The all-terrain vehicle looks to be based on the Q6 e-tron Sportback and may reach production as a celebration of Audi’s win at the 2024 Dakar Rally.
In January, Audi conquered the grueling Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia with its RS Q e-tron race car, piloted by rally legend Carlos Sainz. Now Audi appears to be preparing a limited-edition celebration of its Dakar triumph, with our spy photographers catching Audi testing an off-road-oriented SUV. The all-terrain vehicle appears to be based on the recently revealed Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback, and if it reaches production we expect it to be offered in extremely limited numbers.
KGP Photography|Car and Driver
The Q6 e-tron Sportback 4×4 Dakar—as we’ll call it until Audi reveals an official name—has a comically tall ride height and a wide track. Audi has fashioned bulbous wheel arches that extend outward from the body and create a purposeful stance. The front bumper appears to have been redesigned with huge lights and a rectangular cutout that houses a pair of tow hooks. The restyled front and rear bumpers, along with the ample ground clearance, seem to give the SUV excellent approach and departure angles.
The Q6 e-tron Dakar tribute rides on chunky Toyo Open Country M/T tires and is fitted with a sleek roof rack. The roof-mounted storage piece looks to be identical to the unit found atop the Audi Q8 e-tron edition Dakar, a special-edition model launched in January on the eve of the Dakar Rally.
Audi has recently shown an increased interest in off-roaders. Along with its entry into the Dakar Rally, Audi showed the Activesphere concept in 2023, a lifted coupe-style SUV that could transform into a pickup truck thanks to a split tailgate and a sliding rear glass panel. While the off-road Q6 e-tron Sportback doesn’t appear to have the concept’s fancy transforming rear end, the stance echos the all-terrain look of the Activesphere.
Very little is known about the Q6 e-tron Sportback 4×4 Dakar, but Audi may unveil the vehicle during the buildup to the 2025 Dakar Rally, which kicks off on January 3. The standard Q6 e-tron comes with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain producing 456 horsepower, and Audi will also offer an SQ6 e-tron that can churn out up to 510 horsepower with its boost feature activated.
