The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is a full-size luxury crossover SUV made by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars as the brand’s first all-wheel-drive vehicle. It is named after the Cullinan Diamond, the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever discovered.
Rolls-Royce Cullinan at a glance
| Maker | Rolls-Royce Motor Cars |
|---|---|
| Unveiled | May 2018, Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este |
| Global launch | autumn 2018, Jackson Hole, Wyoming |
| Position | above the Ghost, below the Phantom |
| US starting price | about US$325,000 (£255,000) |
| Name | the Cullinan Diamond, 3,100 carats |
| Sales rank | second best-selling Rolls-Royce after the Silver Shadow |
| Series II | production from August 2024 |
| Name confirmed | 13 February 2018 |
English Wikipedia is the only source used here, so the facts were not cross-checked against a second source; figures are the maker’s claims.
History of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan
The road to the Cullinan
In 2015 it was reported that an SUV was being designed and that it would be named Cullinan, as Bentley and Lamborghini were entering the SUV business with the Bentayga and the Urus. At the 2015 Frankfurt show CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said it would be revealed in 2018. The name was confirmed on 13 February 2018. Testing began on 2 January 2016, with snow tests and final tests in 2018 together with National Geographic in various terrains. By 2019 the company said that despite more production and staff there were not enough cars to meet demand from established buyers.
Design and features
Many exterior elements, such as the grille and headlights, come from the eighth-generation Phantom. The interior has the usual Rolls-Royce choice of leather, wood and carbon-fibre finishes, power-closing doors, double-glazed windows and an optional “Starlight” fibre-optic headliner or a panoramic sunroof. In the US the Cullinan is not exempt from the Gas Guzzler Tax because it is classed as a station wagon rather than an SUV. Production of the Cullinan Series II was announced to begin in August 2024.
Design and features
- All-wheel drive: the first Rolls-Royce with it.
- Headliner: optional Starlight fibre optics.
- Name: after a 3,100-carat diamond.
Rolls-Royce Cullinan versions
- Cullinan (2018).
- Cullinan Series II (2024).
- Black Badge: also applied to the Cullinan, per the Dawn page.
More Rolls-Royce cars are in our Rolls-Royce collection and more supercars in Exotic Cars.
Sources
- Rolls-Royce Cullinan, English Wikipedia: overview, design
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