Car Enthusiast - click here to access the home page


 


Rolls-Royce reveals long-awaited SUV. Image by Rolls-Royce.

Rolls-Royce reveals long-awaited SUV
The new Rolls-Royce is called the Cullinan and it could be the ultimate luxury 4x4.
<< earlier Rolls-Royce article     later Rolls-Royce article >>

 


News homepage -> Rolls-Royce news

What on Earth is this? It's so huge! It's blocking out the sun!

Yes, it is a trifle large, isn't it?

Is it the meteor that will finally end all life on Earth?

No, it's bigger than that. It's the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, the company's first SUV and the only car we can think of to be named after a diamond.

Come again?

Yup, it's named after the famous Cullinan diamond, the largest ever found, which now resides in the personal collection of one Liz Windsor, of London W1. But enough of that, on with the car. Obviously, from the styling, it's based on the same aluminium 'Architecture of Luxury' as the current Phantom, and it also uses that car's turbocharged V12 6.75-litre engine. That means 571hp and 850Nm of torque, from barely above idle.

A Rolls SUV, eh? Wonders will never cease.

Indeed, but don't call it an SUV. Rolls-Royce refers to it as a 'high-sided all-terrain motor-car' so don't go confusing it with a Nissan Qashqai, now will you? It really will go off-road, too. There's four-wheel drive, adjustable suspension and a one-push 'Off-Road' mode that automatically sets the Cullinan up perfectly for whatever terrain you happen to be driving across. Air suspension means it can lower by 40mm to make getting in and out easier, or raise itself up to full height to ford up to 540mm of standing water.

Being able to raid the BMW parts bin means it's also very, very high tech, and equipment includes Night Vision and Vision Assist including daytime and night-time Wildlife & 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, Wi-Fi hotspot, and of course the latest Navigation and Entertainment Systems.

All of that, and much of the interior, is lifted from the Phantom, so anyone who's driven a recent Rolls will instantly recognise the luxurious interior. Where things get a bit different is in the back.

You can choose from two types of rear seat - the 'Lounge' layout is a three-person bench seat, that electrically split-folds and reclines. Rolls calls this the practical option. Those seeking a little more comfort should go for the individual rear seat setup, which uses two huge armchairs separated by a large centre console, in which you'll find a decanter, crystal glasses and a fridge.

That's not the interesting bit, though. That comes when you get to the boot. Rolls has fitted the Cullinan with a huge glass divider that separates the main cabin from the boot, claiming it to be the first 'three-box' SUV ever. That divider keeps out the noise, keeps in the heat (or the air conditioning, depending on what the outside temperature is like) and keeps your luggage separate from you, which Rolls says is in keeping with classical first class travel.

The boot itself isn't massive - 560-600 litres, with an adjustable floor to create a flat-loading space, but it is accessed by a big two-piece electric tailgate Rolls-Royce calls 'The Clam.' Open 'The Clam' and you can optionally have a fold-out pair of hugely luxurious seats, so that you can sit comfortably as you admire the view, or watch your racehorse coming in first (delete as applicable).

Rolls will also offer bespoke 'Recreation Modules' - fitted drawers and storage compartments, which can be easily swapped over or removed, that allow you to neatly pack away your gear for fishing, hiking, drone-flying, falconry - you name it.

How much?

No official prices yet, but it's not going to be cheap. Think about the same price as a house. A nice house. A big nice house.

Blenheim Palace?

Yup, that sounds about right.



Neil Briscoe - 10 May 2018

Earlier articles featuring 2018 Rolls-Royce Cullinan

2018-02-13: Rolls confirms Cullinan name for new SUV


2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Image by Rolls-Royce.2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Image by Rolls-Royce.2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Image by Rolls-Royce.2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Image by Rolls-Royce.2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Image by Rolls-Royce.

2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Image by Rolls-Royce.2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Image by Rolls-Royce.2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Image by Rolls-Royce.2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Image by Rolls-Royce.2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Image by Rolls-Royce.









www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com    - Rolls-Royce road tests
- Rolls-Royce news
- Cullinan images






Rolls-Royce reveals new Arcadia Droptail. Image by Rolls-Royce.
Rolls-Royce reveals Arcadia Droptail
The one-off coachbuilt droptail model will be presented to its commissioning client in Singapore.
 
Rolls waves off the Wraith with Black Arrow. Image by Rolls-Royce.
Rolls-Royce Wraith Black Arrow
Final Wraith coupe edition pays homage to Thunderbolt land speed record car.
Rolls-Royce Spectre is company’s first EV. Image by Rolls-Royce.
Rolls-Royce Spectre EV revealed
First electric Rolls-Royce weighs nearly three tons but can very luxuriously hit 60mph in 4.4 seconds.

