Spy shots and video of the 2022 Audi A3 Citycarver: the high-riding hatchback is here!

Audi's latest A3 has just hit U.S. showrooms in sedan guise, but engineers are still working on a new version.

The latest spy shots show a prototype based on the A3 Sportback hatch sold abroad, and they point to a new A3 soft-loader in action. The prototype is higher than the regular A3 hatch and is fitted with plastic cladding on the wheel arches unique to the soft loader.

Soft loaders like Audi's A4 Allroad and A6 Allroad are great alternatives to crossovers and SUVs. While ideal for traversing dirt roads and thick snow, they are less likely to succeed in a serious off-road environment.

The A3 soft loader will likely adopt the City Carver name that Audi already applies to the smaller A1 soft loader (shown below) sold abroad. Some German media have also reported the use of the City Hopper name.

Whatever the final name, the A3 Softloader is expected to share its powertrain with the regular A3; a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive should come standard on all models.

It will be announced by the end of this year at the latest. Audi does not sell the regular A3 Sportback in the U.S., so a soft-roader version is not expected here. This makes sense, since Americans tend to prefer conventional crossovers like the related Audi Q3.