Brakes are for losers. You have to know that when driving your car in deep sand. This also applies to an SUV, which is known to be useful in all situations. To prove this, Seat sent the new Tarraco to the Moroccan desert. Three of the seven series of the Spanish Volkswagen subsidiary now belong to the species with the urge to go off-road. The newest is also the largest with a length of 4,74 meters. Like its brothers, the Tiguan Allspace and the Skoda Kodiaq, the Tarraco, named after the ancient name of the Spanish Mediterranean city of Tarragona, also rolls off the assembly line in Wolfsburg. It was no coincidence that Seat chose the sand and scree desert in the Er Rachidia region - in the east of the country about an hour from Errachidia Airport - as the location for its desert camp 2019. On the one hand, the region was part of the Dakar Rally in 2006 and 2007, and on the other hand, the Spanish Volkswagen subsidiary wants to expand its presence south of the Mediterranean. The North African market is one of the most important regions for Seat's globalization strategy. Established in Morocco, the Spanish want to drive growth in the entire region, including Algeria and Tunisia. Compared to 2017, Seat in Algeria was able to quadruple its sales in 2018.
“Gas, gas, gas”, calls out the Spanish racing driver Jordi Gene, who has been competing for Seat in the World Touring Car Championship as a former Formula 1 test driver since 2005. Here in the sandy desert of Morocco, near the Algerian border, he has already stirred up a lot of dust with some spectacular drifts before he can now pass on his skills in the passenger seat. “We lower the tire pressure to 1,2 bar so that the tires get more grip. The more surface area of the tire comes into contact with the ground, the better on the soft sand. ”Jordi has a few more tips in store: Keep the engine running at speed, no steering angles that are too large and stopping is better only when going downhill . The driving mode is of course set to "off-road", with the electronic stability program Gordi recommends the sport mode - here the electronics change later - and the DSG gear lever is set to manual. The adventure can begin.
The desert is difficult terrain. Driving on sand is like surfing; the optimal speed is 30 to 40 kilometers per hour in first or second gear. Up the dune you simply step on the gas pedal. The ruts ahead are not a good track, the danger of touching down is too great. So better look for your own track. The Tarraco bravely digs its way through the endless copper-colored grains of sand in the westernmost foothills of the Sahara with its 4Drive all-wheel drive. The electronically controlled hydraulic Haldex clutch distributes the power flow steplessly to the front or rear axle without any action on the part of the driver, if necessary it can also direct the torque up to 100 percent to the front or to the rear axle.
Even later, on the dusty scree stretches away from the mighty sand dunes, there are a few things to consider again. Too bad, the Dakar adrenaline has just felt in the blood on the way beyond the beaten path of civilization. With full tire pressure and no speed limit, it goes on. A feeling of freedom and freedom opens up here. Is that limitless or just unusual enjoyment? The eye is now looking for a small white point on the horizon: the destination of the stage. But in time Gordi slows down the wild ride gently. The Tarraco is not an off-road vehicle, the ground clearance of 20 centimeters is sufficient for urban curbs, but not exactly lush for the terrain. In addition, Seat only suggests underbody protection. So be careful: The so harmless-looking camelgrass humps here are actually hard as concrete, they can quickly slit open the plastic cover like the stones lying around. So it's more the skillful slalom than the wild full sprint.
And then there are the donkeys and camels, who cross the track and are not really impressed by the passing cars even in the evening twilight. No wonder: Twice a day, just before sunrise and sunset, caravans set off on tour in 4x4 vehicles to experience their magnificent color play in the seemingly endless sand dunes. No less spectacular is the accommodation later. The night welcomes the motor tourists in a traditional Berber tent camp, around which the Tarracos caravan settles at torchlight, not without saying goodbye to their LEDs. At the end of the day you feel overwhelmed, made and impressed, how much talent for this tough terrain in an SUV can be stuck.
The Seat Tarraco is available as a five- or seven-seater with either front or all-wheel drive and a choice of two petrol and two diesel engines (150 and 190 hp) under the bonnet. The starting price is 29.980 euros.
Text and photos: Solveig Grewe