Rolls-Royce Cullinan Test Drive Review – Opulence!

Performance – The Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge gets an increase in output from its 6.75-litre V12 engine, producing 600 PS and 900 Nm at a low 1700 RPM, an increase of 30 HP and 50 Nm of torque. The motor is supremely refined, you can barely hear anything at all but get hard on the gas and the sport exhausts emit a nice growl, signifying the sporty intentions of the Cullinan. Performance is linear throughout, lag is well contained and the motor pulls strongly throughout the rev range. There is no tachometer here so you can’t gauge the revs, neither does Rolls-Royce reveal performance figures but 0-100 km/hr takes 4.9 seconds and the top speed is 250 km/hr.

Twin Turbo V12 motor is remarkably refined & has absurd amounts of torque

The Cullinan doesn’t get any sport mode but there is a Low mode which increases the enthusiasm from the powertrain, keeping the 8-speed gearbox in a lower gear for added oomph. The torque-converter transmission is super refined (but you can’t control the gears because of no paddle shifters), quick but silent with shifts and the engine and gearbox work with a sense of secrecy that is astounding, to say the least. Fuel economy is surprisingly good at 5 km/l when driven sedately but can drop down till 2 km/l if you drive it aggressively but Rolls-Royce has ensured you never run out of fuel by giving it a 100-litre fuel tank!

Driving Dynamics – Rolls-Royce has given the Black Badge version of the Cullinan some hardware updates to further improve the driving experience. Underpinned by the ‘Architecture of Luxury’ all-aluminium platform, the Black Badge gets updated brakes (bigger discs and reduced pedal play), stiffer suspension and tighter steering, all resulting in a more involving drive experience. This ultra-luxury SUV is very intimidating because it’s huge in terms of size but the steering is light at low speeds (but weighs up fantastically well at higher speeds) and the visibility all-around is great. The stiffer suspension helps contain body roll but it still has quite a lot of roll which can be felt around the corners and also under heavy braking as there is nose dive, stopping power is surreal though.

By sensing the road ahead, the Cullinan will adjust its suspension to ensure the best ride quality for its passengers

Handling is good by SUV standards (it gets rear-wheel steering too) but it’s really the ride quality which continues to be the highlight as it’s simply phenomenal. The Cullinan wafts along, absorbing the worst in its stride with no hiccups whatsoever. The car gets self-levelling air suspension with electronically controlled dampers for the ‘Magic Carpet Ride’. But it’s really the ‘Flagbearer’ a.k.a. the camera which reads road surfaces ahead and makes adjustments till a speed of 100 km/hr which ensures the great ride of the Cullinan. Grip is in abundance and the Cullinan can go off-road too with the off-road mode increasing the ground clearance by 40 mm. Rolls-Royce has kept it simple by not offering off-road modes, it’s all about the experience here which is further amplified with the view of the ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ when you drive the Cullinan.