Patent ID: 8556015

Claim:
A utility vehicle comprising: a vehicle body frame; a dash panel provided in a front portion of the vehicle body frame and having a first duct port in a substantially center portion in a vehicle width direction; a hood provided in the front portion of the vehicle body frame such that the hood is located in front of the dash panel, the hood covering a space defined by the dash panel; a driving power source mounted to the substantially center portion of the vehicle body frame in the vehicle width direction such that the driving power source is positioned behind the dash panel; a transmission joined to the driving power source; and a first air-intake duct provided in the substantially center portion of the vehicle body frame in the vehicle width direction such that the first air-intake duct extends in a substantially forward and rearward direction and passes through the first duct port; wherein an outlet provided at a downstream end portion of the first air-intake duct is coupled to the transmission; and an inlet provided at an upstream end portion of the first air-intake duct is positioned in an upper portion of the space which is above the first duct port, in a rear portion of the space; wherein the first air-intake duct includes: a main duct element extending in the substantially forward and rearward direction such that the main duct element passes through the first duct port; and an introduction duct element provided in the rear portion of the space covered with the hood such that the introduction duct element extends substantially upward from an upstream end portion of the main duct element; the inlet is provided at an upstream end portion of the introduction duct element; an upper end portion of the introduction duct element includes a first duct portion extending substantially vertically, a second duct portion extending substantially vertically, and a coupling duct portion of a substantially-inverted-U-shape for providing communication between an upper end portion of the first duct portion and an upper end portion of the second duct portion, the first duct portion, the second duct portion and the coupling duct portion forming a substantially-inverted-U-shape; the second duct portion is deviated in a rearward direction from the first duct portion when viewed from above; and the inlet is provided at a lower end portion of the second duct portion.