XFi Boats

REVIEWS

Australian Waterski Magazine SEP/OCT 2009 - AURORA V review

Melbourne based XFi have long provided the boat buying market with an exceptional product, from their hulls, to their trims, their fittings and the overall sensation once you're actually in the drivers seat. After a number of years building pure, traditional ski boats, the powers to be at XFi decided it was time to go a little out of the box and offer something new, different and innovative to the customer. Enter the XFi AURORA V. It's an all new V-drive bow rider model. The V-drive allows the boat to adapt a different interior layout making it more spacious and user friendly for bigger families, especially with the bow rider added. The overall shape and contours of the boat are aesthetically pleasing, and also play a huge hand in the boats overall performance. For many of us tow boats should be fun, not just a tool for towing kids up and down the river, and the Aurora V delivers the goods.

PERFORMANCE

For the 20ft V-drive using the standard Mercruiser 315hp motor, this boat moves - and generally, pretty darn quick too! V-drives can be a lot of fun to drive, and this boat definitely brings that to the fore. On take off there are a couple of ways you can get your thrills. The first 'normal' approach to take off is a gentle launch, but with enough to easily bring your skier/ footer/ wake boarder out of the water. The other option, and more of an 'adrenalin junky's' option, is to jam that throttle, baby! Slamming the throttle down hard, even in this 315hp base model, could see you leaving a deposit on the seat as the V-drive configuration and the torque boots the boat out of the hole in spectacular fashion.

WAKE

As a crossover boat, The Aurora V is ideal for all disciplines. From skiers to barefooters, to the aspiring wake boarder, the boat produces a quality wash for all aspects. At he the quicker speeds, the skiers and barefooters will certainly appreciate what the V can achieve. However, with a little extra weight and backing the boat off to a more realistic 20mph for the wake boarders, the foundation wake of the boat is surprisingly impressive, but we have come to find this with all XFi's models. They have created moulds which are very suited to skiing, but can also produce a nice ramp for the wake boarders, with no crumbling lip.

A full copy of the review can be found in the Sep/Oct issue of Australian Waterski Magazine.

_____________________________________

Waterski magazine review 2006

Over the past two years, XFi boats have certainly made their presence felt on Australian waterways. Boat-sales are skyrocketing and the company has built a reputation to exceed customer expectations every time.

Their stand at the Melbourne Boat Show was flat-out over the five days, with many boat-buyers keen to check out their latest models and designs.

We got a sneak preview a few weeks before the Boat Show, when they brought their three current models down to the National Watersports Centre in Carrum for a run. It was freezing cold, but luckily we managed to get a glimpse of sunshine for some photos, before the heavens opened up later in the day.

All three models were zippy and a lot of fun. The Genesis, their top-of-the-line model, was luxurious and comfortable – the Mercedes of the group. Next in line was the Renegade, the sports-car model, followed by the Illusion, which was more like a family car.

All three boasted an excellent finish, with top-quality craftsmanship. XFi pride themselves on consistently producing top-quality family boats at a reasonable price and this claim was certainly upheld on the day.

Genesis

The top-of-the-line Genesis looked sensational on the water, fitted with an elegant beige Charashima velour interior and black metal flake exterior.

A host of features, including keyless ignition, forward-neutral-reverse gearing and tilt-adjustable steering, meant the Genesis catered for all kinds of water-sport enthusiasts.

It was very spacious, with plenty of leg and bum-room for six. The dual observers lounge was particularly comfortable, rising all the way to the top of the windscreen to give fantastic back-support and comfort (you really have to sit in it to understand).

The Genesis and Renegade share the same hull shape, which was carefully designed by XFi to offer tight turning and an adjustable wake to suit different users (be it wakeboard, waterski or barefoot). The primary difference between the Genesis and Renegade is the fit-out, where the Genesis offers an esky, a lounge-observers seat and metal flake on the exterior as standard.

Renegade

The Renegade was a sporty model that, like the Genesis, really handled well on the water. The same hull-design meant six were seated comfortably and there was plenty of storage space down the side of the hull and behind the observer seat for all of your gear.

The Renegade comes with a pure-white hull as standard, however the test-boat had the optional grey metal flake paint-job with blue graphics. This certainly enhanced this rig's sporty appeal, as did the sports steering wheel and Faria sports gauges.

The black and blue interior colouring complimented the exterior graphics and helped enhance the hull's sporty lines. And once again, by simply altering the speed, we could see a visible difference in the wake shape for skiers or wakeboarders.

