The Nissan X-Trail won our 4×4 of the Year award when it was launched, thanks in no small part to its remarkable off-road ability. But the model is nothing compared to the X-Trail Mountain Rescue – a one-off designed to highlight the tractability of the electric layout that allows the e-4ORCE drivetrain to react almost instantaneously to changing levels of grip. It is of course very apparent indeed that the headline modification to the X-Trail Mountain Rescue is the addition of snow tracks instead of wheels. However equally important is the removal of its rear seats to let it carry a stretcher, plus medical equipment and personnel.
In addition to all this, an evacuation stretcher and snow shovels are carried on a bespoke roof rack and the front bumper has been strengthened to mountain electric winch. The extra width of the tracks is covered by extended wing flares, while there are heavy-duty towing hooks front and rear and running boards for access to the cabin – very necessary for some as the vehicle rides 230mm higher than standard.
Nissan built the vehicle as part of a campaign it’s supporting to prevent accidents by encouraging responsible skiing in Europe’s major resorts. It will be displayed in a glass box in one of them, Cervinia in Italy, and feature in promotional material encouraging people to slow down on the slopes.

The Salar de Uyuni is one of the world’s most iconic destinations for overland travel. But there’s more to this famed region of Bolivia than a salt pan half the size of Wales. Venture just a few miles south and you’ll find yourself amid the tangled remains of a railway that was once a wonder of the engineering world.

In Britain, we tend to think of narrowgauge railways as quaint old things, short sections of track amid the worked-out late mines of North Wales plied by gleaming little engines for the amusement of tourists. The idea of crossborder heavy industry being built on such a thing sounds impossible. Exactly 150 years ago, however, the first trains ran on what was one of the most ambitious railway projects the world has ever seen. One of the most ambitious and, at the time, the highest above sea level anywhere on the planet. The Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia (FCAB) runs between the Bolivian capital of La Paz and the port of Antofagasta, some 715 miles to the south. On the way, it climbs to an altitude of 3956 metres – that’s not far off halfway to Everest, on a route for which ground was first broken at a time when the world’s highest peak was still more than a quarter of a century away from being conquered.

Read more in the January 2024 issue of Overlander 4×4 – buy it here

Audi will return to the Dakar Rally in January with the latest version of its RS Q e-tron. Headed by a new Technical Director in Dr. Leonardo Pascali, Audi Motorsport has focused on five main areas of development – safety, reliability, comfort, performance and maintenance times.

Various detail changes mean the new vehicle is slightly lighter than before, and changes in the event’s regulations mean its electric motors can now be tuned for greater output. Suspension uprights have been redesigned to help prevent stones from getting stuck behind the rim and brake disc, something that has previously caused time-consuming damage, and the wheels will be shod with a new tyre featuring stronger sidewalls.

The suspension has also been rethought to reduce peak vertical acceleration during landings, with a better distribution of loads also allowing enhanced handling control and a longer crash box at the front of the chassis. This is now more efficient at absorbing the energy generated during a hard frontal landing – such as the one which put Carlos Sainz out of the 2023 Dakar when his RS Q e-tron dug in and somersaulted.

Sainz is one of three Audi drivers at the 2024 Dakar, all of them returning after last year. He’ll be co-driven by Lucas
Cruz; other teams are Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist and Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger.

‘Our engineering team has improved the RS Q e-tron even further with many creative solutions,’ says Audi’s Head of Motorsport Rolf Michl. ‘Drivers and co-drivers, as well as all of the mechanics and engineers, benefit from the imaginative ideas. We feel that we are prepared for the Dakar Rally in the best possible way.’

Toyota has upgraded the Yaris Cross for 2024, giving it more power and tech as well as tweaks to its styling. The former comes from the addition of a new, more powerful hybrid powertrain in the GR Sport model; this will also feature in the Premiere Edition, a new model introduced for the launch of the updated vehicle.

The Premiere has an exclusive new Urban Khaki paint finish with a bi-tone execution, along with new 18” machined five-spoke alloys that enhance the dynamic, rugged look and matching stitching inside. Across the range, meanwhile, seat upholstery has been improved and there’s now a soft covering on the lower instrument  panel. Toyota promises improvements to the vehicle’s refinement, too, as well as further safety aids and a ‘completely new digital user experience.’