Common wisdom holds that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. And while a smart person might gather the facts over time and let those color their opinions appropriately, that first impression will still probably take up mental real estate, whether you want it to or not. 

Take, for example, the brand new Kawasaki NAV 4e.

Down to a person, everyone I know who’s seen this thing has asked me about Kawasaki’s new golf cart. To which I, since I attended the official launch for this vehicle, have responded that “Kawasaki stresses that it isn’t a golf cart.” And have then told them that Kawasaki’s official website for this vehicle is located at notagolfcart.com.

Yes, for real. Someone really registered that domain name. 

So, since I’ve now driven the Kawasaki NAV 4e Limited for myself, you might ask me if I think it’s a golf cart. And my answer is that, technically, it isn’t. For legal classification purposes, it’s a Personal Transportation Vehicle, or PTV, which usually have slightly faster top speeds than golf carts.

Since the Kawasaki NAV 4e can do at least an indicated 19 miles per hour, it’s just under the 20 mph top speed cap for a PTV in many legal jurisdictions, such as Glynn County, Georgia. Furthermore, the NAV 4e is not quite fast enough to meet the definition of a Low Speed Vehicle (LSV), which is typically between 20 and 25 miles per hour and may be regulated differently.

But those are nuances, and we all know the Internet doesn’t like nuance. So, will people call it a golf cart? Absolutely.

And maybe that’s what Kawasaki is counting on, for all its protests to the contrary. If the Internet loves something more than cat videos, it’s absolutely controversy. Keyboard warriors clacketying about how “ackshually, your RONG” in comments sections everywhere; not to mention whole bot armies summoned into battle for those unlucky enough to not have strong comment moderation policies. 

Photo by: Kawasaki

Photo by: Kawasaki

Photo by: Kawasaki

Apart from Kawasaki’s strategy in its insistence that the NAV 4e isn’t a golf cart, though, I’m here to tell you that there are substantive differences between the NAV 4e and, say, the Club Cars you might see roaming freely at RV campgrounds and other places where low-speed transportation is most commonly used. Such as, say, golf courses. 

Sure, the NAV 4e has a canopy, and it can comfortably seat multiple people. The running is also super quiet, because it’s electric. But if you’ve ever gone over a curb or tree root or speed hump so hard on a golf cart that you’re worried you may have incurred spinal damage, I have good news for you: The suspension on the NAV is definitely a step up. Maybe even a couple of steps up. You’ll still feel it, but it’ll probably be a far cry from what you’re used to. That’s true even if you’re in a NAV 4e that’s fully laden down with all four seats filled, and maybe (just maybe) towing an unlucky friend whose e-bike battery ran out.

Plush digs, indeed!

Photo by: Kawasaki

By the way, it’s “NAV,” not “Nav,” because the name is an acronym, which stands for “Neighborhood Activity Vehicle.” Kawasaki’s vision for the NAV 4e is that, in communities (gated or otherwise) where PTVs and LSVs are able to be driven on public roads, this will be the ne plus ultra version of a PTV. The Ineos Grenadier of PTVs, if you will. So hot, all the families will want it. 

I can’t tell you whether they will or not; what I can tell you is what I experienced in driving it, and that’s that it seems to be a solid, thoughtfully built machine. From the front, you can see the family resemblance between the Kawasaki NAV 4e and other Kawasaki four-wheeled off-roaders, like the Kawasaki Ridge. The NAV 4e was built from the ground up as an entirely new vehicle, though; and while it may retain styling cues from other Kawasaki vehicles, it did not explicitly repurpose items from those other vehicles—save for just one, and it’s a really important and intriguing one.

See, if you’re already up on your Kawasaki UTVs, you may already be familiar with Kawasaki’s Quick Release Mount system. It’s a cool little system that’s used to lock a host of Kawasaki accessories into place on its UTVs, using a set of proprietary little locking mechanisms that secure your chosen accessories to your vehicle. Those, Kawasaki also integrated into the NAV. 

I asked if that meant there will be crossover compatibility of accessories between Team Green’s UTV lines and the NAV 4e, and was told there won’t be. Which kind of makes sense, just talking in terms of scale. The NAV 4e is a different size; luggage racks and other things meant to fit it probably wouldn’t be a good fit for a Ridge. That’s reasonable.

