Those for whom Audi’s capable and posh Q5 compact luxury crossover just isn’t peppy or sporty enough will soon be able to stroll over to the 2015 SQ5 3.0T Quattro and perhaps discover that high-end commuter-car/mall-hopper they really want. This 5-seat mini-ute tacks on a few added attractions over its Q5 siblings, as well as a supercharged V6 powerplant, a sportier suspension and a unique high-end interior décor that stars the upgraded (for 2014) MMI (Multi Media Interface) navigation suite.

Because this upscale crossover ute debuted just last year, there is only one notable tweak for 2015: An available High Gloss Black appearance package boasting gloss-black exterior paint and body-color outside mirrors is expected to be offered as an option for the SQ5 when it goes on sale in the late summer of 2014.

Meantime, the 2015 SQ5 is slated to return in a pair of trims, the plush 3.0T Quattro Premium Plus and the downright princely 3.0T Quattro Prestige, hereafter to be delineated simply the Premium Plus and the Prestige. Of course both iterations should be reprised packing full-time all-wheel drive (AWD), thus leading to the traditional Quattro moniker and providing not only a boost to agility, but also a less stressful ride to the office or the mall on snow-covered roadways.

Also coming back for 2015 is the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 powerplant that mates with the standard 8-speed shiftable automatic transmission for 354 hp and 347 lb-ft of torque. Look for an estimated 16 mpg city/23 highway from this 6, and remember to fill up with only premium-grade gasoline. Maximum towing capacity, meantime, remains some 4,400 pounds with one of two available hitch-and-wiring combos installed. Oh, and Audi’s Side Assist technology, sporting rear-mounted radar, is again delivered with both towing packages to help with safer lane changes on the highway.

Appearance-wise, the 2015 Premium Plus is again expected to flaunt 20-inch alloy wheels, a power sunroof, heated power-adjustable mirrors, a rear spoiler and a power liftgate.

Inside, look for the return of standard leather upholstery, heated power-adjustable sport front seats with added bolstering, reclining rear seats and full power accessories in the Premium Plus, along with cruise control, telescoping tilt-wheel steering and a remote garage door opener. This allegedly base trim also packs standard 3-zone auto climate control, as well as alloy, wood and leather cabin trim, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and Bluetooth hands-free technology.

A 180-watt stereo interfaced with Audi’s basic MMI configuration, along with a single-CD player, 10 speakers, satellite radio and a memory-card slot should again return to entertain folks.

Standard add-ons inside the up-featured Prestige trim include adaptive headlights, blind-spot monitoring, a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium audio system and a thermal-controlled cupholder. Additionally, the top-shelf Prestige also sports the aforementioned upgraded MMI configuration with navigation, a color driver info display, rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera. Oh, and Audi Connect mobile WiFi apps are also part of this flagship SQ5’s standard MMI equipment.

Of course no trim descriptions would be complete without a list of options. Thus your new SQ5 Prestige can be equipped with an available Driver Assist Package, sporting adaptive cruise control and variable ratio steering, while both trims can be delivered with an optional Comfort Package, boasting ventilated front seats and upgraded cabin trim materials. Standalone options, meanwhile, include upsized and upgraded wheels, rear-seat DVD entertainment and extended leather trim complementing the further upgraded cabin bling.

Finally, standard safety equipment aboard the 2015 SQ5 3.0T Quattro pairing includes 4-wheel antilock brakes (ABS), traction and stability control, front and rear head airbags, and front side-mounted airbags. Rear side-mounted airbags are, by the way, optional in both trims. Further standard safety stuff, lineup-wide, includes LED running lights, front fog/driving lights, self-leveling high-intensity-discharge (HID) headlights, a post-collision safety system, turn-signal-integrated mirrors and a remote antitheft alarm.