The Porsche Macan will be sold alongside its electric successor

The next-generation Porsche Macan due out in 2021 will exclusively be available with an electric powertrain. That doesn't mean the current, gasoline-powered car has reached the end of its lifecycle. It recently benefited from a mid-cycle update, and a new report claims it will be sold alongside the battery-powered model until at least 2024.

Company insiders told Car & Driver the current-generation Macan (pictured) will be sold alongside its successor for at least three years, though whether Porsche will start counting when it unveils the model or when it starts delivering it to customers isn't clear. What happens once its lease on life expires depends on the electric model's market performance. If it sells well, the gasoline-powered model released in 2014 will likely retire. If it doesn't, or if demand for the original SUV stays strong, Porsche hasn't ruled out keeping it around. "Such an important car can keep the internal combustion engine for even longer," another anonymous official told the magazine.

The German firm is keeping every option on the table because the Macan has become a hugely important car. It was the company's best-selling model in 2019, with 99,944 units ordered globally, and it also led the company's sales chart in the United States, where it outsold the 718, the 911, and the Panamera combined.

It's too early to tell what the next-generation Macan will look like, though we're not expecting drastic changes considering Porsche is known for its evolutionary designs. Car & Driver learned the current-generation car will receive a nip-and-tuck that will bring it in line with its successor in the coming years. Other tweaks are possible, too, including a new round of powertrain modifications, but Porsche explained the Macan won't follow the bigger, more expensive Cayenne into plug-in hybrid territory because the battery pack would take up too much space.

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