2009 Wakesetter VLX in Lake Tahoe

2009 Wakesetter VLX Interior

The 2009 Wakesetter VLX is noticeably better even at first glance. The deck and hull were completely reshaped and now welcome an entirely new gel coat design. The color areas are intricate and customizable with 25 Malibu colors that include 5 new metallic choices. VLX buyers can choose between two no-cost gel coat compositions Progressive and Classic. The Classic comp offers a special color panel to accentuate the new 21-footer’s “Cove”. The hull of the Wakesetter VLX is etched with a “Cove”, inspired by the Corvette Limited Edition Sport-V. This performance look is finished by the new frameless MH2 windshield, the collapsible cast aluminum Illusion XS wakeboard tower, aggressive-style fresh air vents below the windshield and a rail-less bow deck, thanks to the new interior-mounted cast stainless steel bow grips. The VLX’s exterior changes are not just skin deep, there is powerful performance behind this redesign.

Young wrote this in an e-mail to the Malibu Boats factory when discussing the test he and Dombroski conducted, “If you would have asked me a year ago I wouldn't have believed you guys could have improved the VLX this much!”

The Wakesetter VLX went back to the digital drawing board and emerged for the 2009 model year with a new hull design optimized for handling and wakeboard performance. The chine lines have been straightened to perpetuate tight controlled turns under power. Even weighted with ballast and a boat load of spectators the VLX can be steered in and out of tight turns easily. The strakes are sharp at the front of the boat and flat in the back for a great combination of water displacement at wakeboarding speeds and smooth ride lift when cruising across the lake. The hull transitions have been reshaped to change the flow of water beneath the boat and sculpt a better wakesport wake that can be further customized with Malibu wake enhancement tools.

The new wake you’ll find behind the VLX is thanks, in part, to innovative hull design, but the true power behind these professional-level ramps is the versatility created by Malibu-unique tools. This boat can offer as much as 1250 pounds of Malibu Launch System (MLS). Malibu’s hard tank sub-floor quad-ballast system is one-of-a-kind in the industry. The Wakesetter VLX also motors off the factory floor with Precision Pro Speed Control, an exclusive, easy-to-use speed control system. Married with the available Patented Power Wedge and the wake-making characteristics of this Wakesetter’s Wake hull the VLX will crank out your favorite wakes all day long. Once you find the perfect combination of tools in this custom wake factory, you can save those settings as a Rider Preset. This wakeboard boat offers push-button personal presets for setting wake size, shape and boat speed in one easy-to-access profile. Not sure what your perfect ride looks like yet? Use one of Malibu’s pre-programmed factory presets to get you started. Customize your profile when you find that winning combination. And don’t worry about the gas it takes to pull a rider, even with the available Power Wedge set to as much as 1200 pounds of displacement, its new Auto Wedge feature reduces fuel consumption by 1/3 and takes 34% less time to get on plane when pulling a rider.

“This boat will make everyone on the boat happy from the guy who just learned how to get up to the pro who wants to hit 1080`s,” Dombroski wrote this referring to the wakeboarding versatility the Wakesetter VLX offers.

If you are not looking to join the pro tour and you are still interested catching an early morning ski run from time to time, the Wakesetter VLX could still be a great option for you. Opt for Malibu Boats 21 foot Diamond hull, at no additional cost, and satisfy both sides of your water sports personality. Even this hard core wakeboard boat can have a soft flat side when it is built on the Diamond hull. This hull offers strakes that are turned down sharply to create more lift at skiing speeds, resulting in less water displacement. And when you decide to throttle the VLX back to a wakeboard clip, you can still get the walls of water you are looking for to go big.

And for those who spend more time in the driver’s seat than behind the boat, Malibu Boats has designed an experience just as invigorating. The Wakesetter VLX has a new hand-wrapped dash that incorporates the tools you have wished for to easily command boat functions. Two banks of MUX switches with LCDs join the available Malibu Rockford Fosgate Stereo System controls, traditional 5-inch Medallion gauges with built-in LCDs and a center-mounted LCD screen. These components are all mounted on the front of the new dash for extremely easy access and close inspection. The center LCD can be upgraded to a new 6.5” color LCD screen with 10-button navigation. MaliView, as this optional system has been named, adds elements of intuitive control, monitoring and customization to the VLX as well as plays video from a number of sources.

Dombroski wrote this after using the new MaliView 6.5” color LCD dash system from Malibu Boats. “The screen is easy to read, even in direct sunlight and even easier to navigate. This is a must have! With video options and camera options I have to say this is by far the best thing ever. All other manufacturers had better take note as people use it [MaliView] they are going to demand it.”

The VLX radiates a sophisticated yet aggressive sense of style with a new customizable two-tone upholstery design, the only one of its kind in the Malibu boat line. Interior amenities like cast stainless steel grab handles, new available Rockford Fosgate Speakers, oversized sized stainless cup holders, hand-upholstered interior pieces and an optional rear LCD embedded MUX switch panel create a boat as accommodating on the inside as it is empowering in the water.

Malibu has maximized every square inch of this comfortable, storage laden boat with three inches of additional interior length and an inch of increased width. The expanded interior offers room for 11 with the storage to accommodate 11 peoples’ stuff. Wakesetter VLX seating is stuffed with three densities of foam and covered in 38 ounce G&T Marine vinyl for amazing bounce-back as well as luxury. Storage centers are LED lit and big when they need to be. The VLX offers rear locking storage for big items like boards, but this boat also provides security for smaller valuables in the locking glove box. There is finished carpeted storage beneath every lounge seat and bins transforming wasted space into usable storage above the transmission and engine. Even the driver benefits from innovative storage with the new throttle console cubby. The VLX is complete accommodation.

It’s true, the World’s most popular wakeboard boat is even better for 2009. Visit your local Malibu Boats dealer and check out the Wakesetter VLX.