Audi shows near-production spec E-Tron in Geneva

It may say 'prototype' on the numberplate, but this is the closest thing to a production model we've seen yet. The e-tron SUV has arrived – Audi’s first all-electric production offering kicks off an electric revolution for the brand.

Of course, while it’s Audi’s first production EV, it isn’t the German car maker's first SUV – In fact, without the stickers and the look-at-me 'camouflage', you'd be forgiven thinking this was just another Q7. This one will slot between the more traditional Q5 and Q7 models, and will go up against Tesla’s Model X and the Jaguar I-Pace in the emerging premium electric SUV market.

Audi has already been taking deposits for the car, which is set to be the first of three battery-powered vehicles in the Audi range before 2020.

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The car, which customers haven't even been able to have a look at until now, is already something of a sales success, particularly in EV-loving Norway, where 5,000 pre-orders have already been made.

Technical specifications are still being kept fairly quiet, but two motors – one at the front, one at the rear – and a power rating of just under 500bhp is expected, helping it to do 0-62mph in just under 3.5 seconds. Driving range is reportedly going to be around 311 miles, bettering both the Model X (389 miles) and I-Pace (398 miles).

What's more, the car on display at the Geneva motor show isn't the only Audi e-tron SUV prototype in the Swiss city. Others have been deployed onto the streets of the city as part of a plan to complete a combined 3.1 million miles of testing across four continents and a range of weather conditions.

The production model will go on sale later this year, so if you're not in Geneva in the next few days, it won't be long before you see one. It will be joined later by a production version of the e-tron Sportback concept, as well as 'a model in the compact segment.' All of the e-tron electric cars will be built at an Audi plant in Brussels, Belgium.