An industrial manufacturing company known as AUSA (pronounced owl sa) is bringing its new RUV to the market place in the US.
AUSA located in Barcelona Spain is not new to the equipment world. Celebrating 50 years of manufacturing and a leading manufacturer of vehicles under seven tons they do business in over 60 countries.
AUSA designed the Task M50 for the harsh environments of mining and construction and in doing so happened upon an unlikely benefit - A vehicle with a fun factor. Built rugged from the ground up and utilizing a fresh view and idea about what a UTV/RUV should be, the Task M50 can be said to be only one thing in todays world of competing RUVs - revitilizing.

We put this machine through a typical workout for an RUV and it came through it with impressive results for a first generation offering. We subjected it to an incline of approx. 44 degrees and it climbed it with no problem with two full size adults aboard and came down it using only its engine braking system. This unit relys on the power from the familiar CAN AM powerplant found in the Outlander 400 series ATVs. While we had limited time on this unit it was pretty obvious this unit was designed to be serious about its introduction into the market place.



Lets take a trip through this unit from front to rear and I will explain the features as we go.


Looking at the front of this machine you can see AUSA was serious about protection. This heavy gauge front fascia not only looks good but is serious about protecting the radiator from damage from impacts. Wondering what those big amber round lights are? Those are turn signals for this unit. Something new on this side of the water for those of us in the Southern 49.



Moving back to the hood area we discover there is lockable storage here. A nice addition for individuals needing security when out on the trails or out using it as a utility. The diamond plating hard floor is another bonus in case you need to create a mounting surface for something heavier. Did you notice there is a strange bottle with blue fluid in it. If you order the optional cab system with the AUSA Task M50 it comes complete with windshield wiper with a washer system. This should wake some other RUV manufacturers up to quality design and functionality.



Stepping back to the "cab" area of this machine reveals some well thought out design. The unit comes standard with bucket seats but offers the purchaser the option of a bench making it a three person RUV. Notice the use of diamond plate throughout the interior. What is that in the center between the seats - it is the differential lock for the rear end. Also notice the molded arm rest not metal as some others do. Did I mention this unit offers ROPs protection on every model as standard equipment?



As we turn left to look at the instrument panel we find a large three way switch. Push the swith up and you get the horn push it left or right and it activates the turn signals. The igition switch here is a right turn unit. The speed/hour meter here is calibrated in km/h on top and mp/h in the center. Very easy to read from the cab. To the right of the steering wheel we have a gear selector that has at the bottom PARK. Now would be a good time to through in the fact this unit is powered by BRP's 400 HO engine and tranny with all the parts directly interchangeable. So if there is not a AUSA dealer close to where you are and you need an oil change you can go get your filter at the local CAN AM dealer.



Moving on back we find this huge dump box. All metal construction. The box while being huge only offers dump box unlatching from the operator side of the vehicle. It is a pull out handle that requires very little effort unloaded but I was not able to test the unit with a load in the bed to see how much effort needed to be applied when loaded. AUSA also sells an electric assist for the dump bed as well. Immediately under the bed this unit offers full lighting. It has reverse lighting as well as sounding beacor, signal lights as well as brake lights.



Did I mention this unit had a five link independent rear suspension? For a straight axle in this configuration I found the unit to be very agile and flex pretty good for a machine in this configuration. Notice the size of that drive shaft in this unit.



A couple of items needing off road proofed as you can see here are the engine breather hose and the belt breather hose. However if you look at the engine compartment it should stay pretty clean as they have protected it pretty well from debris from the front and rear wheels.



Finishing up on this side of the unit we look into the cab from the passenger side. As you can see the dash offers a large engine stop light, emergency flasher switch and a 12V DC outlet. Switches here will vary depending upon the options installed.

Speaking to the rep today I was told this unit comes standard with a one year warranty. If a person purchases the door option for the cabs it comes complete with a heater that has the hookup already built into the dash. The unit compares favorably with other units out on the market and has an added bonus - this unit holds back better than any other unit we have ever tested, on a grade of about 44 degrees we never had to touch the brakes. Unit has as much power as all other RUVs in this class 28.5 HP / 21 Kw. The unit runs at 43.5 MPH / 70 Km/h with very little effort. It has a reported 80 degree obstruction angle and a 72 degree departure angle. The unit weighs in at 550 kg / 1213 pounds. It has a payload capacity of 500 kg / 1102 pounds. It has a towing capacity of 750 kg / 1652 pounds with a trailer that has brakes. The unit also has 355mm / 14 inches of ground clearance in the center of the unit and 210mm / 8.3 inches at the axles. Unit is 2960mm / 9.7 feet long and 1500mm / 4.9 feet wide. This is one revitilizing machine to enter the market place. The other manufacturers might want to take notice at the first offering being made here as the machine comes in three flavors and standard options plus the goodies you get with upgrades are a great value for the dollar.

Great review! How much do they retail for? Base model and fully loaded.


Cheers,

I believe the base model is Suggested Retail for the same price as a Polaris Ranger this is one item I did not nail a definite number down for I heared $11,000 as the MSRP for the M50 base but others I did not get numbers for. The one in the article is a base model +100 for green, +whatever the cab option was. The rest is all standard equipment.

Excellent writeup Dustin! Looks like this segment is continuing to grow with another quality product.

...kinda looks like the ranger...

great work DM! excellent article.

The word on the AUSA is that the engineering and construction of these units is exceptional. I think they will have a big impact on the commerical side of the market and it will be interesting to see how much penetration into the recreation market they will achieve. If nothing else, I hope this will push Yamaha & Polaris (and the other RUV manufacturers) into improving their engineering and build quality of their products.

What impresses one more than the initial construction quality of the unit is how they package their options and initial warranty of the unit. I think one could say the others need to start adding value to an already overpriced market. I think maybe if this segment starts doing this that ATV owners will expect the value added options as well.

any idea when they will be available to the US and Canada

Too bad its not a "true" independant rear suspension. I could see this thing getting hung up on rocks and stumps just under the waterline. Now I'm itching even more for Can-Am to enter this category with an 800 EFI RUV that will revolutionize the RUV segment. ZZZZZZZZZZ!

they are available now - should be able to contact AUSA in the US for a dealer near you.

I rode one of these in 2005 at a John Deere training session in florida. I was impressed with this machine, I liked it better then the Gator HPX but liked it less then the Rhino and Ranger because of its solid axle.