IKEA is not the only Swedish business brand new to the New Zealand market in the last 12 months.
Let me introduce to you IRON Boats. Sleek, fast and smooth, these performance family day boats are new arrivals to the New Zealand market, available through Peter Carlson’s Family Boats. And unlike IKEA furniture, they come completely assembled and ready to go, and boy, do they go!
The boat we tested is the top of the range IRON 907. This boat has only been in the country since October 2025, so when the team at Boating New Zealand asked if I would like to come and test it, it took me about half a second to agree.
Who is IRON Boats?
IRON Boats is the brainchild of Swedish brothers Lars and Henrik Peterson, the world’s largest RIB retailer and one of Mercury Marine’s top non chain retailers globally. The Petersons, known as the Iron Brothers, have years of experience navigating the rugged Swedish archipelago and a strong understanding of what works and what doesn’t when it comes to trailer boats under 10m. They realised something was missing in their market: a stylish, functional, practical performance day cruiser.
So, in 2019, the Iron Brothers teamed up with Mannerfelt Design, world renowned for award winning, fuel efficient and innovative hulls, to create the IRON range, very much succeeding in meeting all their design objectives.
So how does it go?
Location: Pauanui, Coromandel.
Test day conditions: Light air (1 to 3 kt), no swell, 28° C
I love boating, I love being around boats, I love fishing off boats, I love diving off boats, but in complete transparency, sailing boats are my first preference. So, a fizz boat has to be something pretty special to make me take notice. And I have to say, IRON boats got my attention.
The boat we tested is the flagship of the fleet, the IRON 907 with the optional T Top. Striking with her black topside and orange upholstery, the styling is very stealth, her lines, to my eye, are a pleasing combination of purposeful yet refined. And yes, I do quite like the black and orange colour combination.
The IRON 907’s designed by Mannerfelt, who, with 16 world championship offshore racing titles, knows how to design fast boats.
With a deadrise of 23° and a comparatively narrow beam at 2.44m, the IRON 907 is nevertheless very stable, so throwing her into a tight turn at 40 plus knots is no problem (dependent on the sea state of course, safety always comes first). Iron Brothers boats are known for their stability, however, for the IRON 907, they have redesigned and improved the hull, also adding new stringers, resulting in a smoother, more forgiving ride. This improved handling instils a great deal of confidence, especially when the water chops up a bit.
Running a Mercury Verado 400hp V10 with semi electric steering and Mercury’s Digital Throttle & Shift system, driving her was effortless. Granted, we had a perfect summer’s day out on the water, minimising the seamanship skills required, but Peter has had her out in 30 plus knots and says she was just as easy to handle. To give myself a taste, I made multiple high speed runs (I know, tough job) that incorporated tight turns and numerous wake crossings, the IRON 907 handled it all with no complaints, and barely a splash of water came over the bow. I can quite believe him when Peter told me he recently had her out in 30 knots of wind cranking along at 30 knots. So, my first impression was she was living up to the hype.
A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to drive a resort island version of the very high performance Catalyst America’s Cup chase boats. The one I drove had 4 x 300hp Yamahas, went like a bat out of hell, and felt like it was on rails. Driving the IRON 907 was a very similar experience.
Options and models
IRON Boats come in two trim levels, Core and Heritage. Heritage gives you some extra upholstery and electronics options, including adding sunshades. All the boats come as an Open or T Top. A full range of available options are listed on the IRON Boats website.
IRON Boats have five length options but all the boats in the IRON range share a beam of 2.44m. This is entirely intentional, as it means two hulls will fit stacked horizontally in a standard container, keeping shipping costs to a minimum and minimising potential damage to the boat.
The range starts with the IRON 647 (LOA 6.52m, 150 to 200 hp), followed by the IRON 707 (7.12m LOA, 175 to 250 hp), IRON 767 (7.72m LOA, 250 to 300 hp), IRON 827 (8.32m LOA, 250 to 400 hp) and the IRON 907.
The IRON 827 and IRON 907 are also available as a Coupe. The Coupe has a five seat, enclosed cabin with side sliding doors and a retractable roof. A chemical toilet is stowed under the rear cabin bench seat, and all the seats can be converted into a double bed for overnighting. There is no day cabin.
Features and layout
As mentioned, the IRON 907 has a relatively narrow beam, which contributes to its excellent sea keeping, yet it still feels spacious. This is achieved in part by the vertical cockpit and foredeck sides and narrow gunwale.
Starting from the outside and working our way in, the built in, non inflated, semi rigid fender not only enhances the IRON 907’s lines but also provides very effective protection. A cross section shows it is made up of multiple air pockets running bow to stern, giving the fender both its flexibility and rigidity. These air pockets dampen movement and sound resonance, and lower the centre of gravity, contributing to the boat’s overall smooth and silent running.
