The 2018 Rolls-Royce Cullinan has been officially unveiled, is the first-ever SUV from the luxury carmaker.
It’s finally here, ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the first-ever SUV built by Rolls-Royce, the Cullinan. Named after a 3106-carat jewel extracted from a South African mine in 1905, the Cullinan represents the idea of luxury off-roading. Unlike other cars from the company, the Cullinan can be taken to any terrain. But question is, who does?
Keeping aside our thoughts, Rolls-Royce is marketing the Cullinan as a high-bodied all-terrain vehicle and not just an SUV. Borrowing design traits from the other cars in the line-up, the Cullinan measures over 5.3-metres in length, stands over 1.8-metres and has a width of 2.1-metres. To give you a perspective of how large the SUV is, the Range Rover LWB measures 5.2-metres. One look at the Cullinan and it’s immediately evident that it’s a Rolls-Royce. The long bonnet, customary stainless-steel pantheon grille, upright face and of course, the spirit of ecstasy all scream Rolls-Royce and to a large extent resemble the other cars from the line-up. The insanely large 22-inch wheels are finished in utmost beauty and they also complement the car’s stance. The rear doors swing backward like other Rolls-Royce cars and there is a large panoramic glass roof too!
Coming to the interiors, the cabin of the 2018 Rolls-Royce Cullinan is packed with technology, luxury and every possible feature one can imagine of. The interior resembles the Phantom to a large extent and gets touchscreens both at the front and back. Some of the features on offer are powered seats with massage function, head-up display, Night Vision, active cruise control and 4 cameras with panoramic view. The SUV is available in 4/5-seater configurations and gets a split tailgate which opens and closes in two sections automatically at the touch of a button. A unique thing here is that a glass partition separates the cabin from the boot. Standard boot space is 560-litres and goes up to 1930-litres if the second-row seats have been folded. The boot also has a special module called the ‘Viewing Suite’, which electrically deploys two folded leather jump seats with a table in between that extend out of the car and open.
The full-size luxury SUV underpins Rolls-Royce’s Architecture of Luxury platform and comes powered by a massive 6.75-litre V12 twin-turbocharged petrol motor that produces 563 HP of power and 850 Nm of torque, slightly lesser than its rival, the Bentley Bentayga. All that torque is available from as low as 1600 RPM and hence driveability will not be an issue. The 2018 Rolls-Royce Cullinan gets all-wheel drive with 4-wheel steering and a single off-road or ‘Everywhere’ mode. That’s not all guys, this is a Rolls-Royce and there are some party tricks in it. For instance, unlock the car to get in, it automatically lowers itself by 40 mm on its air suspension silently whispering, welcome your highness! Press the ignition key and the SUV comes back to its normal height. Cool, isn’t it? The vehicle’s suspension makes umpteen calculations every second by reading inputs from the speed, road and the wheels to offer electronically controlled shock absorber adjustments.
2018 Rolls-Royce Cullinan
– Rolls-Royce has taken wraps off its first-ever SUV, the Cullinan
– Gets a 563 HP 6.75-litre V12 petrol engine
– Is built on Architecture of luxury platform
– SUV gets self-leveling air suspension
– Expected to be priced at Rs. 5 crores
