Photo: Rolls-Royce
Not long now, the cat will be out of the bag. The Cullinan goes official on Thursday, May 10th, and holds the title of the first all-wheel-drive Rolls-Royce and the first sport utility vehicle from the ultra-luxury marque. And to improve the maneuverability of the newcomer in downtown traffic and on the open road, the rear-axle steering system from the Phantom VIII has been integrated into the Cullinan.
Riding on an aluminum spaceframe (Architecture of Luxury) similar to that of the Phantom, the Cullinan is shorter than the world’s most opulent sedan. But what the “high-sided all-terrain vehicle” loses in wheelbase, the Cullinan gains in ground clearance. Teased time and again tackling the toughest gradients and most adverse conditions, there’s no denying the newcomer can hold its own at all times.
Speaking of teasers, the latest of the lot depicts one of the taillights. Featuring chrome detailing and the R-R logo at the lower center, it’s as plain as day that Rolls-Royce didn’t look in the Phantom’s parts bin when it was designing the Cullinan. Based on spy pics of pre-production prototypes, the taillights are located at the rear end’s extremities, emphasizing the width and curvature of the haunches.
“Powered by the king of engines,” the 2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan’s beating heart is the 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12 codenamed N74B68. The 900 Nm (664 pound-feet) of torque come on strong from 1,700 rpm, while output is rated at 571 PS (563 horsepower). Sending the suck-squeeze-bang-blow to the all-wheel-drive system and wheels is the job of the Satellite Aided Transmission module, which is married to an eight-speeder we know and love from BMWs gifted with longitudinal engines.
Like the Phantom, the Cullinan doesn’t have a dashboard as you would expect on other luxury vehicles. Rolls-Royce calls that part of the interior The Gallery, an area enclosed in toughened glass that has more to do with art than automotive design.
Last, but certainly not least, customers will be able to option the Cullinan with the Viewing Suite. What’s that, you ask? A pair of rear-facing seats mounted onto the tailgate, which enable the occupants to “take in the world’s most breathtaking vistas."
Speaking of teasers, the latest of the lot depicts one of the taillights. Featuring chrome detailing and the R-R logo at the lower center, it’s as plain as day that Rolls-Royce didn’t look in the Phantom’s parts bin when it was designing the Cullinan. Based on spy pics of pre-production prototypes, the taillights are located at the rear end’s extremities, emphasizing the width and curvature of the haunches.
“Powered by the king of engines,” the 2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan’s beating heart is the 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12 codenamed N74B68. The 900 Nm (664 pound-feet) of torque come on strong from 1,700 rpm, while output is rated at 571 PS (563 horsepower). Sending the suck-squeeze-bang-blow to the all-wheel-drive system and wheels is the job of the Satellite Aided Transmission module, which is married to an eight-speeder we know and love from BMWs gifted with longitudinal engines.
Like the Phantom, the Cullinan doesn’t have a dashboard as you would expect on other luxury vehicles. Rolls-Royce calls that part of the interior The Gallery, an area enclosed in toughened glass that has more to do with art than automotive design.
Last, but certainly not least, customers will be able to option the Cullinan with the Viewing Suite. What’s that, you ask? A pair of rear-facing seats mounted onto the tailgate, which enable the occupants to “take in the world’s most breathtaking vistas."
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