We’re barely a week into seeing the all-new Audi Q3 in all its glory, and yet here we are, confused and intrigued about what looks to be a sportier derivative of the crossover that has found its way in patent form at the European Union Intellectual Property Office. The patent filing was made by Audi last month, but the design of the crossover doesn’t look like the all-new Q3. Could this be a sportier version of the Q3? Is that you, Audi SQ3?

It’s pretty clear that the crossover in these patent images isn’t the Audi Q3. You can tell it easily with the different design of the front, particularly in the layout of the headlamps, the size for the front grille surrounds, and the entire lower bumper. No, this isn’t the Q3, but it is, judging by its overall size and shape, a crossover. So if this isn’t the Q3, what is it?

The smart money is on the Audi SQ3, a sportier version of the Q3 that we’ve seen in prototype form in recent months. Go back to the spy photos of the test mule and you’ll see how similar it looks to the patent images. In fact, the front fascia of both crossovers looks eerily similar, right down to the lights, the grille design, and the less conspicuous bumper.

Even the side profile, specifically the body lines, cut across the length of the crossover in near synchronicity. The five-spoke wheels are also similar, and while the front brakes on the prototype look a little bigger, it’s not disproportionately bigger than the ones on the patent images. If anything, someone over at Audi might have just been a little too liberal in scaling those brakes relative to the overall size of the vehicle.

About the only curious thing about the patent images is the rear fascia and the conspicuous absence of the exhaust. Maybe someone just missed it or maybe it was intentionally done, but it should be pointed out that the test mule that’s been running around the streets of Europe came with quad exhausts, a normal setup for any Audi model wearing an “S” age. Chances are that if these patent images show the SQ3, the final production model is going to have them in tow.

Whether this is the Audi SQ3 is a question that only Audi can answer at the moment. If this model doesn’t end up being that, it could be another derivative of the Q3, possibly even the RS Q3. But that isn’t as likely given how bereft in aero components these renderings appear to be. Regardless, what’s important is that Audi looks like it has another crossover in the pipeline.

There’s no timetable on when this model is going to be released — the patent was only filed last July 10th — but all signs point to it being another sporty version of the German automaker’s growing family of crossovers and SUVs.

References

Read our full review on the 2018 Audi Q3.

Read our full review on the 2015 Audi RS Q3.

Read more Audi news.