The world's most unlikely performance boat | Hydrolift X-27 SUV test drive | Motor Boat & Yachting

Pilothouse boats never used to be the sportiest of craft. Practical, yes. Seaworthy, yes. Good value, usually. But sporty? Not so much. However, change is afoot... Hugo takes the Hydrolift X-27 SUV for a 50-knot test drive.
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[@hugoandreae3495]

It’s worth bearing in mind that most pilothouse boats of this style and size only do around 30-35 knots and rattle and bang like hell even at that speed. This one is doing 50 knots yet rode better and felt more solid than many of its competitors. It’s not as tough as a Botnia Targa or as forgiving to drive as an Axopar but it’s astonishingly quick for a boat with a single 300hp engine, tremendous fun to drive yet surprisingly versatile.

[@dennied7826]

Compared to an Axopar it's a boat you might want to own for use outside of a tender, it looks like he had the windows and such open which probably added a lot to the rattles.

[@soren2381]

Targa goes over 40 knots and it dont make a sound 😀

[@TheOriginalItchyman]

Any cab/pilothouse style boat of this size will always rattle around a bit, but most aren't capable of this speed, so the rattles and bangs are compounded. It'd be interesting to hear how it sounds at 30-35kn, just for a comparison.

[@paulnorman8274]

@@soren2381Bangs and pops and creaks and rattles, are pretty much unavoidable with "French Style" (I know this is Scandinavian, but the big French yards are the originators and masters of this...Now Axopar and other Scandie yards and "design houses" are following suit) "cleverness" in the form "pull this out here, change this into that, reconfigure this, hide that, plug this in here, flip this over there, modular this and that...." A Targa is much less "clever." Instead, things are simply built solid. Can't transform to the same extent, but also won't rattle, bang and creak. Hydrolifts are fast, though... And fundamentally sound at high speeds. Not just boats with engines writing checks that hulls, control surfaces and controls can't cash.This thing only has a 300hp engine. And does 50 knots safely. It's not a bad boat at all. Fundamentally solid. Just won't ever feel and sound like a Targa bomb shelter, as long as they can't keep themselves from competing with Benetau for all-things-to-all-boatshow-goers cleverness. A Targa, any Targa, would need lots more power to reach 50 knots. So if speed's your thing, and conditions where you boat allow for such speeds much of the time, I could totally see picking something like this.

[@gaycha6589]

I think some commenters are missing the point. This is a sports boat with a cabin and wheelhouse. Hydrolift are Norwegian Company and enclosed wheel houses are necessary for all season boating and archipelago hopping/commuting that is Nordic boating market. In automotive terms, it’s more hot hatch than X5 (Botnia). It’s for those in a hurry in all weathers. In terms of toughness, Google Hydrolift class one offshore racing. They make very tough and very fast offshore boats. Wouldn’t be my choice unless I needed to outrun the weather, leaving the Botnia etc in my wake...

[@nothingsurprisesmeanymore]

Oh yes I can see and hear what a smooth ride it is 😄 and with that narrow beam at rest it didn't make me want to hurl at all 😂😄😑🤢🤮

[@mac5917]

Guess you’ve never driven a SUV boat at 50knots...

[@Maliciajiujitsu]

He almos died and say that is nice 😂

[@Team_Trade_Down]

Agreed on both points...not for me.

[@jakes5530]

5:15 “I know I’ve been banging on about” Oh that boat’s been banging alright... sounds like it’s about to fall apart

[@dennied7826]

That's what I was thinking the whole time I was watching 😂 Dear god

[@computerbob06]

The Grand Slam edition! Designed by a powerboat racer......... Who doesn't mind a bumpy ride!

[@gaycha6589]

I don’t mind!

[@sgabriel]

Bang bang bang. Also has to be one of the most awkward-looking boats ever.

[@dennied7826]

Seriously! What is that godawful rattle with every wave, boat sounds like it's about to fall apart.

[@EgilWar]

Really sounds and looks like you need a good pair of hydraulic shock absorbing seats.

