McLaren Remains Opposed to SUVs

McLaren Automotive Ltd.’s upcoming product blitz won’t include SUV/crossover models.

Reiterating previous statements, CEO Mike Flewitt tells Top Gear such vehicles would “utterly dilute” McLaren’s brand image that focuses on driving dynamics and motorsports. He says SUVs also don’t make sense for McLaren from financial or technical standpoints.

As a stand-alone company, Flewitt says it’s more difficult for McLaren to enter a new segment. He notes that competitors such as Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Porsche and Rolls-Royce are part of larger companies, enabling them to share platforms and development costs with other brands.

Flewitt points out McLaren would have to invest from scratch and wouldn’t be able to compete against “the Range Rovers and Cayennes of the world” overnight. “We don’t have the technology,” he adds, “and we’re not going to be first in the market, so what’s the point?”

Moreover, Flewitt says customers aren’t clamoring for a McLaren SUV. Such vehicles have their place, but they’re “not great” drivers’ cars, he adds.

Instead of crossovers, McLaren plans to focus on hybrid-powered performance cars. In July, the supercar maker announced plans to launch 18 new or derivative models—most of which will be hybrid-electric models—over the next seven years in a push to hike annual sales from 3,400 in 2017 to 6,000 by 2025.