Quadro Sherp Pro UTV Is a Ukrainian Beast That Can Roll Over Anything That Comes Its Way

Boasting unmatched off-road capabilities, a peculiar boxy appearance, and an impressive load rating, the Sherp UTV is touted by many as the ultimate all-terrain vehicle capable of navigating literally any terrain, including mud, sand, gravel, water, ice, and snow, with the same ease.

Made famous in the US by rapper Kanye West, who bought an entire fleet of Sherps and even showed them off in some of his music videos, the Sherp is not your regular off-roader. This is a virtually indestructible machine, an off-track vehicle built for all conditions that makes driving on otherwise dangerous routes look like a leisurely stroll in the park.

This hardcore UTV was developed and built by Quadro International, a Kyiv, Ukraine-based company that specializes in special-purpose amphibious vehicles meant to operate in search and rescue, fire service, and transportation. The venture was established in 2012 and has since developed several models, all boasting the unbeatable ability to cross land, water, and deep snow.

Granted, there are many highly capable UTVs out there that are comfortable in wet, muddy conditions, but most of them stop short of being amphibian. This is one of the features that sets this Eastern Europe-built machine apart.

The example pictured in this article is a Quadro Sherp Pro from 2018 that has recently come up for auction. The two-seater, diesel-powered beast has a compact body and rolls on gigantic 63″ (160 cm) low-pressure tires that provide the traction needed to roll over anything that comes its way.

Though it looks like a toy truck in pictures, this thing is big, measuring approximately 99″ high, 134″ long, and 99″ wide (251 cm high, 340 cm long, and 251 cm wide) and can mount obstacles of over 28 inches (70 cm). The vehicle uses a simple tank-like chain-drive skid-steer system that gives it a zero turn radius, meaning it can basically turn in its own length.

Moreover, the nearly two feet (60 cm) of ground clearance and paddle-like tires allow it to glide over obstacles without breaking a sweat. These mammoth tires also act as float and propellers when it needs to cross swamps or waterways. A central tire-inflation system comes in handy, too, as it increases or decreases tire pressure on the go, thus helping the Sherp adjust to the conditions of the ground it is navigating.

It is built with a corrosion-resistant galvanized steel frame and aluminum alloy body with integrated rollover protection bars, and access inside the vehicle is made through opening front and rear hatches. The structure was designed to form a water-tight hull that can float on water and glide on ice, snow, and mud.

Due to the massive tires, there are no regular side doors, but the vehicle does have sliding side windows, and there is also a roof escape hatch for emergency situations. Additional equipment includes LED lighting, a reverse-view camera, a roof rack, and a rear receiver hitch.

Judging by its rugged looks, you'd be tempted to think that the Sherp needs a massive engine to motivate it to move forward, but the vehicle is, in fact, powered by a Kubota 1.5-liter turbodiesel inline-four with just 44 hp on tap, coupled with a five-speed manual transmission driving all four wheels.

Surprisingly enough, the Sherp Pro only weighs about 2,866 lb (1,300 kg), and that small engine can propel it to a top speed of 28 mph (45 kph) on land and 3.7 mph (6 kph) in the water. It can also carry up to 1.2 metric tons (2,646 lbs) of cargo, and if it needs to go on cross-country expeditions, it can even store some extra fuel in the wheel centers.

Russian engineer and motor sport enthusiast Alexei Garagashyan is credited for the design of the vehicle concept, which was later perfected by a team of engineers in Kyiv, Ukraine. The first production version was ready for orders in 2015. The design of the Sherp hasn't changed much over the years, though more recent versions are larger, a bit mightier, and have a higher load rating.

The 2018 Quadro Sherp Pro in question here is finished in black and boasts multi-color digital camouflage graphics. The interior of the cab is minimalistic, covered in a spray-out quilted vinyl. It has two black bucket seats, cargo netting in the ceiling, and a very basic dashboard, as well as two levers that the driver uses to steer the vehicle. A cargo area in the rear can also be used for transporting people if needed.

While it's not often that these off-road beasts come up for sale in the United States, this particular model has just sold out of Transfer, Pennsylvania, for $150,000. Considering their impressive all-terrain capabilities, Sherps are obviously built as a specialist tool, but if you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to go through brush fields, swamps, or over talus fields, know that a Sherp is a more affordable option than a helicopter.