McLAREN

The brand appears to be already planning its first SUV model

The eruption of SUV models in the high-performance and luxury car market is frenetic. Premium brands decided some time ago to bet heavily on this type of model, but many niche manufacturers were more reticent.

This is the case with McLaren, which for years rejected the idea of ​​an SUV model in its catalogue, something that other manufacturers such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin also did for a long time, which in the end ended up succumbing to the attractive profitability offered by this type of vehicle. vehicles.

However, in the case of the Woking brand, it seems that things have changed since the appointment of the new CEO of the house, Michael Leiters, and now it seems that they are planning the first SUV model in the history of McLaren Automotive.

Confirming the rumors of recent months about a launch of this type of vehicle, Leiters, who has first-hand knowledge of projects such as the Porsche Cayenne and the Ferrari Purosangue, companies in which he worked, made a series of statements to the British Autocar.

“I have developed SUV models at Porsche and Ferrari, but it is not a personal thing. I believe that creating such a model is important for the market, as it is a very attractive and growing segment. The objective, however, is to design an SUV in line with our DNA and thus break the most classic canons”, said Leiters, who also did not rule out expanding the McLaren lineup with other types of bodies.

As Autocar assures, McLaren's first SUV could be called Aeron and will be 100% electric. In addition, its arrival on the market could happen in 2030, and it is said that it will be able to equip a propulsion system with two or three engines and all-wheel drive.

The performance of this McLaren Aeron should be close to that of the Aston Martin DBX 707 which, with its V8 combustion engine and 707 hp, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.1 seconds and reaches a top speed of 310 km/h.

Finally, it is also likely that McLaren will decide to partner with other manufacturers for the development of this project, at least with regard to the platform and assistive technologies. Although there are rumors about possible collaborations with Audi and BMW, for now there is nothing official.

Autonews