After plenty of rumors, it looks like Audi->ke14 is finally getting its upcoming Q1 crossover->ke2718 out on the road. The above Volkswagen Tiguan->ke1817 was recently spotted testing in Germany, but under closer inspection, this is not your typical VW->ke94 crossover.->ke288

Instead, our sharp-eyed spy photographers noticed that this mule has a narrower track and a shorter wheelbase, which is obvious by how far the wheels are sunk in and how the rear wheels are positioned in the fenders. These changes suggest that this mule is testing the underpinning of a vehicle that is slightly smaller than the current Tiguan.

Audi tried to disguise this by adding some extra plastic behind the wheels, but there was no hiding some of the obvious cues giving away the fact that this is very likely an Audi mule. Most obvious is the Audi-badged 17-inch wheels, but our shooter also points out that this vehicle is wearing Audi license plate starting with “IN.”

Rather than riding on the platform of the current Audi A1,->ke1729 it is being reported that the all-new Q1 will ride on VW’s MQB platform, and it is possible that Audi will eventually introduce a sportier SQ1 variant. Considering that this vehicle looks to still be quite early in the test mule phase of development, don’t expect to see a production version to debut until closer to the end of next year at the soonest.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2016 Audi Q1.

Why it matters

The 2016 Audi Q1 Audi is looking to play in the subcompact->ke4670 crossover segment against the likes of the Mini Countryman->ke3615 and Fiat 500X,->ke4434 but there is no word as to whether Audi will be bringing this new model to the U.S. market.

2016 Audi Q1 - Spy Shots

Read our full review here.