It’s called the Cullinan, after the largest diamond ever discovered that happens to now live in Britain’s crown jewel collection. And, as you may have anticipated based on that, the first SUV ever released by Rolls-Royce is anything but unassuming.
Let’s just start with the price, so we can get it out of the way – the Cullinan will set you back $325,000, just to get in, but the folks at BMW Group, Rolls-Royce’s parent company, think it’s worth it because it’s “the most technologically advanced, and only purpose-built, luxury SUV in the world.”
Rolls-Royce basically thinks that every SUV out there is bland and boring, and set out to create an “engineering masterpiece” that brings luxury to a family-friendly design and top-notch performance characteristics. Here’s where it’s unique: the first “three-box” design in the market will feature a glass partition to separate the passengers from the luggage compart because, when you’ve reached the upper echelons, you’ve earned the right not to hear your groceries moving around in the bag.
Rolls-Royce uses its all-aluminum architecture to support the design, which offers superior body stiffness to stand up to rough terrain while still providing a comfortable ride. The SUV features suicide doors, which is pretty incredible, that open to a luxurious interior likened to that of the Phantom, only bulkier. The vehicle even lowers an inch and a half upon your approach and, after you’re seated, it raises back up so you can enjoy the famous “Rolls-Royce Magic Carpet Ride.”
And while the aluminum helps with the weight, the V12 engine means buyers will still need to save some cash for gas. Apparently, a plug-in hybrid is in the works, but my guess is that the $300K is burning a hole in your pocket and you probably won’t want to wait.