According to overseas reports, McLaren showcased a clay model of a five-seat hybrid SUV to dealers last month, reigniting rumors that the British supercar brand is set to enter the SUV market. Having long insisted it would never produce an SUV, McLaren shifted its stance in 2022 following the appointment of a new CEO who brought fresh strategic insights, marking the brand's openness to developing a high-performance SUV.
Dealers who attended the global preview described the model as "sculptural, powerful, and distinctly eye-catching in the luxury SUV segment." Measuring larger than the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT with similar proportions, the SUV features 24-inch wheels and retains McLaren's signature lighting elements on the front fascia.
As previously reported, the SUV will be powered by a hybrid V8 engine, expected to share technical similarities with the unit in the W1 hypercar. Developed in-house as McLaren's second-generation engine, the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter MHP-8 V8 delivers 916 horsepower and 900 Nm of torque in the W1.