- Rolls-Royce will enter the growing SUV segment for the first time with the Cullinan.
- The British marque is calling the Cullinan as a ‘High Bodied’ model and it is built ground-up.
- The Cullinan has been in the making for three years, it will make its global premiere tomorrow.
Rolls Royce will finally join the SUV bandwagon with the debut of the all-new Cullinan. The Westhampnett-based carmaker announced a high-riding vehicle three years ago under the name, Project Cullinan, and has retained the name for its newest model. Developed ground-up, the super-luxury Cullinan concluded its final testing stage just this week, showcasing its go-anywhere capabilities. The carmaker has also revealed several cladded images of the SUV along with a couple of teasers ahead of tomorrow’s global debut.
Platform:
The newly developed Cullinan uses the same aluminium spaceframe called the ‘Architecture of Luxury’ which debuted with the Phantom VIII. This platform has been specially developed by the Rolls Royce engineers independent of the BMW parent company. It is expected to measure about five metres in length and will have provision for an all-wheel-drive layout.
Design:
Being a Rolls Royce, the Cullinan sports the marque’s signature radiator grille. The leaked image as seen here, reveals a Phantom-like styling albeit with a raised ride height. The headlamps have an LED strip and the bumpers are all-new. The bumpers, in fact, look a little BMW-esque but overall, it gels well with the stately lines of the Rolls. The silhouette of the Cullinan flaunts a slightly raked D-pillar which looks rather bulky under the camouflage. However, things might change when the off-roader drops all the cladding. At the rear, the tail lights bear a new lighting signature.
Powertrain:
We are aware that the Rolls Royce will plonk the same 6.8-litre twin-turbo V12 under the long hood of the Cullinan. However, the power output is unknown at the moment. It might also get a hybrid tech from BMW and an all-wheel-drive layout is also expected. During testing, the carmaker benchmarked the Cullinan alongside the Land Rover, so it is highly likely that the Cullinan will have some off-road tech with drive modes and an intelligent all-wheel-drive system.
Feature loaded:
Given that this car has a bonnet ornament called Spirit of Ecstasy, its cabin is very likely to be all opulence, in keeping with the theme. In fact, everything inside the Cullinan will not only be top-notch, it can also be personalised. It will have all the creature comfort from the Phantom and some more. Rolls Royce also previewed a special ‘Viewing Suite’ for the Cullinan which is basically a tailgate-mounted seating set-up.
Position:
It is uncertain whether the Cullinan will be positioned above or below the Phantom in Rolls Royce line-up. Either way, it will lock horns with other luxury SUVs like the Porsche Cayenne, Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus apart from the upcoming SUVs from Aston Martin and Ferrari. Post its global premiere, the Cullinan will shortly make its way to the Indian market as well.
