Audi SQ2 2018 hot SUV spied testing again, Audi SQ2

New spy shots show fast version of Q2 baby SUV is still under development, after Audi applied for 'SQ2' trademark

Audi looks set to add to its hot 'S' portfolio with a faster version of the Q2, and our spy photographers have again caught a prototype undergoing testing on the road. The SQ2 is expected to have upwards of 250bhp, and should arrive some time next year. 

While these spy shots don't reveal much more than we've seen previously, they do at least confirm that Audi is still working on the car. The brand applied to register 'SQ2' as a trademark with the global trademark office back in 2013, but after a barely disguised mule was seen over a year ago the rumour mill has gone quiet.  

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The pictures clearly show a tuned version of Audi's latest crossover with the giveaway quad exhaust pipes and enlarged front air intakes, but without the bodykit and large wheels of previous spyshots. Large brakes are evident behind the shrunken wheels, however. 
Given the fact that Audi is testing the car both on and off track, we expect bosses are keen to make this one of the best handling cars in the crossover class. It'll rival models like the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 – sitting below its bigger brother, the RS Q3.

An SQ2 model is likely to use the four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbo motor from the Audi S3 - there, it produces 296bhp, but given the Q2's lower status in the Audi family it could be detuned to nearer 250bhp. With standard Quattro four-wheel drive, it would slot into the maker’s growing SQ range of hot SUVs alongside the SQ5 and new SQ7.

“It is something we’re looking at,” admitted Stephan Knirsch, Audi’s Board member for Technical Development. “It would be relatively easy to do with MQB. The Q2 shares a lot with the A3, but we have to see what appetite there is for the more expensive Q2 models first.”
Knirsch admitted that it might be possible to pay around €45,000 (£35,000) for a Q2 if all the option boxes were ticked. And with prices for the Q2 set to run close to those of the equivalent A3 Sportback, we’d expect the basic price of an SQ2 to be in the region of £33,000.

The new Q2 SUV already features the same Progressive Steering system as the S3, so adding that car’s drivetrain is a logical next step. However, Audi insiders have hinted that there may be even more power in the pipeline, possibly featuring the 362bhp five-cylinder engine from the RS3. This, predictably, would be badged RS Q2.
With 1.0 and 1.4-litre petrol or 1.6 and 2.0-litre diesel Q2s already on sale, and a 188bhp 2.0-litre petrol coming soon, the SQ2 can't be too far off. However, an Audi spokesperson couldn't confirm a reveal date, so it's likely to be later on in 2018.

What do you think of the prospect of a hot Audi SQ2? Let us know below...