But still, if you’re the type of person who has a Ridge or a Mule, and you also pick up a NAV because you’re all about that active neighborhood life, then you might be happy to know those KQR mounts will work across all your vehicles. 

Photo by: Kawasaki

The Driving (And Living) Experience

The Kawasaki NAV 4e is operated using a standard key; no electronic key fob here. The nice, bright, 7-inch, full-color LCD dash display can show you navigation, as well as facilitate smartphone pairing with either your Android or iOS device of choice. Both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are included if you’re driving the NAV 4e Limited, which is the unit I tested. That’s Kawasaki’s top-of-the-line NAV 4e variant, and the one with the most bells and whistles straight from the factory in Nebraska.

It’s also the only one that comes with speakers built into the canopy, so you can appreciate the sweet tunes you crank through your Apple CarPlay or Android Auto pairing. One of the available accessories is a subwoofer you can stick up where the frunk is on an unmodified NAV 4e. Is there street glow? I mean, you could totally find some elsewhere if Kawasaki doesn’t sell it, right? It is, after all, all about customization and making it your own.

Photo by: Kawasaki

Photo by: Kawasaki

Naturally, I cranked some tunes for part of the ride, and they sounded pretty decent through the stock speakers. They’re placed at all four corners of the canopy, so both driver and all three passengers should be able to hear the music well. That’s especially true since it’s a super quiet, belt-driven EV. Listening to music or having conversations while the vehicle is in operation is a breeze.

The foot pedals are simple; there’s a brake pedal in the middle, with a lockout/emergency brake just in front of that. If you push it down when you’re parking, it clicks into place with a satisfying clunk so you know it’s really locked in, and your NAV 4e isn’t going anywhere you don’t want it to. The go pedal (guess it’s not gas, given that it’s an EV) is on the right, and is pretty easy to modulate in operation. 

Handling is surprisingly good. The NAV 4e comes equipped with 14-inch wheels (niceness varies by trim level, along with 23-inch off-road tires. Steering inputs are good and responsive, and you can make surprisingly tight turns as long as you aren’t afraid to really crank that steering wheel full lock in either direction.

I know this because Kawasaki thoughtfully provided a little autocross course for us to check it out. Clearly, the engineers are very proud of what they’ve accomplished here, and from what I experienced, they should be. The autocross was probably a little more spirited than you’re likely to experience cruising around your neighborhood. But hey, I don’t know how you live your life, so maybe I’m wrong!

Storage space is both capacious and thoughtful. After all, if this is meant to be a Neighborhood Activity Vehicle, you’d better be able to take some stuff along with you, right? And also, you’d better be able to hydrate. Especially since we were driving these guys in the desert to test them out, where hydration is absolutely key. 

There are no less than six cupholders built into the Kawasaki NAV 4e, on all trim levels. Each one can accommodate up to a 30-ounce tumbler, so all your Stanley cups and Yeti tumblers and any other big bois you might have should fit nicely. Maybe not one of those absolutely ginormous Big Gulp mugs, but you get the idea. There are also plentiful USB-C and -A mounts, so you and your posse can all charge all the things, all the time. Yay. LED lighting front and rear come standard.

Photo by: Kawasaki

Photo by: Kawasaki

The NAV 4e is rear wheel drive, and the electric powertrain and battery setup doesn’t involve the front at all. So naturally, Kawasaki turned that area into a nice storage space, a little frunk that can fit a good amount of groceries, or a couple of backpacks, or your pickleball set (they’re big on pickleball, Kawasaki’s envisioned NAV 4e buyers are), or you name it.

There’s also a locking glove box, as well as a small (but open) storage space in the back, just above the rear bumper. If you’re not traveling with passengers in the rear seat, you can also fold it down flat for even more storage space. Incidentally, that’s where the KQR mounts can come in handy; available accessories include a cool metal storage rack that can handily corral your grocery bags or whatever else you’re carrying back there, so it doesn’t fall out if you decide to drag a knee through a corner. I kid; you probably won’t be dragging knees. Or elbows. Or maybe you will; I don’t know how you’re going to modify this thing, and I’m not your mom. 

