Porsche has already announced the next-generation Macan is going electric and now spy photographers have caught a mule undergoing testing.
While there isn’t much to see as the mule wears the current Macan body, insiders told spy photographers this is indeed an early prototype for the next-generation sports crossover.
The company has been tight-lipped on specifics, but Porsche has already confirmed the electric variant will ride on the PPE (Premium Platform Electric) architecture that is being developed with Audi.
The latter company has previously said the platform is “generally similar” to the MEB architecture as it will support rear- and all-wheel drive applications. However, the PPE platform is more advanced as it will have 800-volt technology and a charging capacity of 350 kW. Audi has also indicated the PPE-based models will offer an air suspension, all-wheel steering and torque vectoring.
The new Macan is expected to be introduced next year and it could potentially be offered with up to four electric motors. The latter remains to be seen, but Porsche has already revealed they’re testing a quad-motor electric crossover and hinted “electric vehicles with up to four motors will soon shed their exotic reputation.”
Of course, the Macan isn’t going electric-only as that could impact sales of one of their best-selling models. Instead, Porsche will also offer a petrol-powered model like the one seen here.
While initial reports suggested the company would simply update the current Macan to look like the all-new electric model, there has been speculation that the petrol-powered Macan could actually be redesigned. Nothing is official but, if this happens, the crossover could move from the MLB platform to the newer MLB Evo architecture that underpins the Audi Q5.