Moving inboard, the centre console design provide 400mm wide walkways on each side and high bulwarks make moving around the boat safe and easy. The deck covering is hard wearing MarineFloor Eva foam decking with E Deck Pro as an upgrade option.
In the cockpit, there are aft facing and forward facing bench seats, separated by a 1040 x 560mm table. Two and three adults respectively, can comfortably sit around the table and there is a four cup built in beverage holder here for your convenience.
There is also a single drawer fridge under the aft facing seat, and the forward facing seat lifts, providing access to the batteries, engine hydraulics, steering, freshwater tank and some storage space. There are also two cup holders on either side of the seat base, meaning everyone at the table has one.
The table lowers, with inserts converting this area into a two person sun lounging area.
Transom openings either side of the aft seat provide easy access to the port and starboard swim platforms, which double as storage lockers for docking lines and the like. A rebate in the lid allows the unused tail of the line to be tidied away when docked. I like such details, which show careful thought and consideration during the design stage.
The slide out swim ladder is neatly housed under the starboard swim platform.
The helm is a neat and tidy affair. Side by side seating with the driver on the left, the seats are comfortable even though the backrests are not that tall. The bases lift up, providing a nice bolster when driving in the standing position and revealing storage lockers underneath.
As we have all come to expect on boats of this calibre, the electronics package is well specified with a Simrad NSX 15 inch MFD and a Clarion sound system. Standard equipment is two speakers, but this boat has been upgraded to a four speaker setup. A 12 inch MFD is also an option with space to accommodate two 12 inch MFDs if desired.
This IRON 907 is fitted with the T Top, so there were no issues viewing the screen in the bright sunlight. Apparently, reflections are not an issue with the open model either.
Day cabin? Yes, the IRON 907 has a day cabin with overnighting potential extending in front of and below the windscreen and accessed via a seat and hatch that lifts up from the front.
The cabin is a light, airy space with two large windows port and starboard and a Lewmar hatch in the roof to provide ventilation. V berths convert with an infill into a double bed, but if you are over 1.9m tall, you will need to lie diagonally.
The cabin walls are padded, protecting sleepers from the cold, hard fibreglass. A portable chemical toilet is standard.
The foredeck is a very usable space. There is ample wrap around seating with large storage cubbies underneath. The anchor rope locker lives under the bow seat. Including the seat built into the cabin entry hatch, the foredeck can comfortably accommodate six or seven seated adults and with the standard infill fitted, the foredeck becomes a large sunbed. A stowable sunshade is available as an option, which Kiwis will appreciate.
Final thoughts
As Kiwis, we generally buy mission specific boats, but we do like boats that offer some flexibility in use. The fact that fishing rod holders and storage are not among the options for IRON boats tells us a lot. At first, I thought this was a negative, but I have since had a rethink. Choosing a boat should be based on mission specific criteria. Ask yourself what you are going to do with your boat 90% of the time. The IRON 907 is not a fishing boat.
Obviously, you can fish off any boat, so yes, you can definitely use the IRON 907 as a fishing platform. But that is not its intended purpose. Instead, the IRON 907 is a fast, family dayboat that will enable you to explore New Zealand’s spectacular coastline effortlessly and in comfort, that is its mission.
Anything not to like? If I were to nit pick, I am not sure about the fridge’s positioning, with people sitting in the aft facing seat, accessing it is a bit of a nuisance and completely impossible when the sunbed is in use. Listing the table and the windlass as extras seems a bit nickel and diming and does not support the boats premium brand positioning in my opinion, most of us would consider them standard equipment.
The fact that the storage cubbies under the bow seats are not lockers is, I think, an oversight. Proper lockers would be more useful. But I am being very pernickety. Overall, I was very impressed with the IRON 907. It is fast, stable, and comfortable, with plenty of space to take family and friends out for the day.
The fit and finish is to a high level, there were no squeaks, rattles or knocking sounds, and IRON Boats has delivered a nice, smooth gelcoat.
So, if your mission includes day trips with the occasional overnighter, exploring the islands and bays of New Zealand’s breathtaking coastline, quick trips to another seaside town for lunch or dinner, and all of it aboard a stunning looking vessel, then an Iron Brothers boat is perfect for for you.
Specifications
- Boat: IRON 907
- LOA: 8.92m
- Beam: 2.44m
- Weight: 1,700kg
- Motor: 300 to 500hp
- Max speed: 40 to 57 knots
- Fuel: 350L
- Capacity: 9 people
- Deadrise: 23°
- CE class: C
- Manufactured by: IRON Boats
- NZ distributor: Family Boats
