Everything we know about McLaren's first SUV as marque confirms groundbreaking move as part of $943 million expansion

McLaren has confirmed it will launch its first SUV by 2030, with the high-performance hybrid officially announced more than four years after it was first rumoured – and the marque is promising that its first crack at the huge market segment will remain true to its philosophy of razor-sharp, lightweight vehicles.

The new model will be part of a major expansion of McLaren’s road-car operations, backed by an investment worth approximately $943 billion. The program will also include new supercars, in-house engine production, expanded carbon-fibre manufacturing and a second assembly plant in the UK.

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Unlike previous McLarens, the SUV will feature two conventional rows of seats and four doors. It will target high-performance luxury rivals including the Lamborghini Urus and Aston Martin DBX rather than following the more unconventional approach taken by the Ferrari Purosangue.

McLaren chief operating officer Michael Straughan said the vehicle absolutely must remain unmistakably a McLaren, with particular attention being paid to creating a rear passenger compartment suitable for an extremely high-performance vehicle.

New chief design officer Kemal Curic is overseeing the clean-sheet design, while McLaren has ruled out sharing the SUV’s architecture with another manufacturer. Instead, the newcomer will sit on a bespoke McLaren platform, despite the company previously exploring potential partnerships with other carmakers.

Carbon-fibre construction is being investigated. McLaren has extensive experience with the lightweight material and plans to expand its composites facility in South Yorkshire, but using carbon fibre for a large SUV presents challenges involving manufacturing costs and repairs. If those hurdles cannot be overcome, McLaren could instead use aluminium for the vehicle’s structure.

The SUV will use a hybrid powertrain and all-wheel drive, although detailed specs have yet to be announced. McLaren is developing two new engines and transmissions to eventually replace its existing twin-turbo V8 and hybrid V6 powertrains.

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Performance will need to place the SUV in the same territory as its rivals. The Lamborghini Urus SE produces 588kW, while the Aston Martin DBX S cranks out 542kW, with both capable of reaching 100km/h in less than four seconds. McLaren says power-to-weight ratio will remain a crucial consideration despite the additional size and mass that comes with an SUV.

An electric version isn’t part of the initial plan. McLaren has repeatedly said it intends to retain multiple powertrain options rather than become an EV-only manufacturer, although the new architecture could accommodate electric propulsion downt the track.

Production will remain in Britain. McLaren’s existing Woking factory may handle early examples, but the company is searching for a second UK manufacturing site capable of supporting the additional volumes once SUV production reaches full capacity.