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Audi has confirmed that it will show off a Q4 e-tron battery electric vehicle concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
The Q4 e-tron, says Audi, "provides a glimpse of the next stage of Audi electric mobility." The German car maker also said the Q4 e-tron will be in production by the end of 2020, or the beginning of 2021.
The thing is, it won't just be an electric car. The clue is in the name - Q4 e-tron. While this is specifically the electric version (drawing on the same technology as the just-launched e-tron quattro SUV) there will also be a conventional Q4 SUV, sitting in the range as a lower, sleeker version of the current Q5.
Because of that, the Q4 e-tron probably won't use the bespoke Volkswagen Group 'MEB' electric vehicle architecture, which is due to be launched underneath the I.D. all-electric hatchback later this year. Instead, it will use a modified version of the Q5's platform, which could cause some compromises to be made compared to Audi's future 'pure' electric models.
For now, we can see from the sketches that the Q4 e-tron apes the front styling of the e-tron quattro, with a big, wide, low-set grille and very narrow headlights. At the back, it looks a little more like an upsized version of the Q2, with that distinctive, forward-leaning rear pillar.
The cabin, based on what we can see in the sketches, is very stylised and technical in its look, with a high-set version of the Audi MMI infotainment system, leading into a tall, cliff-faced dashboard in front of the passenger. It also appears to have a push-button selector for the gearshift and a large touchpad to control the infotainment system.