[@andrewbeale2585]

At £160k+ I would rather have a lightly used Botnia Targa 31, same workmanlike looks which you either love or loathe, almost as much performance, but so much more comfort and stability on the water, and with a much better ride, Botnia Targas have diesel inboards on sterndrives, which is so much safer than combustible petrol like this Hydrolift has, even though this latest generation of outboards are pretty sweet. I used to have the Botnia Targa 30, the best boat I ever owned. The galley wasn't great but streets ahead of this so-called galley ! Nice video, excellent drone shots of Studland Bay and across to Swanage, well done Hugo.

[@coccobill7982]

I really don't think you have tried to drive a Targa 31 at 50 knot through waves. Don't get me wrong, I love those Targas, but they really smash into waves at speed. And you can't tow any Targa behind a normal car :-) But me too was very dissapointed over the harsh ride, I think that stepped hull is not for "normal" boats.

[@rykehuss3435]

Not exactly a new concept. Look at Brabus Shadow boats if you want the extreme form of this sporty SUV concept. Shadow 500 has 2x250HP engines and goes well past 50 knots. And Axopar and XO boats are already plenty sporty.

[@gaycha6589]

50kn with a single 200hp in a 27’ with a bluff wheelhouse is very impressive. They know a thing or two about stepped hulls.

[@MesaperProductions]

That thing is just trying too hard to be something it isn't. A galley "area"? Two "dining" areas? Come on.

[@gusv8601]

That's a tiresome boat ... Bang bang bang...

[@gaycha6589]

Travelling at 50+ knots on water is tiring.

[@Sarrienne]

Damn thing sounds like it's about to burst apart like a LEGO™ model!!!

[@ririshow]

I hope your back is still functional!

[@nickwebb9290]

An interesting review, thanks 😊 Not a craft for me though

[@eyesofisabelofficial]

50 knots in a glorified bus shelter, scary yet still very cool !

[@RomainSandt]

LOL the mercury V8 cold start in Sport mode sounds awesome.

[@miguelrage6810]

It just flies bang bang bang

[@guinnessharvey4476]

Yes, you can certainly hear it was designed by a power boat racer. I’d still love a go in it though:)

[@tomrussell8365]

Wow, that looks like a fantastic boat...........said nobody

[@jdsolberg7613]

Sweet!

[@Yash-ye1zq]

Lovely boat. Any chance of getting the C33 CAB version of hydrolift boats.

[@krazybzs2022]

bang rattle rattle bang bang rattle .. jeeesh ! gotta build it more soilid .

[@allsearpw3829]

Hi, a SWISS ARMY KNIFE , on the sea , a nice week ender , with fun all the way .🤕

[@paulchambers6657]

Do you get a free osteopath in the crew cabin?

[@michiganengineer8621]

Given the name of the boat maker (HydroLIFT) , and how LOW those outboards were sitting to the water at the dock I have to say I was very disappointed. I was expecting to see that boat was a hydro-foil of some kind, not a wannabee seaborne Urus (without the styling). Not a major slam against MB&Y, click-bait is always a winner. To _me_ that boat is like modern automotive SUV's. They try to be an everything vehicle, and they do it. But they don't do _ANYTHING_ very well. The only thing that boat has over the average 27 foot center-console is the enclosed "pilot house". And from most manufacturers, you can get enclosures for the helm area to take care of that issue.

[@rykehuss3435]

If you want a sea Urus, check out Brabus Shadow 500 Cabin or 900 Cabin.

[@dennied7826]

Also unlike a center console this thing looks like it would be a bit of a nightmare for fishing with how little space you get outside that pilot house to put your feet.

[@michiganengineer8621]

@@dennied7826 Agreed. It isn't a cruiser, it isn't laid out (well) for even recreational fishing and it isn't much of a speedboat. I'd take a Cutwater 32CB over that one any day.

[@andyvankerkhove6902]

and it is trailerable... what I am looking for

[@DIY-DaddyO]

Double bed with a toilet at the top? That's a little bit kinky...

[@rwg2626]

Know your market, then build a boat that has no market

[@paultrickett3889]

Who remembers Ratners the jewellers and what happened to them?

