2026 Kawasaki jet ski range unveiled, including updated STX 160

The 2026 Kawasaki jet ski line-up has been unveiled in the United States ahead of showroom arrivals in Australia either late this year or early next year.

The headline act is a major overhaul of the STX 160 – the biggest change to the brand's entry model in 20 years.

However, although Kawasaki teased four variants, Kawasaki will initially launch two 2026 STX 160 options: the STX 160 X and STX 160 LX.

Prices in Australia are yet to be announced. However, using America as a guide, the RRP of the 2026 Kawasaki STX 160 models has risen by about 10 per cent.

That would position Kawasaki’s mid-size jet ski, which was first launched in 2019, close to – and possibly in excess of – $20,000 when it eventually arrives in Australian showrooms, making it one of the dearer mid-size models in the category.

Kawasaki is still clearing 2024 and 2025 stock of the STX 160, but the 2026 model will be worth the wait. Here’s why: the 2026 model gains a top-deck redesign, a reverse trigger, trim adjustment, a new seven-inch digital display, plus daytime running lights and a rear-view camera on the top model.

The rear-view camera is to assist the rider when towing someone on a tube, however for legal reasons a rear-facing observer must still be on the craft.

The technology upgrades are borrowed from the Kawasaki STX 160's bigger brother, the Kawasaki Ultra 160.

The 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine and the familiar STX hull made from heavy duty fibreglass carry over from before after two decades of service. But as the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

The STX hull is sturdy in rough water, yet agile in flat water. And the 1.5-litre is super-reliable, albeit a little thirsty.

Helpfully, the fitment of trim adjustment will help bring the nose up on the STX, as the current model tends to plough through water at low speeds. And a right-handed reverse trigger finally replaces the old-school handbrake-style reverse lever on the console (the STX was the last craft in the segment with this awkward design).

The reverse trigger on the 2026 STX 160 is the same two-in-one device that was introduced with the Kawasaki Ultra in 2022.

One part of the trigger is the accelerator (using your right fingertips) while another part of the trigger selects reverse (using your right thumb). This compares to the reverse trigger on Sea-Doo and Yamaha WaveRunner models, which have a reverse trigger on the left handlebar and an accelerator on the right.

Meantime, in the full-size personal watercraft class, the 2026 Kawasaki Ultra 160 non-supercharged models and the 2026 Kawasaki Ultra 310 supercharged line-up carry into next year unchanged except for colour and trim.