Illusion

The Illusion is the entry level XFi, but is by no means basic. Offering a fantastic selection of features, the Illusion guarantees plenty of fun for any boating family.

The Illusion has a different hull to the Genesis and Renegade, but is still 20ft in length. The pure white hull and classic XFi graphics on the test-boat were timeless and guaranteed to keep the boat looking modern for years to come.

With a smooth soft clutch, the Illusion had quite light steering and easy maneuverability. Plus, there are plenty of options available to help spice up your ride, including engines, stereos, towers and materials to help build the boat of your dreams.

Starting from $31, 500, means the Illusion is a really affordable option for waterski enthusiasts, without compromising on build quality or features.

_____________________________________

Waterski magazine review 2005

Introduction

While the XFi name has only been around for the past 12 months, the manufacturers have been in the boating industry for a long time. Under the name of Sleekline and then X Factor, Steve Bull has been building boats for years. His latest label, XFi, is guaranteed to cater for people in the market for a family waterski boat at a reasonable price.

We caught up with Steve and Craig from XFi at the National Watersports Centre at Carrum, just outside Melbourne , in early March for a ski and test-drive. They brought along their two current models - Genesis and Renegade - and we were impressed with them both. If it weren't for the threat of rain and the chilly 17 degrees, we could have skied behind either boat all day.

The Genesis is the top model, and was certainly well presented on the day. The dark green metal flake and the black and silver graphics looked pleasing to the eye and the hull sat nicely in the water. The test boat was fitted with the Mercruiser 350 MAG MPI 315hp.

Inside

The interior of the Genesis looks smart, and it's clear years of experience with this style of boat have gone into maximizing space and comfort. The black velour seats look classy and are comfortable and supportive.

The seating arrangement is an adjustable bucket driver's seat, twin observer lounge and bench seat across the back. The twin-observer lounge is stylish and the driver's bucket seat is a good size and positioned perfectly for optimum visibility when driving. There's also a fair amount of leg-room in the 20 ft hull.

An interesting design note is that the top of the observer seat goes all the way to the tip of the windscreen. This creates a sense of spaciousness and gives more comfort to the observer because they can lean right back, although you do lose out on a glove box.

The look

XFi will customise the colour scheme for any buyer. The dark green on the test boat was stunning and the graphics looked good. The carbon fibre-look steering wheel looked nice and compliments the VDO integrated cluster gauges. The steering wheel is tilt adjustable to bring it to the perfect level for any driver. The Genesis comes standard with a high pole and there is the optional bimini cover.

Storage

The Genesis really makes good use of the space available from its 20' hull. There are pockets down the side, under and behind the observer seat and there is also an esky. Next to the driver's seat is a storage pocket for maps and other small personal items.

Performance

Powered by a 315 horsepower fuel-injected Mercruiser engine, performance from the Genesis was very strong. Acceleration, as confirmed by Mercury's “radar gun”, is impressive, and the motor feels strong and smooth throughout the rev range. The boat pulls out of the hole with a minimum of fuss, and feels equally at home with or without a skier out the back.

The forward/neutral/reverse gearbox operates smoothly and precisely through a Mercruiser Gen 2 Pistol Grip Remote Control hand throttle, which XFi have opted to use instead of the Morse control more commonly seen in ski boats.

Handling

Conditions on the day were a bit blowy, but the Genesis was smooth and predictable through the chop, and rode comfortably through boat wakes. The overall sensation is of a sporty, solid boat which behaves well even under hard cornering.

The steering is light and direct and well matched to the boats hull characteristics.

The wake

The XFi Genesis is ideally designed as a waterski boat. The wake is smooth and narrow and is ideal for constant cutting across the wash. The edge of the wake was smooth, with a delicate contour, allowing the ski to easily cut through at really high speeds.

The XFi Genesis is a delight for any waterskiier. The smooth, narrow wake was awesome for cutting and the lip of the wake didn't have much curl on it, so you could easily move backwards and forwards. The boat pulls the skier out of the water with ease and no strain to the skier.

XFi offer wakeboarder's an optional 300 Litre ballast tank, which Steve says turns the Genesis into the ideal dual-purpose boat.

Summary

The XFi Genesis is a great boat for any waterskiing family. It's reasonably priced and looks stylish on the water. It seats six people (including the driver) so it's well suited for any family – plus a few mates. The colour scheme, graphics and shmick interior nicely finish off this well-priced family boat.