[@Dannny_Mac]

Why would you even put this video out! Rattling and banging. Damnit! 😫

[@timkiwi]

rocking around when not moving. sliding doors look a nightmare. get to the cabin from outside and walking on the bed.

[@colintraveller]

Why add music when some of us that watch the channel prefer to hear the sound of the engine/s Want to hear how she sounds ... not interested in hearing music Defeats the whole point of the review

[@TheOriginalItchyman]

The only thing that gets me about this boat is the one sided walkway to the bow. I know the driving position is in the middle, but I like the dock on the right side, and this would throw me off sometimes.

[@doctorstainy]

Thats one of the reasons it capsizes easy

[@americaspistoleeracademypi5156]

Wonder where this was filmed?

[@hugoandreae3495]

Just outside Poole harbour in Dorset, UK

[@user-is9uw5hl4g]

👍👍👍

[@KingOfBanks]

With a beam of 2.45m, here in Australia you can tow this anywhere any time any state (

[@timkiwi]

its slamming on flat water. it would fall apart in NZ conditions

[@paulnorman8274]

The interior rattles and bangs. That's what you get with the new-style "all things for all boat show goers" modular, reconfigurable interiors. The hull is solid. It will paralyse the skipper before itself falling apart. The combination of very deep Vs, short length, narrow beam, outboard with the weight out back and up high, AND a taller superstructure with more weight and windage up high, is not exactly forgiving of anything but offshore racer driving skills in choppy/windy conditions. It WILL land on on its flat, hard chines given even the slightest opportunity to do so. Keep it upright (easier said than done for those of us who didn't spend our youth wining offshore races....), and it's a very soft riding hull. There are good reasons why "real" deep-V raceboats are low-low-low, longer, and, at their very best, have inboards staggered to bring them way low and a bit forward. And neither do they have furniture which pulls out, slides around nor reconfigures ad infinitum. Of course, they don't really have room for furniture at all.....

[@sandybutt9898]

It does seem like an expensive way to turn a perfectly good 6 can trip into a smashed about 2 can trip.

[@raydowley1038]

shaken but not stirred, or in other words, get your teeth rattled loose. Bumpity Bumpity Bump Bump Bump

[@stefanosgt7576]

Nosebleed smooth.

[@No-More-9to5]

🤔 Next...!

[@georgek1979]

Bang-bang-bang on a flat sea??Is that nice and normal? It is not a comfy sea ride anyway...may be for me, I do not know...sorry for my bad comment!

[@dennied7826]

I live on a great lake and wouldn't want to take it out in some of the swells from how it was handling those little waves.

[@soren2381]

The okly duckly 27 😅😅

[@doctorstainy]

Get this boat if you wanna capsize at high speed

[@TsLeng]

I have trouble trying to figure out if I want to believe the words or the visuals I am seeing. Bang bang bang or it cushions through the water ..

[@EvanAust]

Walk smoothly holding video camera with no stabilisation. You'll feel fine but the footage will look shakey as hell. I suspect the same is hapening here.

[@TsLeng]

@@EvanAust I believe they are using cameras with stabilisation. Otherwise all the footage wether on a moving boat or walk around will be shaky. OIS is pretty much standard nowadays in most cameras anyway, more so if one makes videos as part of their business.

[@soren2381]

Forget it, It sound like it falling apart 👎, the only "suv" is the Targa Botnia, There is no sound at all.

[@Chogie14]

Ehhhh................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................................... No

[@aronaropati9340]

🤷🏽‍♂️I don’t know what this guys thinking, but I hear a lot of slamming going on...

[@The0rs]

How much does it cost?

[@MotorBoatYachting]

Prices start from £138,672 (inc VAT & Mercury Verado 250hp outboard), but the one we tested was £185,525 (inc VAT & Mercury Verado 300hp outboard)

[@thorsrc4170]

Its no really slamming and all i hear is slamming. 🙂

[@Truckerbot]

Rides like a flat bottom

[@douglaspohl1827]

Slam slam slam... ouch! Audio and video speak loud and clear. NO THANKS!