Feast your eyes on the Cullinan, Rolls-Royce’s first SUV

New territory for the ultra-luxury passenger car manufacturer.

It seems that the world’s most luxurious automotive manufacturer couldn’t be kept out of the SUV fight for long, say hello to the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Named after the largest ever diamond to be discovered, which happens to now reside in the British Crown Jewels, the Cullinan is unmistakably Rolls-Royce, and aims to be the ultimate expression of luxury for any SUV.

This five seater SUV features a 6.75 litre twin-turbo V12 Rolls-Royce engine that delivers 563 hp and 850 Nm of torque to the all-new all-wheel drive, all-wheel steer system. It also happens to be the only Rolls-Royce with rear seats that fold down, to add to the impressive cargo space. The trunk, in particular, is an opening tailgate called “The Clasp,” another Rolls-Royce first, and is a nod to the days when luggage was mounted on the exterior of a vehicle. A bustle clearly denotes the placement of luggage, compartmentalizing the passengers and cargo space further.

The Cullinan also features automatically closing doors at the push of a button, and egress and ingress is aided by the vehicle lowering by 40mm. Passengers inside are treated to high quality hand-finished metal pieces, as well as “Box Grain” black leather and wood pieces to create a strong yet elegant interior. The central information screen is for the first time touch sensitive, allowing the driver to quickly select functions, map views, and vehicle set-up whilst on the trail. This portal can still be controlled from the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy controller which is found on the central console with the ‘Off-Road’ button, hill descent control button, and air suspension height adjustment controls.

A new self-leveling suspension makes millions of adjustments for the perfect “Magic Carpet” ride on and off the road, aimed at providing the very best ride without compromising performance during adventures. A single press of the off-road button and the Cullinan plants all 850 Nm of torque to all four wheels over any terrain, and allows for a 540mm wading depth.

The goodies continue as the Cullinan is extensively equipped with night vision and vision assist including daytime and night-time wildlife and pedestrian warning, alertness Assistant, a 4-camera system with panoramic view, all-round visibility and helicopter view, active cruise control, collision warning, cross-traffic warning, lane departure and lane change warning, an industry leading 7x3 high-resolution head-up display, WiFi hotspot, and the latest navigation and entertainment systems.

As to when it makes it to the Philippines, only time will tell, but we’re optimistic that the local distributor is thinking about bringing in a few, even just to satisfy our desire to see one of these in person. The Rolls-Royce Cullinan has an estimated US dollar price of 325,000 and will be on sale around the world later on in the year.