Hot Audi SQ4 e-tron wanted Down Under

Audi Australia has confirmed it would have its hand very high in the air for a hot S or RS version of the all-new Q4 e-tron, with the scene largely set given the brand’s huge success with other performance SUV models.

Speaking to carsales at the national media launch of the 2025 Audi Q4 e-tron last week, local product boss Matthew Dale said an SQ4 e-tron or RSQ4 e-tron “would be super exciting”.

“We would certainly put our hand up for such a product,” he said.

“Is there one that’s been announced… no, but I guess with Audi Sport we’ve shown what is capable in an EV product with e-tron GT.

“It [RS e-tron GT Performance] shows exactly what Audi Sport can do in the EV space, whereas our heritage shows us what we can do with ICE … and those technologies will progress.”

Given the success of the smaller but rabid RSQ3 and cult following of the SQ5 mid-sizer, there’s certainly a precedent for Audi to cite in the hypothetical business case for a hot Q4 e-tron, even if there isn’t an immediate muse.

At the time of writing, the Q4 e-tron’s MEB architecture is shared with more than a dozen other VW Group and Ford models globally, the flagship dual-motor versions of which all hit a 250kW power ceiling, including the Q4.

It’s plausible then Audi will have to look upmarket and perhaps pinch some hardware and know-how from the bigger and more advanced Q6 e-tron that will arrive next week with a warmed SQ6 available from launch.

The most powerful Q6 e-tron (so far) is good for 360kW and 0-100km/h in 4.3 seconds – more than enough for a compact performance flagship, especially if it were to go without an RS badge.

Given the usual leap between the S and RS products and their core siblings, we would expect an SQ4 e-tron to be good for about 300kW and a circa 4.7-second 0-100km/h dash, tied with a more aggressive – hopefully adaptive – chassis and upgraded braking system.

That would in turn leave plenty of headroom for an RSQ4 e-tron to materialise and pinch more bits from the PPE models (Q6 e-tron, A6 e-tron, Porsche Macan).

There is of course no guarantee such models are in the works or even under consideration, but the existence and success of the SQ2, RSQ3, SQ5, SQ6 e-tron and SQ8 is proof there’s plenty of demand for fast SUVs in Audi’s ranks, making the notion all the more likely.

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