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Hottest version of Q5 SUV prototype spotted testing with production lights in place

Every new Audi launched from 2026 onwards will be an EV, the automaker says, but in the three years leading up to that historic moment we’re going to see plenty of new combustion cars, including the Q5 SUV and its performance-focused SQ5 spinoff pictured here.

It's nine months since our spy photographers last spotted the SQ5 out in the wild, and at first glance, it looks like little has changed. The BMW X3 M40i rival is still covered head to toe in camouflage wrap – in fact, it's wearing even more camo around the front grille area than it was last July.

But a closer look tells us there's a good reason for the extra disguise. Judging by the different design of the slats in the side air intakes in the front bumper this prototype is fitted with the final production SQ5 grille that Audi is desperate for us not to see.

It also has the production head and taillights, instead of the placeholder units fitted to the last test car we saw. We can just make out a glint of DRL sitting above the main headlights LEDs, though it's interesting to note that Audi has opted to stick with one-piece lamp units for the new Q5, whereas the upcoming electric Q6 e-tron SUV will get headlights sunk unto the bumper, leaving separate DRLs above to suck up all the admiring glances.

Related: 2024 Audi Q5 SUV Spied Inside And Out Revealing Radical Interior Overhaul

Quad exhaust tailpipes signal this car's "S" performance DNA, though whether that DNA has mutated, resulting in the next North American-spec SQ5 being downgraded from its current 349 hp (260 kW / 354 PS) 3.0-liter V6 to a super-powered 2.0-liter four isn't clear. European versions of the current SUV get a 3.0-liter diesel that makes 336 hp (251 kW / 341 PS), but diesel engines are rapidly falling out of fashion on the continent.

This latest set of pictures doesn't give us a peek inside the SQ5, but earlier images revealed the interior of the standard Q5 SUV, showing that it gains a small digital instrument cluster and a large tablet touchscreen. Bar the addition of a sportier steering wheel, some grippier seats, and a few S-branded trim details, the SQ5 will be identical.

There's no confirmed date yet for the SQ5, but we can expect to see the stock Q5 during this year, most likely in the fall, and the SQ5 is likely to follow in January 2024.