A high-ranking McLaren executive has lashed out at rival automakers for “just chasing volume” with SUVs.

Darren Goddard, who holds the title of director of McLaren’s Sports Series range, told motoring.com.au “there is nothing cool about an SUV”.

He went on to slam rival automakers for building SUVs simply to increase profits.

“They are all just chasing volume. It’s not pure,” Goddard told the Australian publication. “Thinking about the difference between mass production and an exclusive product is quite different."

Goddard took aim at the Volkswagen Group, which builds the Audi Q7 (and Q8), Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne (and Cayenne Coupé) and VW Touareg on the same platform.

“Those SUVs are … all the same under skin but with different OEM badges on the front," he said.

“Even if we wanted, we couldn’t have that connection with any other brand. There is an element of exclusivity. The customers and the brand deserve to have the exclusivity.”

In February 2019, Mark Roberts, head of design operations at McLaren, suggested the Woking-based firm would never build an SUV.

Original article from Car