McLaren Caves, Confirms Its First-Ever SUV

The SUV is the centerpiece of a $670 million (£500 million) investment announced Wednesday, backed by McLaren shareholder L'IMAD, a sovereign investment company owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi. The stated goal is to turn McLaren from a niche supercar builder into a broader luxury performance brand.

McLaren has the DBX, Bentayga, and Urus squarely in its sights, and the marketing hook is Formula 1 fans who want something with more than two seats. The company currently builds roughly 3,000 vehicles a year, and executives say the SUV is central to pushing that number higher while widening the brand's appeal.

The plan calls for a new vehicle assembly facility in the UK, plus expanded operations at the Woking Production Centre and the McLaren Composites Technology Centre in South Yorkshire. McLaren recently opened a design center in Bicester and a vehicle testing facility in the Midlands.

The more substantial change: for the first time, McLaren will design and build its own powertrains in-house. Two new hybrid engines and transmissions are under development. The company is committing to electrified performance rather than jumping straight to full battery-electric.

That tracks with CEO Nick Collins, who said earlier this year that customers remain far more interested in high-performance hybrids than pure EVs. McLaren frames hybrid tech as the evolution of the formula it introduced with the P1 hypercar.

"This investment gives us the platform to grow, develop and build on what makes us distinctive, while investing in the people, technologies and products that will keep us competitive for decades to come," Collins said.

Distinctive, apparently, now includes a five-door.

[Images: McLaren, Aston Martin, Bentley]

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