Polaris adds pneumatic control to the 2027 Xpedition CVT

At 35 mph, the 2027 Polaris Xpedition can become noticeably quieter without abandoning the transmission already used across much of the company’s vehicle range. Polaris says its new pneumatic CVT system cuts cabin noise by about 9 decibels in Comfort mode, a setting designed for low-effort cruising and crawling.

The trick is an add-on, not a wholesale redesign. The Xpedition keeps its mechanical continuously variable transmission, or CVT, which uses a belt between a drive clutch connected to the engine and a driven clutch connected to the vehicle. As engine speed rises, centrifugal force changes the belt’s position and shifts the vehicle from a low ratio for torque to a higher ratio for speed.

Polaris adds a small compressor, an air tank and a pneumatic piston. Compressed air artificially squeezes the drive clutch, helping bring engine speed down when the vehicle does not need maximum power. The company links that lower speed to less engine noise, quieter CVT operation and better fuel economy. In Comfort mode, the system prioritizes lower rpm whenever possible; Standard splits the difference, while Sport largely ignores the pneumatics in favor of speed and power.

The design also avoids turning a comfort feature into a single point of failure. If the pneumatic hardware stops working, Polaris says the mechanical CVT continues to operate, leaving the utility vehicle operational. The compressor brings a practical bonus, too: its tank can inflate one of the Xpedition’s tires from nearly empty, or all four after off-road air-down, through an air nozzle built into the left-rear fender.

So what changes in practice? For people spending long stretches inside a large side-by-side, the claimed 9-decibel reduction could make conversation easier during ordinary travel, while the tire-filling outlet removes one piece of off-road equipment from the kit. The figures come from Polaris; no independent test is cited here, and the system’s real-world fuel and noise benefits still depend on how often the vehicle can operate without high torque.