2021 Audi Q5 Sportback SUV-coupe exposed

Audi will launch a fresh challenge against BMW's X4 when it introduces the 2021 Audi Q5 Sportback late next year and, to prove a more rakish take on the popular mid-size luxury SUV is on the way, it's already been spotted out in the wild.

Revealing the all-new Audi Q5 Sportback parked up at an undisclosed location in China, these images posted by

In fact, at a passing glance, the almost undisguised Q5 Sportback could easily be mistaken for the smaller car.

But what the Q5 Sportback won't be confused with is the standard Q5, because it sports a pair of fresh new headlights flanking a larger, deeper hexagonal grille alongside two repositioned air intakes.

Other subtle differences up front compared to the more practical Q5 are the subtle brushed aluminium surrounds that frame the grille and air intakes. The opening above the front air intake is slimmer too.

At the rear, the OLED tail-lights look curvier, although they're partly obscured.

Set to be assembled at the same Mexican plant as the 2021 Q5, the Q5 Sportback is expected to offer an identical engine line-up to the recently facelifted SUV it's based on.

That means a pair of 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbos – petrol and diesel, the latter with mild-hybrid tech to reduce fuel consumption. A powerful 255kW 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel will also be available.

Later on, possibly in 2022, a diesel-powered SQ5 Sportback is primed to arrive with a bespoke suspension tune.

The rest of the Q5 Sportback shares the standard car's multi-link suspension front and rear with the option of air springs on high-grade models. To help differentiate it from the Q5, expect a firmer, sportier set-up offering more agile responses.

Various driver assistance systems including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) – or ‘pre-sense city’ in Audi-speak – will be standard, along with collision avoidance, turning and exit warning assistance systems, plus adaptive cruise control and active lane-keep assist.

Inside, expect the Q5 Sportback's cabin to be indistinguishable from the Q5's, with the interior dominated by a central 10.2-inch touch-screen combined with a 12.3-inch virtual cockpit digital instrument panel.

Like the updated Q5, the 'coupe' version uses the brand’s third-generation infotainment OS and new processors, which makes everything run faster, look sharper and adds things like lane-by-lane traffic information, Amazon Alexa voice activation, a new menu system and advanced voice control.

The Audi Q5 Sportback will even gain car-to-infrastructure communication functionality, allowing it to find available car parks and drivers to “surf the green wave” by providing advance intel on whether a traffic light is going to change – although that tech won't be offered initially in Australia.

Speaking of which, there's no official confirmation that the Q5 Sportback will land in Australia, but since the Q5 remains the fourth most popular mid-size luxury SUV Down Under, it's likely.

There's no word on when we'll see the finished item, but the fact that a very lightly disguised Q5 Sportback has been caught testing in public suggests an official reveal is likely in the next few months, potentially followed by an on-sale date in the third quarter of 2021.