First-Ever Rolls-Royce SUV Debuts

Cullinan super-luxury SUV is set to take on the Bentley Bentayga; expected to arrive in India late-2018 at a price slightly higher than the Ghost’s.

- Amaan Ahmed

A littleover three years after it declared its intention to build a ‘high-bodied vehicle’, Rolls-Royce has taken the wraps off of the Cullinan SUV. Named after the world’s largest rough diamond, the Cullinan represents the first time Rolls-Royce has tried its hand at building an SUV. Rather than being a mere high-bodied luxury car, the carmaker claims the Cullinan is a full-capability off-roader that’s “able to do whatever a Range Rover can do.”

The Cullinan’s face is trademark Rolls-Royce, with the stainless-steel pantheon grille taking centre stage and flanked by the eyebrow-like LED daytime running lights. Look at the SUV from the side, and you’ll notice the strong shoulder line, 22-inch wheels and – just like you’d find on a Phantom – suicide doors... on an SUV!

Based on the same aluminium spaceframe architecture as the Phantom VIII (dubbed the Architecture of Luxury), the Cullinan is notably bigger than its rival-in-chief, the Bentley Bentayga. It’s longer, wider, and, at 3,295mm, boasts a significantly longer wheelbase, too, which should help free up more space for rear-seat passengers.