibly alongside a rebranded Sea-Doo GTR-X 230.
In its latest YouTube broadcast, The Watercraft Journal told its global audience most models in the 2023 Sea-Doo line-up are expected to remain unchanged, though there will likely be a new focus on performance variants.
The blacked-out Sea-Doo RXP-X300 with carbon-fibre accents unveiled by Australian Formula One ace Daniel Ricciardo (pictured above) in the lead-up to the Miami F1 GP earlier this year, is said to be a pointer to a revised and expanded performance ‘X’ series for 2023.
Kevin Shaw told his audience last week: “I reached out to Sea-Doo and they said … that one’s a real thing, there’s something to that.
“My understanding is … that you’re probably going to see an upgrade in handling and traction components (such as) steering, intake grate, sponsons,” he said.
“And that is going to be marketed as a new Sea-Doo ‘X’ series (such as) RXP-X, RXT-X, and possibly a GTR-X.”
We will know this week exactly what Daniel Ricciardo was teasing Sea-Doo fans with.
The 2023 Sea-Doo line-up is due to be unveiled at a global dealer event in Salt Lake City, Utah, on 7 August 2022 US time (8 August 2022 Australian time).
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