KTM unveils Dakar-inspired Arrow as Ariel Nomad rival
Austrian lightweight specialist KTM is going after the Ariel Nomad with a wild new dune-basher touting Audi S3 power and formidable off-roading credentials.
The brand, which was launched with the original X-Bow in 2008, was recently acquired by new owners and now operates separately from the motorbike maker of the same name.
It revealed a new version of its track-focused GT-XR flagship last month and is now expanding into a new segment with the launch of the Arrow rally-raider.
The new Arrow side-by-side (SSV) is the brainchild of Belgian rally driver Guillaume de Mévius, who led the consortium that acquired KTM’s road car division from the parent company in August last year and is best known for claiming second place on the 2024 Dakar Rally.
The Arrow was developed in partnership with his G Rally racing team (recently rebranded as KTM X-Bow Lab Team) and is effectively a toned down version of the rally-raider it has developed to compete in Dakar’s new SSV category.
It sticks to KTM tradition in using an Audi-supplied powerplant, in this case the ‘EA888’ 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine from the S3 (and other Volkswagen Group hot hatchbacks).
Packing 276bhp as standard or 325bhp in the 500-off launch edition, the four-pot drives both axles through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and two limited-slip differentials.
KTM has yet to disclose full specs, but this should give the 999kg Arrow sufficient punch to keep pace with its Ariel rival.
The Nomad – derived from the seminal Atom – weighs just 715kg, takes similar levels of power from a Honda-derived 2.0-litre engine and can crack 0-62mph in 3.4sec.
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