The three-year wait is over. The Cullinan, the first sport-utility vehicle ever produced by Rolls-Royce is here.
The new Rolls-Royce illustrates the broader trend and demand for SUVs and crossovers. Even ultra luxury automakers such as Rolls Royce have been swept up in the SUV wave.
The Cullinan, named after the largest diamond ever discovered, because of course, it’s an all-terrain high-bodied car with a 6.75 liter twin-turbo V12 engine that delivers 563 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque. The all-wheel vehicle, the second Rolls-Royce using the company’s new aluminum architecture, starts at $325,000.
Many SUVs and crossovers can be difficult to distinguish. But the Cullinan has features that help it stand out beyond the iconic “Spirit of Ecstasy” ornament on the vehicle’s bonnet. The SUV has a rear glass partition wall to separate luggage from passengers.
There are a number of “bespoke” features that allow owners to customize their Cullinan, including a recreational module, a kit of sorts that fits on the roof rack to fit different recreational pursuits.
Rolls-Royce explains in this imagined scenario.
“Having chosen your adventure you call down to your garage. ‘Jason, we’re going to go drone racing today. Can you load the Drone Module into the Cullinan?’ Downstairs, Jason selects the Drone Racing Module from the rack containing several other Recreation Modules that the owner has had commissioned from Rolls-Royce to satisfy his or her preferred recreational pursuits.
Fly fishing, photography, rock climbing, snowboarding, parascending, kite boarding, base jumping, volcano boarding, or simply sitting and taking in the view, anything is possible thanks to the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective. Easily slotted and plugged into the boot of Cullinan, each Recreation Module contains a motorized drawer housing the equipment and paraphernalia specific to each Cullinan owner’s pursuits.”
The Cullinan also has suicide doors and a tailgate called “the Clasp,” because these things need names.
Owners of the Cullinan will likely be driven, not necessarily drive the vehicle themselves. So, the company put extra attention on the back passenger seats. Two rear seat configurations are offered: lounge or individual seats. The lounge seats have space for three passengers. And in a first for Rolls-Royce, the rear seats fold down.
The individual seats are more traditional with a large center console that carries both whisky glasses and champagne flutes in addition to a refrigerator.