Kawasaki launched a brand new utility vehicle model last week at their Lincoln, Neb., manufacturing plant, right in the heart of corn and soybean production. The new addition to Kawasaki’s Mule line of SxS utility vehicles is the 2015 Mule PRO FXT. This is the first new model in the company’s Mule line announced since 2008.

From watching the PRO FXT being put together on the plant’s newest production line to test driving it on a nearby property, we got to experience firsthand the amount of work and development that went into the new vehicle.

The Lincoln facility currently manufactures ATVs, UTVs, jet skis and even commuter rail cars. They also make their own wheels on site and some of their biggest customers include Polaris, Can-Am, Honda and Yamaha. About 20% of the products made are exported and the remaining 80% stay here in the U.S. The plant employs 1,900 workers and spans 2.2 million square feet. It also sits on 332 acres that they use for testing out their vehicles and growing corn and soybeans.

Take a look as we walk through the new Mule being made in the factory, and take it for a test drive to see how it performed.

Photos: Kathy Huting and Douglas Henry

Visit kawasaki.com.