Porsche Macan Prototype Spotted Disguised As An Audi

A Q5-bodied prototype previews Porsche’s 2028 combustion SUV strategy, running gasoline, hybrid, and plug-in powertrains alongside the existing Macan Electric.

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.

Whether it carries the Macan name at all remains unknown. That badge is now tied to the electric model built on the PPE platform, so the new SUV could debut under a different identity even if enthusiasts keep calling it the gas Macan out of habit.

The borrowed Q5 body is not random. Audi says the latest Q5 rides on the Premium Platform Combustion, but Porsche has not confirmed the underlying architecture for its future combustion SUV. Using a Q5-based mule lets engineers run real-world durability and calibration work while the finished design stays hidden under temporary panels and foam blocks.

What do you think?

Wider tracks and bulging fenders on the test car hint at a vehicle that will sit lower and wider than the donor Audi. Ground clearance is checked by the foam blocks Porsche bolts around the arches and undertray on every prototype. Porsche's design leadership has talked in general terms about keeping clear visual separation between electric and combustion models.

Porsche CEO Michael Leiters has outlined the timing for an electric 718 arriving next year and an internal-combustion and plug-in hybrid Macan "supposed to enter the markets in 2028." At Capital Markets Day 2026 he described closing the current gaps for the 718 and combustion Macan as one of Porsche's immediate priorities.