This Audi Q5 Might Be Porsche’s Way Of Testing The Macan’s Gas Engine

Although neither Porsche nor Audi would ever confirm that such a thing exists at this early stage, spy photographers in Northern Europe have captured what they claim is a test mule for a return to combustion power in the Macan. As they frequent the same few bars, coffee shops, and restaurants as vehicle test engineers do in these often remote areas, their claims are almost always proven to be true. In this case, the story is especially believable because it’s one we’ve heard the world over: it’s too early to make money from EVs alone, especially in such a volatile geopolitical environment. Thus, it makes sense that Porsche is working as fast as possible to develop a gas-powered and likely hybridized Macan, and the similarly sized Audi Q5 is a decent place to start.

Porsche Convoy Was Testing More Than Just One New Vehicle In The Snow

Winter is a great time to put vehicles through their paces because it evaluates the finest details in power management and delivery – as well as braking, steering, and other relatively minor functions such as climate control. Taking advantage of the opportunity to test themselves in convoy with the Audi-bodied crossover were a still-camouflaged electric Cayenne prototype and a Porsche 718 EV like the one spied a week ago. A Porsche 911 can also be seen, perhaps preparing for the 992.2 Dakar’s calibrations, but there’s nothing revolutionary that we can see in these images.

At this late stage in development, there’s no doubt that Porsche will continue to evaluate and improve its EV technology, but we suspect it’ll still be a year or two before either a large SUV or a Cayman/Boxster with an all-electric powertrain is popular. Porsche is changing its EV strategy, and that’s not even because of a delay caused by battery supplier Northvolt.

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What To Expect From The Future Macan Is Unclear

Porsche’s statement on changing its electrification strategy did not indicate that any EV development would necessarily halt, only that « additional vehicle models with combustion engines or plug-in hybrids » would expand the brand’s product portfolio. For 2025, the Audi Q5 makes use of a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot that produces between 201 and 268 horsepower, but we doubt that would satisfy a Macan buyer.

Of course, if this is a Macan prototype, we’re still in the very early stages of its development, so any guesses will likely be off-base – especially since other members of the VW group have realized that Americans don’t like the same hybrid systems that sell so well in America, something we learned firsthand in our first drive of the Audi S5 a few months ago.

Volkswagen Is Fixing What Buyers Only Think Is Broken

Mainstream shoppers have objected to the way VWs feel, and Volkswagen is being forced to adapt.