- The new rally raider has been tested by Sebastien Loeb, Nasser Al-Attiyah, and Cristina Gutierrez.
- Power comes courtesy of a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 with 355 hp.
- Dacia will take the Sandrider to Morocco later this month for a week of testing.
Dacia will compete in next year’s Dakar Rally with the wild-looking Sandrider and recently conducted a series of tests for the racer in Wales and in France.
The Sandrider has been homologated for the Ultimate T1+ category and will compete at events throughout the World Rally-Raid Championship. It’s built around a lightweight tubular chassis and is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 with 355 hp and 398 lb-ft (539 Nm) of torque. This engine is coupled to a six-speed sequential transmission driving all four wheels.
Read: Dacia Sandrider Revealed With V6 Power And Concept Looks, Will Tackle 2025 Dakar
While the Sandrider will be a new entrant to Dakar, the carmaker has had no issues signing some of the sport’s biggest names, including Sebastien Loeb, Nasser Al-Attiyah, and Cristina Gutierrez. Between May 6 and 9, Gutierrez and Loeb tested the Sandrider for two days at the Sweet Lamb testing complex in Wales before the team headed to Château de Lastours in France for four days of additional testing with all three drivers.
The Dacia team is now readying the Sandrider for a rigorous test schedule in Morocco from June 28 to July 6. It will be tested on similar terrain to what it’ll experience during the Dakar Rally running from January 3-17 next year.
“The testing has gone very well,” Loeb said. “I did one day in the UK and two days in France. We worked on the suspension and the diff to find a good balance with the car, and I was happy with how it worked. The engine was working well since the start, and we didn’t have any problems. Based on the experience of a brand-new car, it’s looking really good and I look forward to continuing the testing in Morocco.”
Interestingly, the Sandrider’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 has been designed to run on synthetic fuels provided by Amarco, the world’s largest oil producer. It’s scheduled to make its competitive debut at the Rallye du Maroc, Morocco, in October.