	REVIEWS Australian Waterski Magazine SEP/OCT 2009 - AURORA V review Melbourne based XFi have long provided the boat buying market with an exceptional product, from their hulls, to their trims, their fittings and the overall sensation once you're actually in the drivers seat. After a number of years building pure, traditional ski boats, the powers to be at XFi decided it was time to go a little out of the box and offer something new, different and innovative to the customer. Enter the XFi AURORA V. It's an all new V-drive bow rider model. The V-drive allows the boat to adapt a different interior layout making it more spacious and user friendly for bigger families, especially with the bow rider added. The overall shape and contours of the boat are aesthetically pleasing, and also play a huge hand in the boats overall performance. For many of us tow boats should be fun, not just a tool for towing kids up and down the river, and the Aurora V delivers the goods. PERFORMANCE For the 20ft V-drive using the standard Mercruiser 315hp motor, this boat moves - and generally, pretty darn quick too! V-drives can be a lot of fun to drive, and this boat definitely brings that to the fore. On take off there are a couple of ways you can get your thrills. The first 'normal' approach to take off is a gentle launch, but with enough to easily bring your skier/ footer/ wake boarder out of the water. The other option, and more of an 'adrenalin junky's' option, is to jam that throttle, baby! Slamming the throttle down hard, even in this 315hp base model, could see you leaving a deposit on the seat as the V-drive configuration and the torque boots the boat out of the hole in spectacular fashion. WAKE As a crossover boat, The Aurora V is ideal for all disciplines. From skiers to barefooters, to the aspiring wake boarder, the boat produces a quality wash for all aspects. At he the quicker speeds, the skiers and barefooters will certainly appreciate what the V can achieve. However, with a little extra weight and backing the boat off to a more realistic 20mph for the wake boarders, the foundation wake of the boat is surprisingly impressive, but we have come to find this with all XFi's models. They have created moulds which are very suited to skiing, but can also produce a nice ramp for the wake boarders, with no crumbling lip. A full copy of the review can be found in the Sep/Oct issue of Australian Waterski Magazine. _____________________________________ Waterski magazine review 2006 Over the past two years, XFi boats have certainly made their presence felt on Australian waterways. Boat-sales are skyrocketing and the company has built a reputation to exceed customer expectations every time. Their stand at the Melbourne Boat Show was flat-out over the five days, with many boat-buyers keen to check out their latest models and designs. We got a sneak preview a few weeks before the Boat Show, when they brought their three current models down to the National Watersports Centre in Carrum for a run. It was freezing cold, but luckily we managed to get a glimpse of sunshine for some photos, before the heavens opened up later in the day. All three models were zippy and a lot of fun. The Genesis, their top-of-the-line model, was luxurious and comfortable – the Mercedes of the group. Next in line was the Renegade, the sports-car model, followed by the Illusion, which was more like a family car. All three boasted an excellent finish, with top-quality craftsmanship. XFi pride themselves on consistently producing top-quality family boats at a reasonable price and this claim was certainly upheld on the day. Genesis The top-of-the-line Genesis looked sensational on the water, fitted with an elegant beige Charashima velour interior and black metal flake exterior. A host of features, including keyless ignition, forward-neutral-reverse gearing and tilt-adjustable steering, meant the Genesis catered for all kinds of water-sport enthusiasts. It was very spacious, with plenty of leg and bum-room for six. The dual observers lounge was particularly comfortable, rising all the way to the top of the windscreen to give fantastic back-support and comfort (you really have to sit in it to understand). The Genesis and Renegade share the same hull shape, which was carefully designed by XFi to offer tight turning and an adjustable wake to suit different users (be it wakeboard, waterski or barefoot). The primary difference between the Genesis and Renegade is the fit-out, where the Genesis offers an esky, a lounge-observers seat and metal flake on the exterior as standard. Renegade The Renegade was a sporty model that, like the Genesis, really handled well on the water. The same hull-design meant six were seated comfortably and there was plenty of storage space down the side of the hull and behind the observer seat for all of your gear. The Renegade comes with a pure-white hull as standard, however the test-boat had the optional grey metal flake paint-job with blue graphics. This certainly enhanced this rig's sporty appeal, as did the sports steering wheel and Faria sports gauges. The black and blue interior colouring complimented the exterior graphics and helped enhance the hull's sporty lines. And once again, by simply altering the speed, we could see a visible difference in the wake shape for skiers