McLaren is open to an SUV, with the right DNA

McLaren Automotive, a holdout among exotic and supercar makers in the stampede to field high-performance SUVs, is inching closer to rivaling the Aston Martin DBX and others after all.

New McLaren CEO Michael Leiters has told Autocar that the British brand is open to launching an SUV and is actively exploring what form such a model would take.

Leiters, who became CEO on July 1 after stints as chief technology officer at Ferrari and a product line director at Porsche, has steered two high-profile utility vehicles to market: the Porsche Cayenne and most recently the forthcoming Ferrari Purosangue.

He told the publication he is eager to move McLaren's lineup beyond midengine supercars.

"I developed an SUV at Ferrari," Leiters said. "I developed an SUV at Porsche, so I love SUVs. But we won't do it for me. Yet I think it's a really important market. It still is, and it continues to grow. It's very attractive as a market segment."

Autocar reported in June that a McLaren SUV could reach the market in the second half of the decade.

It would be a battery-electric model and carry various power options, such as dual or tri-motors and four-wheel-drive, with performance aimed at matching the new Aston Martin DBX707.

McLaren has watched rival performance brands reap hefty profits and record sales with new SUVs.

Leiters hinted an SUV will be a unique proposition for McLaren.

"What we have to understand as McLaren is, 'How can we find a product that is in line with our DNA?' " he told Autocar. "We shouldn't do a classic SUV."