Here's Everything You Need To Know About The Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV

The Cullinan, named after the world's largest diamond that is now part of the British Crown Jewels, represents a lot of firsts for the super-luxury brand...
Here's Everything You Need To Know About The Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV

After a long and controversial gestation the Rolls-Royce Cullinan is finally here. The 6.75-litre V12 SUV has landed, and here’s everything you need to know.

Let’s start with numbers. The wealthy gentleman’s off-roader produces 563bhp and 627lb ft of torque from just 1600rpm; enough to reach the 155mph limiter easily enough and dispatch the 0-62mph sprint in… well, Rolls doesn’t supply figures for such an uncouth activity, so we’ll just have to assume that it’s plenty brisk enough, thank you very much.

Here's Everything You Need To Know About The Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV

Built in two styles, with four large ‘Individual’ seats and a 526-litre boot or a three-person rear ‘Lounge’ bench and 560 litres out back (with the parcel shelf left in place), the Cullinan is easily the most capable Rolls-Royce ever made. Double wishbones at the front and five-link rear suspension at the back link to adjustable air suspension for a maximum wading depth of 540mm – greater than any other ‘super-luxury’ SUV, says Rolls, but some way short of the Range Rover’s 900mm.

A clever feature that should silence some of the critics is an in-built air compression system in the springs. Should the sensors detect a wheel starting to leave the ground and slip, the system actively pushes the tyre back into the surface and restores grip. For maximum off-road potential, a single button marked ‘Off Road’ is known within Rolls as the ‘Everywhere’ button.

Here's Everything You Need To Know About The Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV

To ensure that patrons get to where they’re going without having to get their trousers or skirts dirty on muddy sills, the Cullinan’s doors extend below and around the side sills, ensuring all the dirt stays on the door, not on any edge that your legs might touch.

Versus existing Rolls-Royce platforms the Cullinan’s drive and prop shafts are stronger. The suspension struts are larger, with more volume to cushion off-road blows, and we probably don’t really need to mention the fact that this is the firm’s first four-wheel drive, its first vehicle with folding rear seats (bench seat only) and its first to use a tailgate. Pro tip: Rolls calls the tailgate “The Clasp.”

Here's Everything You Need To Know About The Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV
Here's Everything You Need To Know About The Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV

Rolls says the maximum loading length offered in Lounge-spec cars eclipses that of the Range Rover Extended Wheelbase. It’s 2245mm, if you’re wondering, and with the seats folded and the normally-low boot floor electronically raised to meet them, maximum luggage space is a van-like 1930 litres.

Spec the Individual rear seats and the rear chairs are separated by a drinks cabinet complete with Rolls-Royce whisky glasses and a matching decanter, plus champagne flutes and a fridge. No one’s going to go thirsty, then. In this configuration the boot is separated entirely by a glass partition, presumably so that the rich smells of your luxurious leather baggage don’t mix with those of the Cullinan’s own leather seats.

Here's Everything You Need To Know About The Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV

If you’re carrying the key you can simply reach out to the door handle and the car will unlock. Naturally the rear doors are rear-hinged, as per Rolls tradition. As it unlocks, the whole car drops by 40mm to ease your entry into its cocoon, and once you’re inside you can simply press a button and the doors will close themselves. The same goes for exiting: after everyone is out, a single button-press will shut all the doors.

That lost 40mm is regained when the ignition is pressed. A surprisingly small, thick-rimmed and heated steering wheel identifies this, says Rolls, as a car that will be driven by its owners. It’s no traditionalist inside thanks to digital instruments and the latest infotainment systems, all of which are likewise designed to appeal to the more involved owner.

Lounge rear seats
Lounge rear seats
Individual rear seats with glass partition
Individual rear seats with glass partition

Available tech includes ordinary stuff like active cruise control, collision warnings, lane-departure warnings and the like. On top of that you can have night vision and a wildlife and pedestrian warning system that works both in the day and at night. There’s a 360-degree camera system with a bird’s eye view for tricky off-roading, a huge 21-square-inch head-up display and the highest iteration of navigation available in the BMW Group. Don’t forget the Viewing Suite, either.

There are five USB ports dotted around the cabin, plus wireless device charging at the front. The main interface screen is touch-sensitive as well as responding to the rotary dial between the front seats. Rear passengers should never feel short-changed thanks to a higher seating position and a vast panoramic sunroof. This thing, however much it costs, could very well be the best car ever made.

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Comments

Niemiah G.

The only thing you need to know about this: its a flop, and its stupid.

05/10/2018 - 14:03 |
2 | 2
Anonymous

I like it but I would still buy a Rolls Royce Sedan because who will offroad it? Nobody. So why bother

05/10/2018 - 14:14 |
0 | 0
Porsche 959 (CarThrottle's only Facel Vega fanboy, still act

But will it come with two-tone paint?

05/10/2018 - 14:23 |
0 | 0
Max DeMare

These will be a great value used in a few years

05/10/2018 - 14:39 |
0 | 0
woulditfitonmyhonda

Wtf this didnt get leaked

05/10/2018 - 15:06 |
0 | 0
SirJamjaxIsGoingAgain-PeaceOutChaps

I’ve been waiting anxiously for this vehicle to be revealed since the first spy shots were revealed, and I can say that I’m not dissapointed. What I can say, is that my friends are pr¡Cks because I didn’t want to see the leaks, but rather the proper official images (which I did the second they were released on the RR site), but they kept trying to show me leaks. At 1 point 4 of my friends sat on computers around me and opened leaked pics and I simply left in anger. It’s a car which I genuinely like and didn’t want to see leaked images of.

05/10/2018 - 15:18 |
0 | 0
JOSHUUAAAA

I sadly can’t see what all the hype is for this car , it already looks 10 years old and it’s not even out yet , I was expecting a ground breaking car not another rebadged BMW

05/10/2018 - 16:55 |
2 | 0
Advanced Handling Flags

But the fold out SEATS

05/10/2018 - 23:36 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Bentayga owners be like

05/11/2018 - 00:34 |
2 | 0
HCR Writing Space

It’s cool and all until you saw this type of person driving it

05/11/2018 - 02:28 |
4 | 0

Especially The Kardashian’s and Justin Bieber too

05/11/2018 - 02:29 |
0 | 0