Aurus Commander, the Russian copy of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan

The Aurus Commander has just been leaked showing its clear “inspiration” from the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Will the pupil end up outdoing the master?

A Russian company called Aurus has just leaked images of a new luxury SUV. This would have gone completely unnoticed were it not for the fact that the Aurus Commander aims to be a cheap replica of the king of luxury SUVs: the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

Although we have only recently learned of this SUV’s existence, the senior executives at Rolls-Royce have been aware of the Russian manufacturer’s intentions for some time. For this reason, they filed a lawsuit against Aurus for brazenly copying the designs of models from the brand of the “spirit of ecstasy”.

It is therefore not the first model that the Aurus people have tried to “gun down”, since they had already done the same with the Rolls-Royce Ghost with the Aurus Senat. Moreover, it is a well-known brand in Russia, as Vladimir Putin’s official car is an Aurus. However, copycats also have to keep up with the times, so the next model on the list had to be the SUV from the British brand.

Furthermore, their ambitions are high: they intend to take on the model they are copying, as well as theBentley Bentayga, in the Russian market, so they have no problem classifying it as a super-luxury SUV.

The Aurus Commander has a design that “recalls” the Rolls-Royce Cullinan

The spy photos that revealed the design of the new Aurus Commander were taken during a visit by Russia’s Minister of Industry and Trade last April. It therefore appears that this luxury SUV has been slow-cooking for some time. In addition, sketches of the model were revealed showing the front end, which already reminds us strongly of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

In these, we can see a vertical-bar grille of generous size, instantly recognisable, that extends to the front bumper. We can also see three generously sized air intakes in the lower section which, although arranged in the same way as on the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, look considerably more vulgar.

The platform and engine are the same as those used in its “copy” of the Rolls-Royce Ghost. These are no ordinary units: it features a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine supplied directly by Porsche, giving it 600 horsepower. It also fits an electric motor that adds a further 57 horsepower to the total, providing all-wheel drive.

Although we already know these details, Aurum does not plan to put it into series production until 2021, so the Russians have time to keep developing their new SUV and to fight in the courts so that Rolls-Royce does not derail their plan.

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