Rolls-Royce’s First SUV, The Cullinan, Inspires Superlatives

Rolls-Royce’s First SUV, The Cullinan, Inspires Superlatives.

“You can order seats in the trunk which face outwards with a cocktail table so you can watch polo or horse trials. It’s probably programmed to remain shut at anything as common as an NFL or Premier League car park”

For – biggest, heaviest, most expensive SUV.
Against – ugliest too.
Price from £250,000.
Competition – Bentley Bentayga, Range Rover OverFinch

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is the biggest, most expensive, heaviest SUV ever; even its name, after the world’s largest diamond, makes a bold statement that it’s the best there is.

There is also strong case that it is the ugliest SUV ever produced, but given that number 2 in this race is probably the Bentley Bentayga, it probably doesn’t matter that much. 

Rolls-Royce, the traditional British luxury car maker for the rich and famous owned by BMW of Germany, lends itself to hyperbole and the company’s representatives aren’t holding back in their praise of their own creation.

Rolls Royce said its first SUV and four-wheel drive vehicle is the most anticipated car of 2018, and quite possibly the most anticipated Rolls-Royce of all time. Cullinan is the most versatile family oriented, fun-to-drive super-luxury SUV available today. Cullinan is the most technologically advanced, and only purpose-built, luxury SUV in the world, says Rolls Royce. 

Owners of the almost as massive Bentley Bentayga SUV might want to argue about the last couple of claims, and throw in a few of their own. The Bentayga is a little more powerful than the Cullinan and could just about outsprint it, but surely the celebrity owners of these massive machines wouldn’t do anything as vulgar as racing each other off the lights? As for the name, the Cullinan diamond, how sitting in the British Crown Jewels, was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and is the biggest ever at 3,106 carats.

Bored high rollers
Super-rich high-rollers and politicians are getting bored with being chauffeured around in massive, anonymous, low-slung limousines and now want to ride in huge, high, look-at-me off-roaders. Volkswagen-owned Bentley started the trend with the Bentayga. Expect more entrants soon in the form of the Aston Martin Lagonda Varekai, Mercedes Maybach, and Lamborghini Urus, while the less well off have to make do with top-of-the-range Range Rovers, Porsche Cayennes and Maserati Levantes. It can’t be long until the leaders of the European Union eschew regular limos and show up at their six monthly summit meeting in these massive machines.

If your next SUV has to be a Rolls-Royce you get a 6.7 litre 563 hp twin-turbo engine 12 cylinder engine which blasts the beast to a 150 mph regulated maximum. Rolls Royce hasn’t revealed the zero to 60 mph time yet. The suspension is guaranteed to replicate Rolls-Royce’s famous “waftability”. If you opt for the four-seat version you get a cocktail cabinet between the two rear seats with Rolls-Royce whisky glasses and decanter, champagne flutes and refrigerator. The five seat version dispenses with this luxury item. The rear passengers sit higher than the front ones and can make use of the large glazed area and panoramic glass roof. When you click your car entry key, the Cullinan will lower itself by 40mm to make entry effortless and aid decorum. The back-seat doors are hinged to the rear rather than the usual middle. You can order seats in the trunk which face outwards with a cocktail table so you can watch polo or horse trials. It’s probably programmed to remain shut at anything as common as an NFL or Premier League car park. Rolls-Royce boasts about the extended list of high-tech aids to driving safety, but just about every top of the range saloon now has all this, and more.

Later this year
The first Rolls-Royce Cullinan will be delivered later this year, although the company won’t confirm this. The company also refuses to reveal details of acceleration, gearbox, or prices, which are expected to start at £250,000 and finish closer to an average £400,000. The biggest market for the Cullinan will be the U.S., followed by China, the Middle East and Britain.

Rolls Royce Cullinan