Ultra-luxurious 4x4 borrows the mechanical bits of the latest Phantom saloon to take the fight straight to the Bentley Bentayga.
Its looks should stir controversy…
After talking about building an SUV three years ago, Rolls-Royce has finally taken the wraps off its Bentley Bentayga fighter.
Called Cullinan, Rolls-Royce first-ever 4x4 adopts the aluminium body architecture, rear forward-facing doors and super-luxurious cabin concept from the Phantom 8 saloon.
And yes, the Cullinan sports a very upright stance that could be stirring some controversy in the same vein as when the Bentayga was launched two years ago.
With an overall length and wheelbase measuring some 5.3m and 3.3m respectively, the Cullinan is a huge SUV that tips the scales at 2,660kg.
To make it livable to some extent, the boot can open in a split manner. Apart from the 2+2 configuration as seen here in official pictures, the Cullinan also has a three-seat bench in the rear to attract families.
Does it get V12 power?
Certainly, as Rolls-Royce is aiming to make the Cullinan the new king of SUVs. The 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission comes from the Phantom, but the four-wheel drive system is new.
Outputs in the Cullinan are rated at 571hp at 5,000rpm and 850Nm at 1,600rpm. Although Rolls-Royce says that the top speed is limited to 250kph, it hasn’t mentioned the 0-100kph time.
According to Bentley, the Bentayga W12 has figures of 301kph and 4.1sec. This means that it’s fairly safe to suggest that the Cullinan can cover the sprint in under 5sec.
Can it go off-road?
Rolls-Royce certainly says so because an SUV also needs to get its hands dirty from time to time. The brand claims that the lack of low-range gears is compensated with the huge amount of torque generated at low engine speeds.
Rolls-Royce is keen to point out that the Cullinan is the most refined SUV, be it on- or off-road.
But we’d still reckon that potential owners would probably not veer of the sealed tarmac especially in a car costing nearly 50 million baht in Thailand. Nor should they be bothered by the Cullinan’s 6.7kpl fuel consumption.
Although the Cullinan will be dearer than the 25 million baht Bentayga and top-end Range Rover models when sales start in the second half of this year, it’s expected to be filled with an extensive list of features and sumptuous materials to justify its position as the world’s most luxurious SUV.
