While the VW Group produces many vehicles in the United States, every single Audi sold locally is built in either Europe or Mexico and exported to the US, meaning they are subject to President Trump’s 25 percent auto tariffs. The premium brand is working hard to avoid these tariffs and could build several of its vehicles locally.

A recent report out of Germany suggests that Audi may build the existing Q4 e-tron crossover, or its successor, at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This would be a logical option as the Q4 e-tron shares the same MEB platform as the VW ID.4, which is currently built in Tennessee.

Read: Audi Stops All US Vehicle Exports Over Tariffs

At the same time, it could alter production plans for the Q8 e-tron. This model was originally going to be built in Mexico, but it may now be manufactured in Columbia, South Carolina, which will be home to Scout and handle production of both the EV and EREV versions of the Terra and Traveler. While VW has been eager to distance itself from Scout to allow the new brand to sell direct-to-consumers, it clearly has enough influence over it to also have the site build an unrelated model from Audi.

According to a report from Automobilwoche, the VW Group is also eyeing a third potential location for building the Q6 e-tron, though details are scarce for now.

When asked about these plans, an Audi spokesperson didn’t exactly confirm anything but did admit that the U.S. market is one of their top priorities, sitting alongside Europe and China as a core pillar of their global strategy.

“We want to increase our presence in the U.S.,” they told Auto News. “We are currently examining various scenarios. We are confident that we will be able to decide on the specific details in consultation with the Group before the end of this year.”

Either way, the wheels are in motion for Audi to make a more significant push in the States, as it’s imperative for the company to do whatever it takes to dodge those tariffs, whether by relocating production, shifting models, or just flexing the power of the VW Group.

Audi had a rough 2024, sales sinking by almost 12 percent and down in every single region. But one of the few models that still seemed to grab the public’s attention, at least in America, was the Q4, and an imminent facelift could help keep it bringing in the punters and prevent EV buyers having their heads turned by the newly-revised Tesla Model Y.

These spy shots show a prototype of the updated Q4 e-tron out in the wild for the first time. This one is a Sportback, the coupe-styled variant with the sloping back, though all of the changes seen here will also find their way onto the more upright, more practical regular Q4 e-tron.

Related: Audi Q4 E-Tron Gains Entry-Level Trim With Steel Wheels And Small Battery

Not that there will be an awful lot of changes to spot when the cars debut, potentially later this year. The hood and fenders appear to be identical to the ones on today’s Q4, meaning updates will mostly be limited to the grille, lights and bumpers.

We can see that the DRL design is new and Audi looks to have given its compact electric SUV the same multi-segment DRL tech present on the new A4, A6 e-tron and this car’s big brother, the Q6 e-tron. But the Q4 doesn’t get the Q6’s split headlight arrangement.

The lower grille pattern is also different, all current Q4’s getting horizontal slats rather than a hexagonal mesh at the base of the bumper. But while the rear Audi badge will probably be illuminated, the front is unlikely to be. The brand’s front four-ring logo is too big in its current form to meet rules governing maximum dimensions for illumination, and Audi has so far chosen to leave the logo unlit on its recent cars rather than downsize it.

One other change we can see is what appears to be a bigger ADAS sensor at the top of the windshield, suggesting the facelifted Q4 could get some improved driver-assist tech. But it’s not yet clear what other changes might come to the MEB-platform SUV. In late 2023 Audi updated the Q4 with more power for the single-motor versions (up to 282 hp/286 PS/210 kW) and faster charging speeds (175 kW) for the dual-motor models.

More recently it unveiled an entry-level Q4 35 e-tron for some markets that comes with a 55 kWh battery that can last 221 miles (355 km) between charges.

Photos Baldauf