This is our best look yet at the Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Which, it has been announced, gets a pop-out set of rear seats in the tailgate
They're not designed for use while the car is moving, however
Like the rest of the brand's lineup, the Cullinan has suicide rear doors
The Cullinan arrives before the end of the year
Rolls-Royce confirms that the car will retain its development name
It gets the aluminium architecture first used on the new Phantom
The brand remains tight-lipped on details
It's the first car in Rolls-Royce's history to use four-wheel drive
It's also the first SUV produced by the company
Or, rather, a 'high-sided vehicle'
The new snaps give us the best look we've had yet at the car's rear
Naturally, it takes inspiration from the Phantom…
…with small, D-shaped tail-lights
Deliveries start before the end of the year
There's no word on pricing, but being a Phantom-like SUV, it's likely to exceed £250,000
Rolls-Royce has confirmed its new SUV will be called Cullinan
The name was the SUV's internal development project name
The SUV shares a platform with the Phantom
The Cullinan has been undergoing an extensive testing programme
Rolls-Royce has revealed that it will publicise some of the most gruelling parts of the Cullinan's testing programme via a new deal with television channel National Geographic.
The luxury model, which has been testing for three years in Northern Europe, the Middle East and the United States, will be filmed and photographed as part of the partnership's The Final Challenge series, which will be posted onto social media.
The Cullinan, due for launch later this year, is claimed to mix ultra-luxury with genuine off-road ability.
Rolls-Royce unveiled the car's pop-out, tailgate-mounted seats and table recently, following confirmation of the car's name. Recent spy shots showed the Cullinan with the least disguise we've seen yet, revealing much of the Phantom-like look of the car.
Each of the pop-out seats, which are rear-facing and intended for use while the car is not in motion, bears the Rolls-Royce logo, and they both fold back into a compartment in the boot floor.
A post shared by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars (@rollsroycemedia) on Feb 21, 2018 at 7:00am PST
The Phantom's influence is clear to see, with a near-identical fascia at the front and D-shaped tail-lights at the rear. The boxy design shows that the Cullinan takes after the Phantom rather than the smoother-looking Ghost. Spy shots show that the rear doors are rear-hinged, as seen on the Ghost and the Phantom.
The rival to the Bentley Bentayga was called 'Project Cullinan' during its development. The name is inspired by the Cullinan Diamond, a 3106-carat jewel extracted from a South African mine in 1905. It was split into nine stones, with the two largest used in the British imperial crown and the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross.
Rolls-Royce boss Torsten Müller-Ötvös said the Cullinan name had been “hiding in plain sight”, adding: “It is the most fitting name for our extraordinary new product.”
The Cullinan, which Rolls-Royce refers to as a "high-sided vehicle" rather than an SUV, is likely to use a developed version of the Phantom’s 6.8-litre V12 engine. A plug-in hybrid powertrain could also be offered at a later stage, using technology from parent company BMW. Rolls-Royce has dismissed a diesel option due to the comparative lack of refinement offered by such units.
The all-wheel-drive car will use the same aluminium spaceframe platform, named the Architecture of Luxury, as the Phantom.
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flappy88
why, just why?
Paul73
flappy88 wrote: Why? Profit
Profit
Byzantine
Each of the pop-out seats...
...bears the Rolls-Royce logo. Of course it does. The company is mad about its logo, moreso by the year, and plasters it all over the car like MG did with its own on the F. This blingtastic monster is revving up to be on of the ugliest and most obnoxious cars on the road so thank goodness the overwhelming majority of them will be sold overseas.
soldi
Looks like an old van
Ruperts Trooper
soldi wrote:
Prospective owners will have had personal invites to see it undisguised - these pictures are just for us plebs.
supermanuel
flappy88 wrote:
Demand.
Bullfinch
Whatever happened to elegance?
WallMeerkat
Bullfinch wrote:
'Elegance' in car design.... hmmm.... Ah yes, I remember that!
Before every manufacturer jumped onto the SUV craze bandwagon and started styling their vehicles to look like fat a**ed vans, walls of sheet metal instead of elegant design, overly aggressive front styling to bully other motorists.
Andrew Lee
'High-sided vehicle' indeed
What has been clear since prototypes have been seen is that the proportions are all wrong. Specifically, the greenhouse is way too tall. Perhaps the full-fat Range Rover was the benchmark whereas the Velar should've been the model (though not revealed during the Cullinan's development). This totally lacks elegance which a far shallower top half would've created. Or tried to...
Leslie Brook
.
Because it'll sell, an it'll be wonderful.
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