SUV opulence has reached a new level with the unveiling of the new Rolls Royce Cullinan, the luxury British marque’s first attempt at an SUV is due to arrive in Australia in the third quarter of this year.
Rolls Royce describes the Cullinan as “effortless everywhere” and claims the car will deliver “luxury, performance and usability not seen before in the SUV.” Perhaps the marketing executives are yet to encounter a Range Rover in the wild.
Expensive SUVs are now commonplace, however, the Cullinan will be launched with a local price from $685,000 drive-away, easily eclipsing the cost of the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus.
When it arrives, the Cullinan will cast a large enough shadow, dimensionally, the big Roller comes in at 5341mm long, 2164mm wide and 1835mm high with a wheelbase of 3295mm.
The 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 engine from the Phantom will sit under the bonnet and develop 420kW of power and 850Nm of torque. A ZF eight-speed automatic transmission will send the drive to all four wheels. The Cullinan will be the first Rolls Royce to have power sent to both axles.
The Cullinan will be built on the all-new aluminium ‘Architecture of Luxury’ platform, the lightweight underpinnings don’t look to have done much when you consider the car tips the scales at 2.6-tonne.
A complex electronic air suspension system featuring a new double-wishbone front axle and 5-link rear axle along with four-wheel steering aim to provide the famous 'Magic Carpet Ride'.
When it comes to the design, the Cullinan isn’t likely to be mistaken for anything other than a Rolls with the massive hand-polished stainless steel pantheon grille and the Spirit of Ecstasy ornament. The styling looks very similar to the new Phantom, especially from the front.
At the rear, the design theme is aiming to reinforce the car’s power and ability with narrow taillights and exposed metal exhaust pipes.
Inside the cabin, there’s plenty of leather, wood and metal surfaces which is typical of the brand’s heritage.
Buyers will have the choice of two rear configurations – Lounge Seats or Individual Seats. The Lounge option offers the traditional three-seat layout if practicality is important.
Speaking of practicality, the boot has a standard capacity of 560 litres of space, growing to 600 with the parcel shelf removed. If the need should ever arise, the rear seats can fold down to provide 1930 litres of cargo space.
Rolls-Royce points out the Cullinan’s loading length is longer than a Range Rover Vogue Extended Wheelbase. Who says size doesn’t matter?
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