Project H2 is something that Kawasaki has teased for months, leading to much speculation and even a Mint 400 entry. The manufacturer finally revealed their “top-secret development project” on Thursday: the 2026 Kawasaki Teryx4 H2 and Teryx5 H2.

Both are performance side-by-sides with a 999cc supercharged engine, which many suspected was the crux of the project since the Kawasaki Ninja H2 superbike has one too. A “racing preview” of the H2 UTV was developed by Kawasaki partner RWD Racing for the Mint 400 Limited Race in March; the car competed in the UTV Pro Open class with Carson Wernimont but did not finish due to a small parts failure.

The engine is a liquid-cooled, in-line four-cylinder unit that produces 250 horsepower and 146.2 lb-ft of torque. Its supercharger is identical to the one on the Ninja, except the impeller spins in the opposite direction. The impeller shaft is spun by a special gear train at 13.6 times the crankshaft speed to reach a maximum engine speed of 9,500 rpm; at its highest, the impeller would spin at 130 thousand rpm. While the redline is higher, the engine itself peaks at 9,000 rpm.

The air taken in through the supercharger is funneled to an intercooler, which is not on the Ninja, located between the rear seats and cargo area near the engine. It’s also in a raised position above an electric fan so that air passes through a red mesh into the intake. Air then goes through a diffuser into a high-strength aluminum intake chamber to smoothen out the airflow. Pressure inside the intake is also regulated via blow-off valve controlled by the ECU.

Because a supercharger produces more power yet higher temperatures, parts like the camshaft and crankshaft, connecting rods, and pistons have been redesigned to be more durable. The pistons are cast rather than forged, while the crankshaft and connecting rods are respectively made from high-strength steel and forged steel alloy. The 29-millimeter intake valves are made from heat-resistant steel while Inconel (a nickel-chromium-based superalloy) is used for the 24-mm exhaust valves. The exhaust system is stainless steel. To keep the engine cool, two radiators measuring 11×13 inches and 15.75×15.75″ are situated behind the grille along with an 18-row liquid-cooled oil cooler. Louvres are also installed in the underguard along with fins on the secondary clutch to keep the transmission cool.

Unlike previous Teryx models, which have a centrifugal clutch, the H2s use a 17.6-mm rubber-belt continuously variable transmission. This reduces inertial mass and ensures the supercharger operates seamlessly.

Both versions are 159.4 inches long by 74″ wide; the base models measure up to be 71.5″ high whereas their Deluxe counterparts are 78.5″ tall (73.8″ without the antenna). For comparison, the 2025 Teryx4 is 125.4×62.6×80.5″. Each base H2 is 2,291 pounds dry, while the Teryx4 Deluxe is 2,362 lb and the Teryx5 Deluxe 2,373 lb. It also comes with a 126-inch wheelbase and 16.1 inches of ground clearance.

They rely on FOX 3.0 internal bypass shocks and a doublewishbone front suspension with 23.2 inches of wheel travel. The rear has a four-link trailing arm suspension with 24 inches of travel. The suspension can be adjusted with switches on the steering wheel between Soft, Normal, and Firm, a process that is aided with instruments like four acceleration sensors, engine ECU, IMU and steering angle sensors, and semi-active damping control ECU. An ECU is also present for the electric power steering.

For tires, the H2 uses 33-inch MAXXIS Carnivore Plus on 16″ aluminum wheels.

In the cockpit, the driver can select between Full, Mid, and Low Power on the dashboard: Mid Power caps engine output at 80% while Low Power does so at 60%. Drivers can also pick a Forward High, Forward Low, and Reverse for gears, as well as 2WD and 4WD (the latter with and without the front differential locked).

The Teryx4 features two seats in the back while the Teryx5 has a rear bench seat for three people.

A wide range of accessories will be available like sport bumpers, light guards, and nerf bars. The Teryx4 can come with an audio system that’s possible to upgrade to Stage 2 with a subwoofer.

The Teryx4 H2 will have an MSRP of $37,199 while its Deluxe version starts at $43,199. The Teryx5 H2 is $43,699. All three have the same lime green livery, though the Deluxe editions also have a black stripe running down the middle.

Featured image credit: Kawasaki