Introduced for the 2006 model year, this WaveRunner was Yamaha’s entry-level 3-person personal watercraft positioned as the successor to the long-running XL700. Yamaha described it as a durable, easy-to-handle model suited both to first-time owners and rental operators, and it used the brand’s 700 cc two-stroke marine engine on the VX hull, giving the line a practical, accessible character. The nameplate quickly became part of Yamaha’s broader VX family and helped establish the series as one of the company’s most important recreational PWC lines.
For 2011, Yamaha gave the model a full changeover, updating the bodywork and fitted features while keeping the same basic mission of dependable entry-level performance. That refreshed version was still marketed under the same VX700 name and remained focused on usability, comfort and serviceability. In Yamaha’s own reporting, the model was also important in overseas and emerging markets, where it saw strong demand.
The VX700 nameplate was then replaced the following year by the VX700S, which continued the 700-class, two-stroke role in the lineup with a different suffix and updated body architecture. Because the VX700 designation ran as one continuous production period from 2006 through 2011 before being superseded, it does not have multiple separate production runs.