5 Things To Know About The Audi Q8 e-tron Edition Dakar

The Dakar Rally has been going on for decades now, but it seems like carmakers have just started to realise that they can capitalise on the idea of the off-road rally. Following the footsteps of the Porsche 911 Dakar, Audi has now come out with a Dakar-inspired Q8 e-tron electric SUV. It is tantalizing not just to look at, but actually go off-road with, courtesy of some hefty modifications. 

Without further ado, here are 5 major highlights of the Audi Q8 e-tron Edition Dakar:

Mad Max Outside

Making the Q8 e-tron Edition Dakar off-road-ready are the General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres. This gives it 31mm of additional ground clearance (base setting: 206mm) in addition to obvious handling advantages on loose surfaces. 

Matrix LED head and tail lights are equipped as standard and so are the tinted sun visors for the tailgate, rear door, and side windows. Furthermore, bits like the standard usable roof rack, which gets a bag and straps for various accessories, make the Q8 e-tron Dakar look even more purposeful. To sum up the visual tweaks, Audi has also flared the wheel arches, both front and rear, to give it a more appealing stance.

There’s an option for a unique decal package, inspired straight from the legendary RS Q e-tron, which is an actual participant of the famed rally. This includes a Mythos Black metallic body colour and these wrapped models are limited to just 99 units. To show off the exclusivity, you get the model’s serial number lettering on the C-pillar.

Love Max Inside

In contrast to the rugged exteriors, the Q8 e-tron Edition Dakar isn’t as unforgiving on the inside. The S Line interior pack, which brings contoured sports upholstery for the seats finished in Dinamica microfiber and artificial leather, is offered as standard. There’s leather on the steering wheel, an elegant black roof lining, stainless steel pedals, and a comfort centre armrest. 

For features, it retains the dual central screens, one for the infotainment needs, and the lower one for climate control, while the driver also gets a fully digital driver’s display supplemented by a heads-up display. However, the graphics for the screens have been crafted specifically for the Edition Dakar, which can also showcase information for the vehicle’s tilt angle.

There’s heated and ventilated seats, ambient lighting, connected car technology and four-zone climate control to take care of passenger comfort. However, the 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen Premium Sound System with 3D sound is an optional extra.

Powertrain

Given that the edition Dakar is based on the standard 55 e-tron quattro, the battery is the same 106kW unit. It feeds charge to a 408PS and 664Nm dual-electric setup, which can propel the SUV from nought to 100kmph in just 5.9 seconds (on General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tires). The setup has a WLTP-claimed range of 487km and a top speed limited to 200kmph. 

Off-road cred

The Q8 e-tron edition Dakar makes use of the same air suspension as the standard car. But thanks to the all-terrain tyres, it gets additional ground clearance along with some decent approach and departure angles. It also boasts a water wading capacity of 300mm.

It also boasts the capability to gradually lower the ride height by 15 mm at 85 kmph, 17 mm at 100 kmph, and 13 mm at 120 kmph. This increases aerodynamic efficiency, which is a major part in boosting an EV’s range. 

Launch and Price

The official press release from Audi reads ‘the Q8 e-tron edition Dakar can be ordered in the first quarter of 2024’. Prices in Germany start from 120,000 euros, which converts into Rs 1.09 crore, of course, before any import duties and on road taxes. However, there isn’t any news about Audi bringing it here. 

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But if we had any say in what Audi brings to our shores, the Q8 e-tron edition Dakar would be on the top of our list. The standard Q8 e-tron is already here in India, in both SUV and Sportback (SUV-coupe) body styles. They are sold between Rs 1.14 crore and 1.31 crore (ex-showroom) and rival the likes of the BMW iX and Jaguar I-Pace.