At last fall’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Sea Ray Boats unveiled two new models in its SDX line, the 2025 SDX 270 Outboard and 250 Outboard. Part of Sea Ray’s massive mandate to update the entire SDX series, which ranges from 25 to 30 feet, these two outboard-powered deck boats feature all-new designs.
“Sea Ray’s next-gen SDX line was introduced in January 2024 with the launch of the SDX 270 Surf and SDX 270 sterndrive models. Throughout this year, we have expanded the series’ offerings to the SDX 250 available in surf, sterndrive and outboard propulsion, and the SDX 270 Outboard. Improvements from the previous SDX design include optimized storage, integrated coolers, oversized bows, convertible seating and customizable option bundles,” said Sea Ray Director of Product Joey Sharpe.
Sitting at Sea Ray’s boat show dock, the SDX 270 Outboard grabbed our attention with its huge bow compartment, which looked larger than the boat’s 8’6” beam should allow. Providing seating for a big group, it also has an integrated cooler so you don’t have to get up to fetch a fresh cold beverage. Forward speakers let you chill out to tunes from the Bluetooth-enabled Fusion stereo system. And if beaching the boat is part of your game plan, you will find a four-step boarding ladder hidden in the gas-assisted storage compartment at the bow.
Connected via a wide walk-through panel in the curved glass windshield, the aft cockpit features adjustable seating that lets you change your space to facilitate chatting, sunning or running, depending on your mood. Storage here includes a second under-seat cooler. The starboard helm compartment offers dry storage that can be converted to an optional private head.
Sea Ray’s SDX series is offered with sterndrive or outboard propulsion. While Sharpe reports that production of Sea Ray’s sterndrive and outboard boats is still pretty evenly balanced, he said, “When we completely redesigned SDX from the keel up, there was no question about keeping the outboard propulsion as an offering.”
One of the benefits of buying a new model from a major builder like Sea Ray, which is part of the Brunswick Corporation’s global marine group, is taking advantage of integrated technology from sister brands like Mercury Marine.
The base price for the 270 Outboard is $153,353, which includes the 300-hp Mercury Verado V8 and provides a cruising speed of up to 28 knots and a top speed of 36 to 39 knots. Optional power is the 400-hp Verado V10, introduced in 2023, which is projected to take the boat up to 49 knots at WOT. Both engines come with Mercury SmartCraft Digital Throttle and Shift (DTS) controls, an intuitive system designed to provide instant throttle response and smooth shifting throughout the rpm band. DTS includes GPS-based Active Trim, which automatically adjusts outboard trim to improve performance and fuel economy.
The SDX 270 Outboard also features a Digital Dash with a standard 9-inch NSX multifunction touchscreen display from Simrad, another Brunswick brand. It comes with Mercury SmartCraft Connect and a chartplotter pre-loaded with North American charts. A dual-screen Digital Dash with two 9-inch monitors is another option.
Speaking of options, Sea Ray offers a lot of upgrade bundles for the SDX 270. (If you are a fan of the State Farm TV commercial featuring Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Coach Andy Reid, you might call them “bundlerooskis.”) They include the Essentials Bundle with boat covers, quick-connect fender clips, SeaDek flooring to cushion the swim step and more; the Anchor Bundle with stainless steel anchor and windlass; the Comfort Bundle with stowable teak tables for the forward and aft cockpits and a bow filler cushion; an Entertainment Bundle that kicks the audio equipment up a notch to the Fusion Premier system with Apollo RA770 stereo and also adds inductive charging stations for your devices; the Lighting Bundle with color-changing and white accent lighting and a Water System Bundle that adds bow and transom washdowns.
“The primary driving factor on selection of bundles is how a customer plans to utilize their boat,” Sharpe explained. “For example, the Water System Bundle would be selected by someone who enjoys beaching or frequenting a sandbar and wants to rinse off the sand before boarding, or they wish to add a head system to the boat, extending their day on the water. The Lighting Bundle and Entertainment Bundle might be priorities for boaters [who] enjoy spending evenings on their boat at the dock or days rafting up and turning up the tunes.”
Other options include an air compressor to blow up water toys, a watersports tower with integrated Bimini top, a manual sunshade for the bow compartment, wakeboard racks, a ski pylon and seven different hull colors (including vivid Rally Red.)
No longer do you have to be stuck with a “one-size-fits-all” deck boat. Thanks to its flexible layout, capacious storage and many options, including Mercury’s V10 outboard, the 2025 Sea Ray SDX 270 Outboard meets the needs of a wide swath of boaters.—Louisa Beckett
Specifications
LOA: 29’11”
Beam: 8’6”
Draft (motor up): 1’7”
Displ.: 7,310 lbs.
Fuel: 90 gals.
Water: 14 gals.
Power: (1) 300-hp Mercury
February 2025
