The main actors in the automotive industry are now taking their place in the SUV market. Even the giants, who had never shown interest in such vehicles before, started to show their interest in this market one by one. Since nearly two out of every three cars sold last year (63%) were SUVs, such interest is quite normal.
McLaren, which has been producing luxury and extremely fast vehicles until now, is preparing to enter the SUV market, which it has been avoiding for many years. The aim of the company is to make a show of strength with an electric SUV with a carbon fiber body in 2026.
Could the SUV be McLaren’s salvation?
Today, McLaren, which is only known as a work of art such as the McLaren Artura, has been facing serious economic problems for a long time. The CEO of the company, Michael Leiters, also stated at the last board meeting that the boat had started to take on water technically. The way out could be an SUV.
Of course, there are many different reasons behind this decision of the manufacturer, but the first and most important reason is that the luxury SUV category has not yet developed enough. Although companies such as Porsche and Ferrari have entered this field, it is difficult to say that the market has reached saturation.
In a statement about the car, which is expected to be released in 2026, Leiters stated that a McLaren family car could be very interesting, and pointed out that the vehicle will be light and electric. The new SUV could be made from this material, given that he recently asked the McLaren team to look for ways to build larger carbonfibre structures. Leiters also says it’s important for the vehicle to be light.
Stating that the electronic system used in Artura can also be modified for the vehicle, Leiters also says that they may not need external support thanks to the flexibility of the system. On the other hand, McLaren, which has never built a 4-wheel drive car, faces many new challenges from this perspective. Still, seeing a McLaren SUV in 2026 will be an interesting experience.