McLaren confirms first hybrid SUV for 2028
Words: Kyle Cassidy
McLaren will enter the performance SUV market for the first time, with its new hybrid model expected to reach showrooms around 2028.
The British supercar manufacturer has announced a £500 million (around NZ$1.2 billion) investment in its UK engineering and manufacturing operations, linking the programme directly to the development of its first SUV.
Backed by new owner CYVN Holdings, the investment will expand McLaren’s research and development facilities and increase production capacity. It will also allow the company to manufacture engines in-house for future models rather than relying entirely on external suppliers.
The SUV, known internally as the P47, will use a hybrid powertrain from launch. While McLaren has yet to reveal detailed specifications, reports from dealer briefings describe it as a four-door, five-seat model with a larger body than anything previously produced by the brand.
A clay model reportedly shown to dealers featured heavily sculpted bodywork and enormous 24-inch wheels, suggesting McLaren has no intention of building an ordinary family crossover.
Instead, the P47 is expected to sit at the sharper end of the luxury SUV market, where it will compete with models such as the Ferrari Purosangue, Lamborghini Urus and Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT.
The move represents a major departure for McLaren, which has never produced a series-production vehicle with more than two seats. However, the commercial success of high-performance SUVs from Ferrari and Lamborghini has demonstrated how profitable this corner of the market can be.
McLaren chief executive Nick Collins has identified the SUV as an important part of the company’s plan to improve profitability, with the manufacturer reportedly aiming for margins comparable with Ferrari.
The P47 won’t be the only new model to emerge from McLaren’s expanded product programme. Dealer briefings also point to a mid-engined hybrid supercar known as the P34, which is expected to arrive in 2027.
That model is tipped to use a twin-turbocharged V6 hybrid powertrain producing around 604kW, although McLaren has yet to confirm its performance figures or pricing. The company is reportedly targeting production of 1000 examples during its first year.
A front-engined grand tourer is also understood to be under development, while McLaren has indicated that it intends to launch at least one new model each year through to 2028.
According to the UK Government, the wider investment programme will expand McLaren’s research, development and production activities in South Yorkshire while supporting or creating around 4000 jobs.
