Buenos Aires - The Atacama desert and the Andes mountains replaces the Sahara as the Dakar Rally returns to make its debut in South America.

After last year's off-road endurance race was called off amid fears of terrorist attacks, organizers have found a challenging new route in Argentina and Chile.

Viva el Dakar is the message from director Etienne Lavigne as the rally, beginning on Saturday, makes its premiere outside of Africa or Europe.

"The Dakar remains the same - the absolute challenge for man and material," he said.

There are many experts who believe the toughest of races will be even harder in the South American summer, with competitors facing many unknown quantities.

"From everything we've heard it will be harder that in previous years. The stages are longer and the heat is stronger than in Africa, and there will be many sand dune stretches," said South African Giniel de Villiers, who was second in 2006, achieving a best-ever result for Volkswagen.

A total of 539 cars, motorcycles, quads and trucks will drive across 10 Argentine provinces and three Chilean provinces over 15 days.

"The plains of Patagonia, the Atacama Desert or the passage through the Andes mountains, in the middle of the Austral summer, will constitute an ideal field to witness the endurance qualities of the competitors registered for the 2009 Dakar," Lavigne said.

Higher altitudes will have never been encountered in the 31-year history of the race when competitors twice cross the Andes at a route some 4,700 metres above sea level.

The 10th stage on January 13 is the longest at 670 kilometres across the Atacama desert in Chile, one of the hottest and driest regions of the world, with tough sand-dune terrain.

The rally sets off from Buenos Aires on a two-week route over more than 9,500 kilometres before returning to the Argentinian capital.

Mitsubishi is looking for its 13th rally triumph and its eighth in succession with Volkswagen, seeking a first Dakar win at a sixth attempt, expected to mount the biggest challenge.

Both are in the field with four diesel-powered works cars, Mitsubishi with the Racing Lancer and VW with the Race Touareg.

The Japanese team can boast three Dakar winners in Frenchmen Stephane Peterhansel and Luc Alphand and the Japanese Hiroshi Masuoka, but VW have a strong team including the German pairing of Dieter Depping and Timo Gottschalk and the twice rally world champion Carlos Sainz.

The Spaniard won six of the 14 stages at Dakar 2007 and was ahead of the field for four days until power steering problems ended his chances.

The South American race can be regarded as something of a home race for Sainz who has won the Argentinian round of the World Rally Championship three times. (dpa)