Side-by-side ATV

1. An all-terrain vehicle including:

a frame, comprising a front frame portion, a mid frame portion and a rear frame portion;

a front suspension supported by the front frame portion;

at least two front wheels coupled to the front suspension;

a front differential supported by the front frame portion and drivingly coupled to the front wheels;

a seating area supported by the mid frame portion, comprising side by side bucket seats having a seat back and a seat bottom;

an engine supported by the rear frame portion, the engine positioned rearwardly of the seating area, and each seat bottom has a seating surface with a low point of the seating surface being below a top of the engine, the spaced-apart seating surfaces including a driver seating surface and a passenger seating surface;

a transmission coupled to the engine;

a rear suspension supported by the rear frame portion;

at least two rear wheels coupled to the rear suspension;

a rear differential supported by the rear frame portion and drivingly coupled to the rear wheels;

a front drive shaft extending between the transmission and the front differential for coupling the transmission to the front wheels;

a rear drive shaft extending between the transmission and the rear differential for coupling the transmission to the rear wheels;

a protective panel positioned between the pair of laterally spaced-apart seating surfaces and the engine wherein the front driveshaft extends under the protective panel; and

a fuel tank being positioned below one of the seating surfaces.

2. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a transmission shift lever extending through a floor board and positioned between the seat bottoms.

3. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the rear frame portion comprises a lower rear frame portion and an upper rear frame portion.

4. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the lower rear frame portion is comprised of lower cross members.

5. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the upper rear frame portion is comprised of at least one cross member.

6. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the upper rear frame portion at least partially extends over at least one of the engine or transmission.

7. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the upper rear frame portion further comprises a rear brace positioned over the engine and transmission.

8. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the rear brace is coupled to the frame rear portion.

9. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 3 , wherein an engine cover is positioned over and is supported by the upper rear frame portion.

10. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising an outer body panel supported by the frame.

11. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the outer body panel comprises a front body panel and a hood.

12. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 11 , further comprising a front storage area positioned under the hood.

13. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a battery positioned below the other of the seating surfaces.

14. The all-terrain vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the driveshaft extends laterally between the fuel tank and the battery.