 
 215 Racing
 9ff
 A. Kahn Design
 Abarth
 Abt
 AC Cars
 AC Schnitzer
 Acura
 Aehra
 AIM
 Alfa Romeo
 Alpina
 Alpine
 Amari
 APS Sportec
 Arash
 Arden
 Ares
 Ariel
 Arrinera
 Artega
 Ascari
 Aston Martin
 Atalanta
 Atomik
 Audi
 Austin
 Auto Union
 Autodelta
 Autofarm
 Autosport
 AVA
 Avatar
 Axon
 Aznom
 BAC
 BAIC
 Bentley
 Bertone
 Bizzarrini
 Bloodhound
 Bluebird
 BMW
 Bosch
 Bowler
 Brabham
 Brabus
 Breckland
 Bridgestone
 Brilliance
 Bristol
 Bugatti
 Buick
 Burton
 BYD
 Cadillac
 Callaway
 Callum
 Caparo
 Capstone
 Carlsson
 Caterham
 CCG
 Chang'an
 Changfeng
 Chevrolet
 Chevron
 Chongfeng
 Chrysler
 Citroen
 Climax
 Connaught
 Cooper Tires
 Corvette
 Cummins
 Cupra
 Dacia
 Daewoo
 Daihatsu
 Daimler
 Dartz
 Datsun
 David Brown
 David Brown Automotive
 DDR
 De Tomaso
 Delta
 Detroit Electric
 Devon
 Dodge
 Donkervoort
 Drayson
 DS
 Eagle
 Eagle E-type
 EDAG
 edo competition
 Eterniti
 Everrati
 Evisol
 Exagon
 FAB Design

 
 Factory Five
 Faralli & Mazzanti
 Fenix
 Fenomenon
 Ferrari
 Fiat
 Fisker
 Ford
 G-Power
 Geely
 Gemballa
 General Motors
 Genesis
 Ginetta
 Giugiaro
 Glickenhaus
 GMC
 Goodwood
 Google
 Gordon Murray
 Gordon Murray Automotive
 Gordon Murray Design
 Gray Design
 Great Wall
 GTA
 GTM
 Gumpert
 Hamann
 Hartge
 HBH
 Heffner Performance
 Hennessey
 HERE
 HiPhi
 Holden
 Honda
 Hulme
 Hummer
 Hyundai
 I.D.E.A
 Icona
 IFR
 Infiniti
 Ionity
 Isis
 JAC
 Jaguar
 Jeep
 Jensen
 Jetstream
 JJAD
 Joss Developments
 Kahn
 Kamala
 Keating
 Kia
 Koenigsegg
 KTM
 Kumho
 Lada
 Lagonda
 Lamborghini
 Lancia
 Land Rover
 Lexus
 Liberty
 Lightning
 Lincoln
 Lister
 Loma Performance
 Lorinser
 Lotus
 LupiniPower
 Luxgen
 Mahindra
 Mansory
 Maserati
 Mastretta
 Maybach
 Mazda
 McLaren
 Mercedes
 Mercedes-AMG
 Mercedes-Benz
 Mercedes-Maybach
 Mercury
 Metrocab
 MG
 Michelin
 MINI
 Mitsubishi
 MMI
 Monte Carlo
 Mopar
 Morgan
 Mosler
 MTM
 Munro
 NAC MG
 Nichols Cars
 Nissan
 NLV

 
 Noble
 Novitec
 Opel
 Overfinch
 Pagani
 Perodua
 Peugeot
 Piaggio
 Pininfarina
 Polestar
 Pontiac
 Porsche
 Praga
 Preview
 Prodrive
 Project Runningblade
 Project Velocity
 Proton
 Protoscar
 Qoros
 Radical
 Range Rover
 Red Bull
 Renault
 Reva
 Rimac
 Rinspeed
 RoadRazer
 Rolls-Royce
 Ronn Motor Company
 Rover
 RUF
 Saab
 SAIC
 Saleen
 Saturn
 Scagliarini
 SCG
 Scion
 SDR Sportscars
 SEAT
 Sin
 Singer
 Skoda
 Smart
 Soleil
 Spada
 speedArt
 Sportec
 Spyker
 SRT
 Ssangyong
 SSC
 Startech
 STaSIS
 Subaru
 Suzuki
 Suzusho
 TAD
 Tamiya
 Tata
 Techart
 Tesla
 The Little Car Company
 THINK
 Thunder Power
 Tojeiro
 Tommy Kaira
 TomTom
 Toray
 Toyota
 Trabant
 TranStar
 Trident
 Tushek
 TVR
 UKCOTY
 Vanda Electrics
 Vauxhall
 Velozzi
 Vencer
 Venturi
 Veritas
 Vizualtech
 VL Automotive
 Volkswagen
 Volvo
 VUHL
 WCA
 WCotY
 Webasto
 Westfield
 Wiesmann
 Xenatec
 Yamaha
 Zagato
 Zarooq
 Zeekr
 Zenos
 Zenvo



 
 






External links:   | Irish Car Market News |

Internal links:   | Home | Privacy | Contact us | Archives | Old motor show reports | Follow Car Enthusiast on Twitter | Copyright 1999-2024 ©