Anyway, speaking to Kawasaki’s accessories folks also revealed the degree to which they put thought into accessories for the NAV 4e. Say you decide to use the little storage rack and the KQR mounts, but then you get somewhere, unload, and you no longer need them fully set up. And say you’d like the use of your rear seat back.

No problem! There are nice little recesses where you can store the KQR mounts when they’re not in use. And there’s also a little rack where you can stash the storage bars, so they’re up and out of the way, and you can carry people in the back seat again without having to worry about leaving your storage bars somewhere! Since my least favorite thing about a parcel shelf in a hatchback is having to figure out where to put it if I’m carrying something too big back there, I don’t know about you, but I definitely appreciate this level of attention to detail.

Photo by: Kawasaki

The rear seat on all NAV 4e trim levels flips down so you have a flat surface to carry cargo if you want.

Photo by: Kawasaki

Photo by: Kawasaki

Photo by: Kawasaki

Other OEM accessories we saw include available side mirrors (the stock NAV 4es only come with a rearview mirror as standard), additional LED lighting cubes, a big plastic zip top to protect occupants from rain (the sides zip away and roll up, so you can have ventilation too if you want), storage racks for the back, a rearview camera (yes, the NAV does have reverse), and more. 

When asked if there’s a mount for wheelchairs, I was told that one isn’t currently available. I was also told that I was the second person to ask about it, and that they thought it was a good idea. Incidentally, I also suggested how useful a bag hook in the front passenger footwell would be, much like the ones offered on a lot of small scooters (particularly ones sold in Europe and Asia). If you’re driving a NAV 4e out by yourself, having your bag near to hand instead of in the back seat or frunk is something a lot of people (myself included) prefer. Kawasaki told me that a hook like this doesn’t currently exist, but that it’s a good idea and they may take it into consideration in the future.

It may not be a golf cart, but the accessory rear storage rack can easily accommodate your golf bag contraband, should you choose to flout categorization with your NAV 4e. As far as I’m concerned, your NAV 4e, your rules. Stick what you want in your rack. Go wild. Grow your grass above HOA regulation height, or grow native plants and encourage your local monarch and native bee populations. I’m not the boss of you!

The seats are simultaneously plush and firm, and definitely look nice. Since we only had a few hours with the NAV 4e, I’m not sure how well they’d hold up to the elements. I can tell you that they do get very toasty in the sun, but that’s to be expected. Everything is IP67-rated, so Kawasaki says that it’s well protected against both dust and precipitation incursion.

Photo by: Kawasaki

Photo by: Kawasaki

All That Info Is Great, But What About Charging?

The Kawasaki NAV 4e comes in three trim levels: NAV 4e, NAV 4e LE, and NAV 4e Limited. The base NAV 4e comes with a lead acid battery, while the other two come with lithium ion batteries developed in cooperation with Inventus. But no matter which trim level you choose, charging is a simple matter of plugging it into a standard household outlet and leaving it alone for some time (exact amount varies based on battery, as well as how depleted you allowed it to get before charging). 

The base 2025 Kawasaki NAV 4e (with lead acid battery) starts at an MSRP of $12,999. Move up to the LE, and it’s $15,999. The top-of-the-line fancy NAV 4e Limited that I drove and cranked BTS and Blackpink out of starts at $19,999. These are all prices in US dollars, incidentally. 

Considering what new cars cost these days, is there a place for a $20K not-a-golf-cart in today’s market? Maybe, depending on where you live and what your daily driving needs are. I will say that speaking to the Inventus folks about their lithium ion battery technologies was super interesting, because they told us that they tested the batteries at super cold temperatures. And also informed us that there’s an integrated battery heater (and smart charging system, so fire worries are minimized) to keep your battery performance optimal even in Minnesota winter temps. 

The fit and finish is indeed what you’d expect from Kawasaki, if you’re familiar with any of its other products. It’s quite nice, and is both well- and thoughtfully made. For certain people, in certain applications, it could make sense, no matter how you categorize it.

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