• Porsche is testing a disguised Audi mule for the next Macan.
  • SUV is expected to ride on Audi Q5’s PPC combustion platform.
  • Expect inline-fours, V6s, and the Macan’s first PHEV powertrains.

Porsche’s Macan Electric has helped bring new buyers to the brand, at least in some parts of the world, but it looks like the company isn’t done with gasoline just yet. Spy photographers have spotted what appears to be an Audi Q5 test vehicle that might actually be hiding something far more interesting. Underneath that familiar body is the next combustion-powered Macan.

At a glance the prototype looks like a normal Q5, but a closer look reveals a few suspicious details. The SUV rides slightly higher than usual and wears noticeably wider arches that appear hastily attached to cover a broader track.

Related: Porsche Profit Crash Suddenly Makes A New Sports Car Above The 911 Likely

Your first thought might be to wonder what kind of mutant RS-Allroad Audi is cooking up for the Q5 lineup, when in fact what we’re looking at is a mule for the next ICE-powered Macan. Our photo guys spotted Porsche’s R&D team testing a stock-looking, but camo-wrapped Q5 last year, and now the testing has evidently entered a new phase.

Sales Slump

Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi

The reason is fairly simple. Porsche is preparing a new combustion powered SUV to replace the outgoing gas Macan, which disappeared from Europe when cybersecurity rules forced its retirement. The company had hoped the electric Macan would take over the role globally, but slower EV adoption in key markets contributed to a 10 percent global sales slide in 2025 and forced a rethink on Porsche’s entire electrification strategy.

A new gas-powered Macan is expected around 2028 and will ride on the Volkswagen Group Premium Platform Combustion architecture that also underpins the latest Audi Q5. That means 2.0-liter four-cylinder and 3.0-liter V6 turbo engines are likely, along with long overdue plug in hybrid variants.

A FWD-Biased AWD Porsche?

Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi

SH Proshots

Platform-sharing is common within the VW Group and Weissach has proved with the older Macan and Cayenne that it can take VW bones and make something that feels very different and very much like a Porsche to drive.

However, Autocar previously reported that Porsche doesn’t plan to retune the twin-clutch-controlled Quattro Ultra all-wheel drive system this time around, largely for cost reasons. This setup normally favors the front wheels for efficiency, but it can quickly reconnect the rear axle when pushed harder during more enthusiastic driving or when slip is detected, even though the engine and transmission are longitudinally mounted.

For now the mule still wears the Q5’s interior, but that should change as development progresses and Porsche begins testing its own cabin and electronics that will probably borrow heavily from the Macan Electric and its newer Cayenne Electric big brother.

What Will Porsche Call It?

The bigger question is what Porsche will call this SUV. Macan seems logical, but some rumors say alternative names, such as Cajun, are being floated around. Whatever it ends up being called, the message from Stuttgart is becoming clearer: the electric transition is still happening, just not quite as quickly as originally planned.

Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi
Porsche’s Next Gas Macan Is Already Testing Inside A Disguised Audi

SH Proshots