2021 Polaris Slingshot Gets Paddle Shifters, Other Updates

Admin · December 8, 2020

The 2021 Polaris Slingshot family. (Polaris/)

Let’s be honest: We motorcyclists can have a chip on our shoulders. When some of us visit a big multi-line motorcycle dealer, we meander past all the ATVs, UTVs, side-by-sides, snowmobiles, and personal watercraft, dismissing them as weekend toys that impede the direct path to the serious stuff motorcycles. It’s almost like we think that classifying a motorcycle under the powersports umbrella does them (or our egos?) an injustice. In our minds, riding a motorcycle is more than just some blithely done leisure activity. Yup, some of us are snobs. But a 203 hp three-wheeler, like the Polaris Slingshot, can’t be too unserious, now can it?

Besides, there’s no wrong way to have a good time. In the context of powersports, I mean. We can’t, and probably shouldn’t, engage in the hallucinogen-fueled exploits of Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. In the interests of expanding our minds, we take a look at the 2021 Polaris Slingshot lineup.

The Slingshot R with optional Slingshade roof. (Polaris/)

For 2021, Polaris is adding more value to the Slingshot lineup by offering more options and accessories, updating its automatic transmission, and offering paddle shifters.

Last year, Polaris unveiled its AutoDrive automatic transmission, opening the door to a larger range of consumers. Unfortunately, it wasn’t exactly universally acclaimed, with some reviewers complaining of slow shift times. For 2021, Polaris has recalibrated the system to achieve more rapid shifting and added steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, available as an option on any ’20/’21 vehicle equipped with AutoDrive or as standard on the top-line R models. All 2021 models include a new hill hold feature that’s also available as an upgrade on 2020 models.

The interior of the Slingshot R Limited Edition features a 7-inch dash and Apple CarPlay. (Polaris/)

To better hear your road tunes, Polaris has upgraded the sound system with one designed by powersports/car audio specialists Rockford Fosgate. For the first time, Apple CarPlay will be available as an option on S and SL trim models and standard on R models.

The Slingshot is available in several trim levels. The base S model returns and is available with both manual ($19,999) and AutoDrive ($21,699) transmissions. It can be spec’d with Technology Package 1 ($22,299 for manual transmission, $23,999 for AutoDrive), which adds an updated audio system and other features. The SL ($24,999 for manual, $26,699 for AutoDrive) gets a 7-inch digital display, a back-up camera, and additional styling elements. The R model ($31,299 for manual, $33,299 for AutoDrive) has a more powerful, 203 hp engine (claimed) and upgraded finishes and styling. New for 2021, the R Limited Edition ($32,799 for manual, $34,799 for AutoDrive) gets “custom-inspired Neon Fade paint” and is equipped with all of the R model’s features.

Polaris has also expanded its accessory offerings with a range of styling and convenience options.

Two wheels up front, one in the rear: business in the front, party in the back? (Polaris/)

Lovers of two wheels may not be sure what to make of the Slingshot. But if one wants to don a helmet and go for a spin, it remains a more accessible way of getting helmet hair than jumping on two wheels. Polaris claims that Slingshot business doubled from May to September last year, and that 80 percent of its buyers were new Polaris customers.

I suppose two-wheeler snobs have at least two relevant questions. First: Are Slingshots cool enough in their own right to sidetrack you on your way to, say, the Indian section of your local dealership? And second: Are they close enough to a bike for you to wave at them when riding past them on the road? Consider: They fall under the powersports umbrella, just like motorcycles. Maybe Honda had it right: Most motorcyclists in the real world, unlike those in a Hunter S. Thompson story, have good manners, generous spirits, and are, you know, nice people, even if we can be a stingy lot when it comes to waving.