KTM X-Bow Arrow arrives as unexpected Ariel Nomad rival
Having made a name for itself as a lightweight, track-focused weapon, the KTM X-Bow has branched out to become an off-road buggy. Sound familiar?
Nearly 20 years ago, the KTM X-Bow launched from a new automotive offshoot of the famed motorcycle manufacturer, featuring an ultra-lightweight construction, a four-cylinder engine borrowed from VW Group, and a conspicuous lack of a windscreen. Various derivatives have followed, right the way up to the mad, five-cylinder-powered, closed-cockpit GT-XR, but now, KTM X-Bow is indulging in a different kind of bonkers with the Arrow.
Just as competitor Ariel seemingly got bored of only making track-focused things and brought out the Nomad buggy, KTM X-Bow Arrow takes the brand in a very different, rally-raid style direction.
It’s built around a tubular steel structure rather than a carbon fibre tub as seen on other X-Bow models. To that, KTM attaches double wishbones front and rear plus massive KW dampers providing 600mm of travel. On the entry-level version, you get three-way manually adjustable dampers, with an electronically adjustable setup found on the limited edition Arrow Black. The latter even has an active anti-roll bar system, along with hydraulic bump stops.
The 15-inch wheels are shod in 32-inch Maxxis RAZR XT tyres, with the Black upsizing to 35-inch monsters on beadlock wheels, helping prevent the tyres from unseating when run at low pressures in very extreme conditions.
Both cars get a 2.0-litre inline-four turbo petrol engine from VW Group. It’s the EA888, which is used in various cars, perhaps most notably the VW Golf GTI and Audi S3. In the Arrow, it develops 276bhp, with a 326bhp version found in the Arrow Black. Each setup is hooked up to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
The Arrow is a fair bit heavier than the circa-700kg Ariel Nomad, with the standard car tipping the scales at around a tonne. The Black is 1,100kg, with a large chunk of the extra bulk coming from its included winch, we suspect.
There are more creature comforts than you might think. The Arrow includes USB-C ports, a reversing camera, and even a sound system.
The KTM X-Bow Arrow will be shipping globally. It’s “designed first and foremost for off-road driving,” a press representative told us, adding that “registration and road use vary by country and, in the US, by state”. In the USA, where there’s a bit more space than in the UK to enjoy off-road ‘toys’ such as this, the starting price is $59,800 (just under £45,000), with the Arrow Black coming in at $98,600 (just under £74,000). The first deliveries will kick off in late 2027.
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