Can-Am Buggies Explained: Side-by-Sides, SSVs and Which One Suits You

If you've been searching for a "Can-Am buggy," you're not alone — it's how most Australians describe these machines. But walk into a dealership and you'll hear different language: side-by-side, SSV, UTV. They're all describing the same thing, and the terminology can make shopping confusing.

Here's a plain-English guide to Can-Am buggies, what separates the model families, and how to work out which one suits the way you ride or work.

What is a Can-Am buggy?

A buggy — properly called a side-by-side or SSV (Side-by-Side Vehicle) — is an off-road vehicle where driver and passenger sit alongside each other in bucket seats, with a steering wheel, seatbelts and a roll-over protection structure.

That's the key difference from a quad bike or ATV, where you straddle the machine like a motorbike and steer with handlebars. If you're carrying passengers, hauling gear or working long days, a side-by-side is generally the more practical and safer choice.

The word "buggy" gets used for everything from beach dune buggies to race-prepped desert machines. In the Can-Am range it covers a spread of purpose-built vehicles, from work utilities to genuine high-performance off-roaders.

The Can-Am side-by-side families

Maverick — built for performance

The Maverick family is the closest thing to what most people picture when they say "buggy" — a fast, aggressive, recreational off-roader built for dunes, desert and trail riding. Long-travel suspension, serious power and a low, wide stance make the Maverick the choice for riders chasing adrenaline rather than a load capacity.

If you follow off-road racing, this is the family that competes at events like the Finke Desert Race.

Defender — built to work

The Defender family sits at the opposite end. These are work vehicles first: cargo boxes, towing capacity, low-range gearing and durability for farms, stations, mine sites and trades. They'll still handle rough terrain comfortably, but the priority is getting a job done.

The Defender HD10 XMR is a good example — an 82 hp mud-ready build with snorkelled air intakes, 15 inches of ground clearance and a factory-fitted 4,500 lb winch, designed for operators working in wet, boggy conditions.

Visit us at 42 Bakewell Drive, Port Kennedy, or get in touch and we'll help you narrow it down.

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Or call us on (08) 9524 5858. Finance options are available — talk to our team about what suits your circumstances.