Mainville ATV and Outdoors

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Review - Segway Fugleman UT10X

We recently had to opportunity to cover the latest addition to the UTV off-road market here at Mainville ATV and Outdoors. Segway’s entry to the utility side by side market, the Fugleman UT10X! We are always open to new competition in the market and Segway did a fantastic job out of the gate. Segway only recently came into Canada with their first units showing up fall of 2021. With that being said, their dealer network is growing faster than I ever could have expected. We only recently managed to get our hands on some units thanks to Thunder City and the support from Segway Powersports Canada.

2022 Estevan, Saskatchewan. Thunder City Segway Dealer - Photo by Kyle Mainville

Before we get into the full review, there are a few things to address. Segway Powersports Canada is brand new top to bottom. Backed by a long history of design and technology in other segments on the market. I fully expected lack luster details and growing pains but I can tell you now that they are very minor but more on that later. Next is my personal bias. I received these units on loan but I am not not directly paid. They do and did cover expenses in order to pick them up but I like to be clear there is no monetary bonus to fluff this review. Even Segway has been clear to be truthful and encouraged pointing out any flaws to better their product. This is the reason I am very excited about Segway. Lastly if you want to know more “sheet data” like information use this chart: Fugleman Spec Sheet.

There are two models of Fugleman. The base model UT10E and the more deluxe UT10X, which is what we have. This review will apply to both where it really matters. First up, first impressions. Before I ever had access to these machines I had been keeping an eye on them online and I can tell you the look wasn’t a massive hit for me at first. That changes significantly the moment you see them in person. There’s something very unique about them even though at first glance you know right away its a fairly standard utility side by side design. This I believe is right on the mark. It promotes something different while still being what you expect. The first thing I could tell is the fit and finish of the plastics and everything you interact with is very tight. There was only two exceptions to this. The half door design seemed rushed and did not fit into the channeled cage like you would expect so the bottom does not seal in any way like its competitors. It also oddly does not have a handle on the outside of the door. I expect this to get better over time and is why I referenced growing pains. The other was the tail gate, once opened had two cables to hold it up but once you go to close it the cables are constantly in the way of it latching shut. I try not to be picky but Segway is under microscope in the market and there is a fine line of judgment where these little details can be important to people.

Photo Provided by Segway Powersports Australia

Here is where things pull away from the standard utility side by side market, the interior. This is where Segway is showing leadership in the industry. While other brands are putting it together, Segway has it. The center display has every feature you can imagine. With its bluetooth and wifi connectivity the game changes. On board navigation, music and vehicle data like tilt angles this is what I expect from them. I connected my phone via their “Segway Powersports” app and was able to see the data I have always wanted to know about my vehicle and other friends connected to the app. It is all as simple as scanning the code inside the glovebox and you’re all setup. The LCD display in front of the steering wheel has everything you need quickly while operating the vehicle. I did have connection issues from swapping from the Snarler to the fugleman and it doesn’t seem to support multiple Segway profiles yet which I hope to see fixed but when I brought my issues to the dealer they had solutions for me in good time.

The interior space is wide open for those hunters, homesteaders and various property maintainers allowing for all of your bulky gear to slide in no issues. Every chance they had to create a storage space they did which is great although I’d like to see more ways of retaining items in those spaces while travelling. All of the levers and buttons were solid which felt nice. Although the starting process is highly over complicated. You insure its in park, turn the key, hit the fuel pump switch and finally hit the push to start and that’s before taking the emergency break off (which is mandatory as it has alarms for all of these steps) and putting it into gear. I feel like this can be stream lined a little bit for those entering and exiting the vehicle often.

Overall the interior feels really solid. I have had several people check the machines out and all of them say the same thing; “it feels tight”. The fit and finish is easily the most impressive.

2022 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Fugleman Test Ride - Photo by Kyle Mainville

Performance. Not something usually heavily focused on in the utility market but this is actually what impress and surprised me the most about the Fugleman. 105hp is quite normal in the 1000cc naturally aspirated market. What I can say is the Fugleman is using that 105hp incredibly well. I was highly surprised at how this large machine maneuvered and travelled through its RPM. Clutch engagement was a little too aggressive in low and dialed in very well everywhere else. I had way more fun than I thought I would considering this isn’t the more sport oriented Segway Villain. I am confident no one will knock the Fugleman for its power delivery when they get their hands on it.

2022 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Fugleman Test Ride - Photo by Kyle Mainville

We are going to wrap this up with some of its final features or lack of. Starting with the tire and wheel combo. The Wanda trail tires are fairly standard and a slight improvement over what is offered by other brands. They are light, and quite soft making them nice on the trail or rocky situations. They will do well for most people in this segment. The other side of that is they will likely puncture and wear quickly. The wheels are an in house Segway branded one-side bead lock which as a more “spirited” rider I am excited to see!

The tilt bed is large and has a decent carrying capacity. I am happy to see handles on both sides to release the bed and the gas shocks inside are very strong and I can see them helping lift a decent load. It has a full two inch receiver in the rear, again with decent towing capacity but Segway has added a tension bolt to stop your hitch from rattling around. These details are nice to see.

We had issues with decals on the more porous plastics not staying on and within the first ride we had to pull them off, no issues with any of the others. The suspension is very basic with the only adjustment being the spring preload. I would certainly expect more options in this category in the future especially given what the Segway Villain sport side by side has available like their in house remote reservoir shocks.

The front bumper houses a highly over rated 4500lbs winch, which I love to see. The rear bumper is slightly awkwardly positioned for protection and what I believe is a step to help you into the box. Would like to see that revisited.

2022 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Photo by Kyle Mainville

Final thoughts. I am truly impressed. There are many small improvements to be made and I expect Segway to be a huge contender that can rattle the market. How they handle these small issues in the coming years will tell me everything I need to know about how they handle customer feedback. I am especially excited on the technology they are implementing but I am concerned it can get out of hand when it comes to home repair or simply being needless. So far that is not the case. I have a feeling the future hybrid electric technology is what will really take this line up to a whole new place. My experience with the Fugleman UT10X has been surprisingly wonderful.

I will leave a list of things I would like to see improved upon.
- Model options for different niches.
- More available additions like windscreens, full doors and tire options.
- Mesh nets or doors on storage compartments.
- Improvements and better guidance on the Segway Powersports APP.
- Remove unnecessary steps in operation (like start up).
- Add the ability to disable the various alarms. (Reverse, Seat, Park Brake etc)

Huge thank you to Segway for giving us the opportunity to check these machines out and to Thunder City in Estevan Saskatchewan for providing the units themselves. For more, make check to check out our YouTube channel.