Want a plush electric SUV and fancy yourself as Carlos Sainz? Well, guess what…
JAMES ATTWOOD @atters_j
TESTED 15.12.23, SALALAH, OMAN ON SALE EARLY 2024 (EUROPE)
The Audi Q8 E-tron Edition Dakar has eight – eight! – wheels. Have Ingolstadt’s finest developed a new Otto eight-wheel drive system? Of course not: the special edition of the firm’s biggest electric SUV comes with sets of both on- and off-road tyres, reflecting its intended use cases.
Inspired by the RS Q E-tron raider that competes in the Dakar Rally, this new EV takes the Q8 E-tron 55 Quattro, with its 402bhp dual-motor powertrain and 106kWh battery, and adds extra off-road ability.
It also adds considerable cost: prices will start at around €120,000 (£103,000), compared with £80,300 for the regular 55 Quattro (although that only comes with four wheels…).
Special design elements ensure the Edition Dakar looks the part, including a body-coloured single-frame front grille, chunkier wheel arches and a roof rack with a useful load capacity of 40kg, complete with a storage bag and straps.
But before you plan an expedition to Saudi Arabia (home of the Dakar Rally these days, because who needs geography?), don’t expect the Edition Dakar to offer off-road ability to match a Toyota Land Cruiser or Jeep Wrangler. Instead, Audi has added a soupçon of ability to cope with the rough stuff without compromising on premium sheen.
The air suspension-controlled ride height is raised by 65mm over standard in most driving modes and 30mm higher in Off-Road, while the track is marginally wider (mostly to allow for those chunky arches).
Consequently, it offers front and rear approach angles of 21deg and 28deg, a ramp angle of 19deg and a wading depth of 300mm.
Then there are the knobbly tyres: mud-and-snow-rated 265/60 R18 General Grabber AT3s, fitted to new-to-Audi 8.0Jx18in rims.
But that’s about it: there’s no additional underbody protection.
The result is an SUV with a decent level of off-road ability, as demonstrated with an extended and dusty test loop in southern Oman that featured gravel, dust, sand, steep elevation, the odd water crossing and plenty of jagged rocks.
The off-road tyres and extra ride height give the Edition Dakar a floaty feel, which adds a dash of character that’s missing from the standard Q8 E-tron, and at speed on loose gravel it slides around enough to entertain. It maintains its composure on steeper sections, while instant access to 490lb ft of torque allows