or wakeboarders. Illusion The Illusion is the entry level XFi, but is by no means basic. Offering a fantastic selection of features, the Illusion guarantees plenty of fun for any boating family. The Illusion has a different hull to the Genesis and Renegade, but is still 20ft in length. The pure white hull and classic XFi graphics on the test-boat were timeless and guaranteed to keep the boat looking modern for years to come. With a smooth soft clutch, the Illusion had quite light steering and easy maneuverability. Plus, there are plenty of options available to help spice up your ride, including engines, stereos, towers and materials to help build the boat of your dreams. Starting from $31, 500, means the Illusion is a really affordable option for waterski enthusiasts, without compromising on build quality or features. _____________________________________ Waterski magazine review 2005 Introduction While the XFi name has only been around for the past 12 months, the manufacturers have been in the boating industry for a long time. Under the name of Sleekline and then X Factor, Steve Bull has been building boats for years. His latest label, XFi, is guaranteed to cater for people in the market for a family waterski boat at a reasonable price. We caught up with Steve and Craig from XFi at the National Watersports Centre at Carrum, just outside Melbourne , in early March for a ski and test-drive. They brought along their two current models - Genesis and Renegade - and we were impressed with them both. If it weren't for the threat of rain and the chilly 17 degrees, we could have skied behind either boat all day. The Genesis is the top model, and was certainly well presented on the day. The dark green metal flake and the black and silver graphics looked pleasing to the eye and the hull sat nicely in the water. The test boat was fitted with the Mercruiser 350 MAG MPI 315hp. Inside The interior of the Genesis looks smart, and it's clear years of experience with this style of boat have gone into maximizing space and comfort. The black velour seats look classy and are comfortable and supportive. The seating arrangement is an adjustable bucket driver's seat, twin observer lounge and bench seat across the back. The twin-observer lounge is stylish and the driver's bucket seat is a good size and positioned perfectly for optimum visibility when driving. There's also a fair amount of leg-room in the 20 ft hull. An interesting design note is that the top of the observer seat goes all the way to the tip of the windscreen. This creates a sense of spaciousness and gives more comfort to the observer because they can lean right back, although you do lose out on a glove box. The look XFi will customise the colour scheme for any buyer. The dark green on the test boat was stunning and the graphics looked good. The carbon fibre-look steering wheel looked nice and compliments the VDO integrated cluster gauges. The steering wheel is tilt adjustable to bring it to the perfect level for any driver. The Genesis comes standard with a high pole and there is the optional bimini cover. Storage The Genesis really makes good use of the space available from its 20' hull. There are pockets down the side, under and behind the observer seat and there is also an esky. Next to the driver's seat is a storage pocket for maps and other small personal items. Performance Powered by a 315 horsepower fuel-injected Mercruiser engine, performance from the Genesis was very strong. Acceleration, as confirmed by Mercury's “radar gun”, is impressive, and the motor feels strong and smooth throughout the rev range. The boat pulls out of the hole with a minimum of fuss, and feels equally at home with or without a skier out the back. The forward/neutral/reverse gearbox operates smoothly and precisely through a Mercruiser Gen 2 Pistol Grip Remote Control hand throttle, which XFi have opted to use instead of the Morse control more commonly seen in ski boats. Handling Conditions on the day were a bit blowy, but the Genesis was smooth and predictable through the chop, and rode comfortably through boat wakes. The overall sensation is of a sporty, solid boat which behaves well even under hard cornering. The steering is light and direct and well matched to the boats hull characteristics. The wake The XFi Genesis is ideally designed as a waterski boat. The wake is smooth and narrow and is ideal for constant cutting across the wash. The edge of the wake was smooth, with a delicate contour, allowing the ski to easily cut through at really high speeds. The XFi Genesis is a delight for any waterskiier. The smooth, narrow wake was awesome for cutting and the lip of the wake didn't have much curl on it, so you could easily move backwards and forwards. The boat pulls the skier out of the water with ease and no strain to the skier. XFi offer wakeboarder's an optional 300 Litre ballast tank, which Steve says turns the Genesis into the ideal dual-purpose boat. Summary The XFi Genesis is a great boat for any waterskiing family. It's reasonably priced and looks stylish on the water. It seats six people (including the driver) so it's well suited for any family – plus a few mates. The colour scheme, graphics and shmick interior nicely finish off this well-priced family boat.
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