Rolls-Royce Cullinan: the Rolls-Royce of SUVs

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is here, the first SUV from the British brand, and the most luxurious in the world. Would you go off-road in a car like this?

The new Rolls-Royce Cullinan is now a reality, and from now on Rolls-Royce can boast of having the most luxurious SUV in the world on the market… with the permission of the Bentley Bentayga. And with its 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 petrol engine and 571 CV, the new Rolls-Royce Cullinan would also fit into our Top 10 of the 10 most powerful performance SUVs, although its approach is far from seeking pure performance or agility on winding roads or on a circuit.

No, that is not its territory. Nor would it be possible, with a kerb weight of 2,660 kilograms. And that is despite the platform used being the one debuted by the new Rolls-Royce Phantom, built in aluminium. What matters here is refinement and smoothness in every sense. And that is what the 12-cylinder engine is for and, above all, its powerful thrust: no less than 850 Nm from just 1,600 rpm. There are no acceleration figures, which will be “sufficient”. Top speed is limited to 250 km/h. The wheels are 22 inches.

The most luxurious SUV in the world

With a length of 5.34 metres, a width of 2.16 metres and a height of 1.83 metres, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan comes with a classic-design SUV body and an interior with two configurations for the rear seats, which benefit from the 3.29 metres of wheelbase. Depending on the customer’s preferences, which in the case of Rolls-Royce is usually the person sitting in the back, the Cullinan can be ordered with two individual seats separated by a centre console with room even for a small fridge to keep the champagne in, or with a classic three-seat layout.

An interesting novelty is the concept Rolls-Royce calls the “Third Box”, which adds a glass partition to separate the cabin from the body, so that passengers are completely isolated and do not even notice when the tailgate opens. The tailgate is split into two halves that open separately, giving access to a boot with a capacity of 560 litres, expandable up to 1,930 litres by folding down the rear seat backs. Something that can be done for the first time in a Rolls-Royce model, of course, all at the touch of a button and with electronic assistance.

Inherited from the brand’s luxurious saloons, the rear doors retain the opposite-hinged opening of the front ones, and have electric operation. The Cullinan welcomes its occupants by lowering the body height to the ground by 40 mm, to make access easier. In the driver’s seat, technological luxury and maximum sophistication, with a large touchscreen on the centre console. There are also controls to activate the 4×4 driving aids, such as the “off-road” mode or hill descent control.

And the Rolls-Royce is tested and designed to remain the Rolls-Royce of SUVs off the tarmac too, with its permanent all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering and an air suspension that can raise the ride height, allowing Rolls-Royce to quote a wading depth for the Cullinan of 56 cm.

Image gallery: Rolls-Royce Cullinan