2012 Audi Q3 Compact SUV Previewed

Since Audi announced early last year that its upcoming Q3 compact SUV would join the line-up in late 2011, neither hide nor hair of Audi's newest high-rider has been seen since.

That isn't to say that Audi has not been busy churning out the new models. In the past 12 months, Audi has revealed the A7 and A5 Sportback models, the diminutive A1, the giant A8 and a slew of new variants and upcoming models.

While we wait for word on the Q3, our new rendering (above) draws inspiration from the popular Audi Cross Coupe Concept to offer some insight into how the new model might look when it launches late next year.

Expected to ride on a modified version of the Volkswagen Tiguan's chassis, the Q3 will likely have VW-sourced powertrains sitting beneath its edgy Teutonic bodywork.

Performance, however, is expected to be much sharper than its nearest Volkswagen cousins - Audi describes the Q3's driving characteristics as "supremely sporty".

The Q3 will be built at the SEAT plant in Martorell, Spain, which will be able to produce 80,000 units each year.

"We are counting on this Spanish site's efficiency, the excellent quality of the Production department, and its highly trained staff," Audi board chairman Rupert Stadler said.

"We will use the Group's synergies to sharpen our competitive edge and help protect around 1,200 jobs. The decision furthermore safeguards workplaces at other Audi locations."

The smallest SUV in the Audi line-up, the Q3 will join the mid-sized Q5 (built in Ingolstadt, Germany) and the larger Q7 (built in Slovakia).

Specific technical details are thin on the ground, but Audi has said the Q3's body will be "coupe-like" in profile.

For now though, these images of 2007's Cross Coupe concept will have to suffice.