Kawasaki Teryx H2: The off-roader that breathes water

Hydrogen heads, rejoice. We’ve watched Extreme H blaze across the desert and hydrogen racers rewrite the rulebook. Now, Kawasaki’s bringing that same energy to the dunes with its all-new Teryx H2.

This is the 2026 Kawasaki Teryx H2 edition — an off-road lunatic that combines the looks of a comic-book tank with the beating heart of a lab experiment. It’s hydrogen-fuelled, supercharged, and very, very serious about proving that clean power doesn’t mean dull power.

It’s loud, it’s luminous, and it quite literally exhales water vapour.

Familiar Looks, Radical Heart

From the outside, the Teryx H2 looks like a regular Kawasaki that’s been given the full Mad Max meets Minecraft treatment. There’s that trademark lime-green paint, wide haunches, and the big H₂ branding on the sides that practically shouts, “I’m saving the planet at 80mph.”

Underneath the panels, though, it’s a whole new game. Gone is the petrol tank — in its place sits a 700-bar hydrogen cylinder encased in a crash-tested carbon-fibre shell. The platform is derived from the KRX chassis, but Kawasaki’s engineers have re-worked it with new bracing and thicker tubing to handle the hydrogen system.

And yes, that’s still a supercharger sitting proudly up front. Because even when they’re saving the planet, the Japanese can’t resist a bit of theatre.

Powertrain: Clean, Mean, and Mechanically Glorious

Kawasaki didn’t just bolt a fuel cell to the Teryx and call it a day. This is proper combustion — an adapted version of the 999cc inline-four from the Ninja H2, running on hydrogen instead of petrol.

Hydrogen burns faster than petrol, so the whole ignition system has been redesigned. The injectors are direct-acting, firing high-pressure hydrogen straight into the chamber with electronic pre-chamber ignition for near-perfect control.

Add the new variable-boost supercharger, and the numbers are borderline ridiculous: 240bhp and a torque curve that feels like it’s attached to a catapult.

The signature red supercharger casing remains, spinning at an eye-watering 130,000rpm, feeding two intercoolers — one under the nose and another nestled behind the rear seats.

Keeping the beast chilled is a twin-stack radiator system paired with an 18-row oil cooler. The result? 0–60 in “blink and you’ll miss it” territory, and an exhaust that hisses, pops and breathes out nothing but steam.

It’s proper mechanical theatre. Only this time, your carbon footprint’s about the size of a teabag.

The Line-Up

Kawasaki’s launching the Teryx H2 in three versions:

• Teryx 4 H2 – stripped-back, lightweight, pure hydrogen-powered muscle.
  
• Teryx 4 H2 Deluxe eS – adds KECS adaptive suspension, touchscreen infotainment and selectable power modes.
  
• Teryx 5 H2 Deluxe eS – same spec, but with a longer chassis and a rear bench for five.
  

Suspension: Science Meets Sand

The Teryx H2 isn’t just powerful — it’s planted. Kawasaki fitted FOX 3.0 Live Valve dampers across the range, each electronically adjusted in real time by the KECS system. It samples input from G-sensors, throttle data and suspension travel hundreds of times a second, making the Teryx corner flatter than a table and land softer than a cloud.

Wheel travel is a frankly outrageous 23.2 inches up front, 24 inches at the rear, paired with arched arms for extra clearance. Ground clearance sits at 16.5 inches, while 33-inch Maxxis Carnivore tyres keep you glued to the gravel.

Stopping is handled by 270mm triple-piston calipers up front and dual-pistons at the rear — more than enough to haul this hydrogen hooligan down from warp speed.

Interior: Mad Tech, Maximum Comfort

Climb inside and it’s surprisingly civilised, like a rally car that’s been to finishing school. The cabin layout borrows from the KRX but adds a new 7-inch TFT cluster and a 10-inch Garmin Tread infotainment system on Deluxe trims.

Start it up and the screens light with a futuristic “H₂ Ignite” animation while the hydrogen system primes.

You can toggle drive modes from Full (100%), Mid (80%) or Eco (60%), depending on whether you’re tearing across dunes or tip-toeing home with 10% tank pressure left.

The seats — especially in the 5-seat model — are superbly supportive with four-point harnesses and a centre bench option for families. Kawasaki even added small touches like hidden fuel access behind the front doors to stop mud clogging the filler.

Cup holders, storage bins and decent visibility round out a cockpit that’s rugged, intuitive and oddly premium. It’s built to get filthy, but feels expensive doing it.

The Driving Experience

Press the starter, hear the pumps prime, and the Teryx fires up with a sharp metallic bark that settles into an eager growl. It’s mechanical, alive, like a superbike engine that’s somehow ended up in a dune buggy.

Throttle response is instant. The supercharger whines as you surge forward, the tyres scrabble, and the digital dash flashes BOOST in big letters as you tear through the desert like an eco-friendly missile.

Unlike EVs, you don’t lose that raw engagement, there’s still an engine, still explosions (just hydrogen ones), still revs, still noise. It’s visceral, but guilt-free.

And when you finally lift off the throttle and see a faint mist puff out the back? That’s water. Actual, harmless water. Welcome to the future.

Why It Matters

This is more than a toy for rich off-roaders, it’s proof that hydrogen can power something wild, emotional and properly exciting. It bridges the gap between traditional combustion and the coming fuel-cell age, giving us a glimpse at what sustainable performance really looks like.

If hydrogen is to win hearts, it needs vehicles like this — machines that make people want it, not just tolerate it. Kawasaki’s Teryx H2 Hydrogen Edition does exactly that. It’s a rolling argument for a cleaner, noisier, more mechanical future.

Final Thoughts

The 2026 Teryx H2 Hydrogen Edition is bonkers in the best possible way. A proper bit of engineering theatre that gives hydrogen the hero moment it’s been waiting for. It’s not a concept, not a marketing stunt. It’s a statement on wheels.

Kawasaki has done what everyone said was impossible: built a zero-emission machine that petrolheads actually want.

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