May 01, 2007 - John Deere is extending its industry-leading line of utility vehicles with the introduction of the Gator™ XUV 4x4. These new vehicles are designed to deliver outstanding performance at the job site and on the most challenging off-road terrain.

"The utility vehicle market has been growing over the past few years," notes Kel Davison, Divisional Sales Manager, John Deere Limited. "We've been participating in this growth with our Gator™ High-Performance Series (HPX) models, and the XUV is an extension of our line that provides even more benefits that buyers are looking for."

Davison adds that customers are doing more with their utility vehicles than ever before.

"When shopping for a utility vehicle, customers want it to be capable of putting in a hard day's work and also be able to operate in all types of conditions. Today's buyer needs excellent comfort and ride quality, they want a vehicle that offers power and acceleration, and they want the stability to handle a wide range of loads. We're able to deliver all of that with the new XUV."

To meet the demand for superior terrain capability the Gator™ XUV features a best-in-class True 4WD system with an on-demand locking front differential that provides greater operator control than competitive products. This system allows the operator to select 1, 2, 3, or 4-wheel drive operation, to optimise for turf friendliness or for rugged terrain, and everything in between.

The John Deere Gator™ XUV features a new Advanced Suspension System that provides customers with a high-quality, comfortable ride, even when tackling the most rugged terrain. Equally important, the suspension has been optimised to handle everything from light or no-load operations to maximum cargo capacity (453 kilograms for the cargo box, 635 kilograms total payload capacity). The Advanced Vehicle Systems of the new Gator™ XUV deliver the acceleration and power to better handle increased loads.

For more information on John Deere products visit our Web site at www.deere.com.au or FREECALL 1800 800 981 in Australia or 0800 303 100 in New Zealand to contact your local John Deere dealer.