Audi SQ5? Audi RSQ5? Sporty Audi Q5 planned?

Audi's Worthesee Q5 - a taster for an Audi SQ5 or RSQ5, perhaps?

Audi has filed trademark applications for the monikers Audi SQ5 and Audi RSQ5, raising the possibility of a ‘Sporty’ Audi Q5 in the planning.

Audi was more than fashionably late to the SUV party, turning up a few years late with the behomoth that is the Q7. Beautifully built, but surprisingly ‘cosy’ inside, the Q7 was enough of a success to see the Audi Q5 join its big brother a few years later, and we’re now on the cusp of the Audi Q3 arriving to take a bash at the BMW X1.

But what of a ‘Sporty’ SUV from Audi? So far the closest we’ve got is the Q7 with the V12 diesel. But that’s more of a blunderbuss than a rapier; more about crushing with brute force than anything else. But that makes sense with the Q7 – it’s too big ever to be considered sporty. But what of the Q5?

We thought any talk of a ‘Sporty’ Q5 had ended when we found out that Porsche were making the Porsche Cajun, itself a sport SUV based on the Q5. Could the market support two such sporty Q5s? More pertinently, would a Porsche Cajun steal sales from a Sporty Q5 – or vice versa?

It starting to look like Audi – well, VW in truth – may well believe there is room for sporty Q5 as well as a Porsche Cajun. Car & Driver are reporting that Audi has filed trademark applications for both Audi SQ5 and Audi RSQ5, raising the intriguing possibility that Audi are considering two levels of ‘Sporty’ for the Q5.

Or not.