The show car, which looks like a cross between a TT sports coupé and an off-roader suggest that Audi is planning to add yet another SUV to its range.

As is usually the case with teasers ahead of official auto show reveals, Audi is being less than forthcoming about specific details.

However, the pictures are being seen as proof that the company is preparing the ground for the launch of the Q4, a mid-sized SUV that will sit below the current Q5 and as such is aimed to compete with the Range Rover Evoque and BMW’s latest addition, the X4.

The images also suggest that like the X4, it will have more in common with a 2+2 coupé than many existing SUVs in the same price and quality bracket. So, it will have an elevated driving position and permanent all-wheel drive, but it will have a sloping aggressive look even if, in a nod to practicality, it will retain rear passenger doors.

The design sketches clearly reference the TT, the company’s sporty three-door coupé, which could be seen as another big hint that this car will be focused on on-road, rather than off-road, performance.

However, we won’t know for sure until the car is officially unveiled at the Beijing show which kicks off on April 20