Porsche is building the gas-powered Macan's replacement, and it is hiding under someone else's sheet metal. A test mule spotted recently wears an Audi Q5 body stretched over wider tracks, bulging wheel arches, and a raised stance that gives away the real hardware underneath.

The mule appears to be doing development work for a future combustion SUV that is expected later this decade, likely sold alongside the Macan Electric rather than replacing it. Porsche has outlined plans for an internal-combustion and plug-in hybrid Macan to enter markets in 2028.

The prototype was caught testing with an Audi Q5 shell, a disguise strategy that lets Porsche exercise powertrain and chassis setups without revealing final styling.

Porsche has talked about keeping a mix of gasoline, plug-in hybrid, and electric powertrains in its range for many years to come. Recent product briefings say the company will keep investing into combustion engines and into newer battery systems, with all three drivetrain types planned for each of the brand's main vehicle segments.

The combustion SUV is expected to slot below the Cayenne, in the same segment the gas Macan vacated after production ended. Early information points to turbocharged four-cylinder and V6 engines and a plug-in hybrid version, while Porsche has already confirmed that a combustion Macan is due in 2028.

That is a change from Porsche’s earlier stance when it retired the gas Macan. At the time, the gas Macan died without an immediate successor. That decision left a gap in Porsche's compact SUV lineup that the company is only now moving to fill.

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