By Otsile Kadiege

Audi recently took the veils off a limited edition (only 99 units) all-electric Q8 e-tron which boasts a rugged appearance resembling the RS Q e-tron. It also features a bunch of off-road kit, a raised chassis and is solely powered by two electric motors developing 300kW.

Distinctive exterior

The Q8 e-tron edition Dakar spots a striking, desert rally inspired look. Some of its highlights include widened and continuous wheel arches at the front and rear. It’s shod with General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres which have 31 millimeters higher ground clearance and are designed for better handling on loose surfaces such as gravel or snow. As part of the package, the Q8 e-tron edition Dakar comes with a set of summer tyres on 20-inch wheels in an attractive 5-V spoke S design as well as a roof rack with a load capacity of 40 kilograms.

The Q8 e-tron edition Dakar is available in Siam Beige metallic, Mythos Black metallic, and Magnetic Gray. The Singleframe always comes in body color. As an option, the projection light in the Singleframe, with its light strip, creates a visually consistent connection between the standard Matrix LED headlights.

Sporty interior

On the inside, the S line interior is now standard. This package includes deeply contoured sports seats upholstered in Dinamica microfiber and artificial leather. The Q8 e-tron edition Dakar also features a multifunction sport leather steering wheel, an elegant black roof lining, stainless steel pedals, a comfort center armrest and tinted sun visors for the tailgate, rear door, and side windows.

Another new feature is a display in the MMI operating system that displays information the vehicle’s tilt angle. Plus, Audi offers MMI background images on the MMI display created especially for the edition Dakar. Other noteworthy features include a 30 colour ambient lighting, four-zone automatic air conditioning and the optional 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen Premium Sound System with 3D sound.

Performance

Powering the Q8 e-tron edition Dakar are two powerful electric motors and a 106kWh battery pack. The Dakar inspired Q8 e-tron develops 300kW and 664Nm. Audi claims zero to 100km/h is achieved in 5.8 seconds with standard tyres. With the General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tires, the car reaches 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds. The range according to the WLTP is up to 487 kilometers and it has a limited top speed of 200 km/h.

At higher speeds, the limited edition model gradually lowers – by 15 millimeters at 85 km/h, 17 millimeters at 100 km/h, and 13 millimeters at 120 km/h. This optimizes driving stability at high speeds for improved aerodynamics and range. In conjunction with the front angle of approach of 20 degrees and the rear angle of approach of 26 degrees and a ramp angle of 19 degrees, the electric SUV is well prepared to tackle light off-road terrain.