KTM X-Bow, the Austrian brand best known for its stripped-down sports cars, has built its first side-by-side vehicle using an Audi-sourced engine and performance-oriented off-road hardware. The Arrow starts at $59,800 — a figure that signals immediately this is not a utility machine. It positions itself somewhere between a Dakar-inspired performance vehicle and a very expensive weekend pursuit.
Rally Hardware, Road-Car Guts
What makes the Arrow unusual isn’t just the price — it’s the powertrain hiding beneath it.
The engine is an Audi EA888 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, paired with a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission — a combination found across a broad range of Volkswagen Group vehicles, from hot hatches to sport sedans. Dropping that package into a side-by-side is a genuinely unconventional choice, and one that gives the Arrow a distinctly road-car-oriented mechanical identity in a category typically built around purpose-designed off-road engines.
Supporting the powertrain is a chromoly-steel chassis with double-wishbone suspension front and rear, approximately 23.6 inches — more than 600 millimeters — of suspension travel, and front and rear limited-slip differentials. KW Reiger contributed to damper development. These remain announced specifications; KTM is expected to confirm final production details before deliveries begin.
The Arrow comes in two configurations:
- Standard Arrow: 280 HP, open chassis, Sabelt seats and harnesses, starting at $59,800
- Arrow Black Limited Edition: 330 HP (announced target; final production figures pending), enclosed cabin, air conditioning, fly-off handbrake, starting at $98,600 — with production capped at 500 numbered units worldwide
Who’s Actually Buying This?
The Black Limited Edition’s price demands context, and the enclosed cabin is a significant part of its answer.
The standard Arrow’s open-chassis configuration means buyers are spending sports-car money for an exposed ride on a dirt trail — a trade-off that suits a certain kind of enthusiast perfectly. The Black Limited Edition addresses the comfort equation with an enclosed cabin and air conditioning, features that help frame the $98,600 starting price as something other than pure provocation.
KTM X-Bow has described the Arrow as combining competition-vehicle responsiveness with comfort and refinement suited to non-racing use — positioning it as capable enough for serious off-road terrain while remaining livable across a weekend in the desert.
Reservations for the Black Limited Edition open November 17 through the KTM X-Bow dealer network and website. First deliveries are expected in late 2027, meaning KTM is asking buyers to commit considerable money well ahead of any production unit reaching their hands.
