Yamaha continues to receive top awards and industry praise for its innovative Grizzly 700 FI Automatic 4x4, the world’s first ATV with fuel injection and Electric Power Steering (EPS).  Since first taking top honors for Field & Stream magazine’s “Best of the Best” award in August 2006, Yamaha’s Grizzly has garnered a number of accolades including most recently being named the “Best ATV of the Year” by 4-Wheel ATV Action.

The December 2007 issue of 4-Wheel ATV Action described the Grizzly 700 as “… the big bore with everything you want: arm-stretching power, fuel injection, a versatile 4WD system, refined, effective independent suspension … plus power steering!”

“The Grizzly 700 set a new benchmark for success by capturing the attention of ATV riders everywhere, as well as many of the biggest awards for our industry,” said Mike Martinez, Yamaha General Manager of ATV & SxS Operations.  “We expect to continue our run in 2007 with increased recognition -- not only for the first electric power steering on an ATV, but also for the many other innovative features that have made the Grizzly the best utility ATV on the market today.”

Ehlert Powersports also recognized Yamaha’s Grizzly 700 at the publisher’s Awards of Excellence ceremonies on May 7, 2007, naming the vehicle its “Best Big-Bore Utility” vehicle as well as its overall “ATV of the Year.”

Two more prestigious prizes in the Grizzly 700’s trophy case include QUAD Off-Road Magazine’s 2007 Readers Choice Awards for “Favorite Utility Quad” and “Favorite Innovation” for the vehicle’s electric power steering.  The May 2007 issue complimented the vehicle stating, “The Grizzly’s innovative power steering system makes the machine a snap to steer through some of the roughest terrain.”

All-Terrain Vehicle Magazine also gave a nod to Yamaha’s Grizzly this year awarding it “Best New Concept” for the ATV’s electric power steering.  The magazine’s April 2007 write-up concluded, “The simple fact is, no matter what skill level you have, once you’ve ridden an ATV with power steering, it’s tough to go back.”  And later in the article promised, “Trust us, drive a Grizzly once and you’re hooked.”

International expert publications jumped on the Grizzly bandwagon this year as well.  ATV Rider magazine out of Canada named the Grizzly 700 the “All Category ATV of The Year” describing the vehicles as “… the first ATV equipped with power steering and the most modern injected engine.  The engineers have added a lot of features while keeping within the 600 lb. range and that is a major accomplishment.”  

Enthusiasts were not the only ones to take notice of the Grizzly 700’s increased performance and new features.  Farm Industry News recognized it as having “… topped our list of ATVs featured in the magazine.”  The Grizzly became a 2007 “FinOvation” winner for receiving the best reader interest in a new ATV.  The publication noted the new power steering and fuel injection as two key elements that warranted all of the attention.

As a final test of the Grizzly 700’s unmatched ability and innovative features, Dirt Wheels magazine recruited real world testers, including the publication’s editors and industry experts to run Yamaha’s machine through their own tests.  Compared with other vehicles in its class, the Grizzly was labeled the publication’s “Big-Bore Utility ATV Shootout” winner.