Audi SQ6 Sportback e-tron: the test of the electric SUV in the Sahara dunes

In recent years the automobile has changed profoundly. With technological progress and electrification, today a car is evaluated first and foremost by the way it manages energy, the efficiency of the software or the user experience on board. Yet, there are cases in which mechanics, robustness and the ability to deal with situations that go beyond normality become central. That’s what happened with theAudi SQ6 Sportback e-trontaken to a scenario where no one would expect to see it: the Sahara desert. In the midst of fine sand and challenging dunes, this electric one gives over 500 horsepower it has proven to be much more than a sophisticated battery-operated device. With a few precautions, he completed a path that closely resembles those faced byRS Q e-tron at the Dakar.

it changes the appearance

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Aesthetically, the SQ6 Sportback e-tron is an SUV with coupé proportions and sports bumpers. Its natural habitat would seem to be the highway, certainly not the dunes. Yet, once the offroad mode is selected from the Audi drive select system, the suspension is automatically raised by +28 mm compared to the standard – an intermediate value between -20 mm in the efficiency mode and +45 mm in the offroad plus mode. During our experience in the Sahara it was the standard offroad mode that proved to be more than sufficient to tackle the dunes, offering the right compromise between ground clearance and stability. A further change of pace comes from the equipment: with sand tires with high shoulders and small diameter circles, it not only improves motor skills, but the aesthetics also changebringing it closer in some ways to that of a racing vehicle.

spaceship look

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On our journey we not only encountered sand, dunes, camels and desert silence: crossing villages and cities in Tunisia, we immersed ourselves in a automotive reality light years away from the European one. Here, among markets, open-air workshops and dusty roads, the Audi SQ6 Sportback it looks like a spaceship just landed. Most vehicles on the road are cars that have already lived one or more lives, often starting in Europe. Sturdy cars, marked by time but still operational: silent witnesses of one design quality and constructive, capable of defying the years and the most difficult conditions. Not all of them are perfect – indeed, many are dented, discoloured, with missing pieces – but precisely for this reason they tell something important: the goodness of a car is also measured, and above all, in the long term. And as we grip the steering wheel of our SQ6 in our hands, a simple but essential thought comes to mind: in the epochal transition towards electric, this value cannot and must not be lost.

native electric

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At the basis of this new electric path is the Ppe platform (Premium Platform Electric), developed with Porsche, designed to combine dynamics and comfort. THE 100 kWh of the battery – managed by an advanced predictive thermal system – power two electric motors: one asynchronous at the front and one synchronous at the rear, for a maximum combined power of 517 HP. The architecture a 800 volts allows rapid charging up to 270 kW, with 260 km recoverable in just 10 minutes. Reliability also comes from one thermal strategy intelligent: the system manages to anticipate cooling based on the route or driving, avoiding overheating even in extreme environments such as the desert.

performance and distribution

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The performances are sporty: 0-100 in 4.4 secondsquattro electric all-wheel drive and torque management that favors the rear axle in dynamic mode, also favoring slightly oversteering behavior. Everything is orchestrated by the Hcp1 platform, a digital heart that manages traction, adaptive air suspension and regenerative braking in synergy. In offroad, the “plus” setup locks the torque ratio to 70/30 between front and rear, but even the standard offroad mode proved more than adequate to handle sand and slopes.

always high comfort

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On the road, even with specific sand tires inflated to 2.5 bar, the SQ6 maintains high comfort and communicative steering: a sign of the quality of the chassis and suspension calibration. Dynamic mode lowers the ride and stiffens the car, while in Offroad the ground clearance is raised, the controls are recalibrated and the traction is optimized to guarantee the best possible traction. But it is on the sand that you enter another dimension: here there tire pressure is brought from 2.5 to 1.2 bar to increase the contact surface and improve flotation. In these conditions, the Audi SQ6 moves with surprising naturalness. The electric torque is always available and allows you to tackle ups and downs with fluidity.

caution is needed

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Although the attack angle of the bumper is designed for asphalt – and the sporty style splitter collects sand like a shovel – it is possible to tackle these terrains without damage or critical issues. It’s useful though continuity e delicacy: an overly aggressive approach can put the lower components at risk. If the offroad mode were not deactivated above 35 km/h and if the front had a more forgiving angle, it would even be possible to tackle fast sections with Dakar jumps. Furthermore, everything happens in one unreal silenceinterrupted only by the rustle of tires on the sand. After 270 km of driving in the city, in extra-urban areas and especially in the desert, with specialist tires and almost no regeneration, the battery still had over 30% of remaining charge. A truly remarkable achievement for a car of this size.

In summary

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The SQ6 Sportback e-tron demonstrated that electric is not synonymous with fragility. With a few precautions – and without transforming it into something it is not – this sports SUV has faced an extreme context while remaining true to itself. But perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised: even if mostly intended for asphalt, the PPE platform and the entire project have been tested in extreme conditions and in its architecture it retains all the engineering, solidity and technical rigor of German products.

strengths and weaknesses

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• Pleases: comfort and silence even in extreme conditions, precise and communicative steering despite the knobby tyres, excellent charge retention given the conditions
• Don’t like it: complete infotainment but not very intuitive at first use, bumper attack angle not suitable for more advanced off-road vehicles. Very high price