Off-roading is on-trend, in case you hadn’t noticed. After 25 years of becoming ever-more car-like, and prioritising car like on-road handling, some SUVs are heading back in the other direction, and rediscovering their mud-plugging roots with the addition of chunky tires, more ground clearance and various wilderness-themed styling cues.
The latest to jump on this trend is Audi, who was far later to the SUV party than most brands anyway, but does have a rock-solid off-highway pedigree thanks to the rallying exploits of its iconic early 1980s Audi Quattro, and, more recently, the RS Q e-tron Dakar racer.
And it’s the spirit of the modern sand monster that Audi is channeling with this, the Q8 e-tron edition Dakar, which costs around €120,000 ($132k) in Germany. Based on the twin-motor 55 non-Sportback e-tron rather than the range-topping triple-motor SQ8, it makes the same 402 hp (408 PS / 300 kW) in boost mode as the stock model, and sprints from zero to 62 mph (100 kmh) in 5.8 seconds on standard road tires, or 5.9 seconds when equipped with General Grabber AT3 all-terrain rubber that Audi also supplies, giving drivers eight wheels in total.
Related: Audi RS Q E-Tron Gets Safety Improvements And More Power For 2024 Dakar
The dirt tires also conspire to rob you of driving range, the figure for the edition Dakar coming in at 303 miles (487 km) compared with 330 miles (531 km) for a standard 55. But they also look great and add 31 mm (1.2 inches) of extra ground clearance, which starts off at 206 mm (8.1 inches) and gradually decreases as your speed heads the other way.
The approach (20 degrees), departure (26) and breakover (19) angles are all improved, and early reviewers seem to be impressed with its ‘light’ off-road ability. But the edition Dakar still doesn’t have the chops of some more credible rock-crawling rivals, and its modest 300 mm (12 inches) wading depth means you can forget about pond, river and creek fun, too.
Still, the edition Dakar looks the part with its wider track and standard roof rack, and particularly with the optional graphics package that is limited to 99 cars. And the word from Audi is that this edition Dakar serves to pave the way for a more serious SUV that could genuinely match the off-road talents of rivals like the upcoming electric Land Rover Defender.
