British luxury automotive manufacturer McLaren Automotive Ltd launched its Artura hybrid supercar in India on Friday at a price of Rs 5.1 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi). McLaren claims that this plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) can sprint from 0-100kph in 3.0 seconds and reach a top speed of 330kph.
Paul Harris, Managing Director, APAC and China, McLaren Automotive Ltd, believes that the Indian market is ready for supercars. “The Indian market has seen development in its customer base and the number of cars sold here,” he said in an interview with CNBC-TV18. “There is future potential, and the growth rate is increasing. India is a vibrant place to work due to technological advancements. It’s the perfect time for us to be here.”
Harris also mentioned that McLaren currently has a good order bank in India and it takes 6-18 months to deliver a McLaren in India. “We have to keep the order bank vibrant,” he said. “We have enough orders until the second half of next year.”
The Artura PHEV features a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine producing 585hp coupled with a 95hp, 225Nm rear-mounted electric motor. Combined, they produce 680hp and 720Nm of torque. The Artura is also the first McLaren with a V6 engine and the third with a hybrid powertrain – after the P1 and Speedtail.
When asked about the possibility of assembling cars in India or any other country apart from the UK, Harris said that it’s not something they’re looking to do. “CKD (completely knocked down) isn’t good if we want to maintain the quality of the brand,” he said. “It makes sense to stick to manufacturing in the UK and ship globally.”
The Artura is the first model from the brand to feature McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA), which the firm claims has been designed to be optimised for hybrid applications. The Artura has a carbon-fibre tub with aluminium crash beams as well as an aluminium rear subframe to support the engine and suspension.
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Inside, the Artura features a digital instrument cluster and an 8.0-inch vertically mounted touchscreen running on McLaren Infotainment System II, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
In India, McLaren inaugurated its first showroom in Mumbai in November 2022 along with a dedicated service centre operated by McLaren-trained engineers.
Harris also mentioned that there are currently three models available in India and they’ve seen interest in the 750S in India. “Our ambition is not numeric; it is about providing comfort to customers,” he said. The Artura rivals the Ferrari 296 GTB and Maserati MC20 in India.
(Edited by : Pradeep John)
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