Test drive

Audi SQ6 Sportback, the test in the Tunisian desert: adventure in the dunes with the electric SUV

A special test drive to test the dynamic qualities and the pleasure of driving electrically in the most particular and demanding contexts.

by Giulia Paganoni

2' min read

Translated by AI
Versione italiana

2' min read

Translated by AI
Versione italiana

A journey into the desert to explore fascinating territories far from our daily visual experience, but not only: an adventure to discover the unusual pleasure of driving an electric car and doing it in the dunes. The protagonist is the Audi SQ6 Sportback e-tron, the electric suv with 517 hp delivered by two electric motors, driven through the sands of the Tunisian Sahara hinterland.

Comfort, electric four-wheel drive that distributes torque from the electric motors to the wheels in around 30 milliseconds and increased ground clearance are all qualities already familiar from the four-ring manufacturer's lithium-ion model, but never before have they been put to the test in such a challenging environment as the desert.

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Audi SQ6 sportback e-tron, le foto del suv elettrico nel deserto

Photogallery22 foto

 

Audi has a long tradition in motorsport, both for its four-wheel drive and for challenges in such demanding contexts, remembering that in 2024 it won the Dakar with the RS Q e-tron, writing a new chapter in the history of one of the world's toughest challenges with 7,883 kilometres of dunes, rocks and fords.

To tackle this journey of more than 500 kilometres, the travelling companion was the Audi SQ6 Sportback e-tron, which in this context does not stand out for its 0-100 km/h sprint in 4.4 seconds but, what makes it a car suitable for desert life, are other qualities, such as the four-electric drive, the rapid distribution of torque between the axles and the active air suspension that allows individual management of each electro-hydraulic shock absorber and enables variation of up to 65 mm.

We started from Houmt Souk, on the island of Djerba, known for its Mediterranean beaches and white desert towns marked by the influence of Berbers, Arabs, Jews and African cultures. We drove along tarmac roads through the desert landscape, then passed through the town of Médenine, the main town in south-east Tunisia.

Audi nel deserto, la prova tra dune e sabbia di SQ6 Sportback e-tron

 

Based on the EPP platform developed in cooperation with Porsche, the Audi SQ6 Sportback e-tron benefits from a refined multilink suspension layout: at the front, the lower control arms are positioned forward of the swinging arms, which favours freedom of positioning and torsional strength.

An advantage, the latter, to which the attachment of the steering rack to a specific auxiliary frame contributes. To the balanced distribution of masses and progressive steering, a

variable damping and power assistance, are accompanied by dual-stage dampers, combining comfort and roll control, or, at a higher level, adaptive air suspension.

 

As we drove through the dunes, we appreciated the comfort on board, but above all the driving pleasure and the ease of juggling the steering and countersteering that caused waves of sand to rise up to cover the car and leave a large red cloud.

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