Three years ago Rolls-Royce announced that it would create an all-new, all-terrain high-sided vehicle that would redefine luxury travel by making it ‘effortless, everywhere’.
It’s been an open secret that the car that would break the Rolls-Royce mould – as the first model with four-wheel drive in the company’s history – would be called the Cullinan. It was named after the Cullinan Diamond, the largest flawless diamond ever found (discovered in South Africa), and is set to rival the likes of the Bentley Bentayga.
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce says that the Cullinin moniker ‘speaks of endurance and absolute solidity in the face of the greatest pressures; it tells of rarity and preciousness and it alludes to the pioneering, adventurous spirit of The Hon. Charles Rolls and the engineering innovation of Sir Henry Royce; and, of course, it speaks of absolute luxury, wherever you venture in the world.’
In a press release, potential buyers are reassured that the vehicles has been tested (and polished) by the designers, engineers, craftspeople and artisans of the House of Rolls-Royce to eliminate any flaw. The Cullinan has been tested in extreme climates, from the ‘searing deserts of Africa and the Middle East to the freezing snows of the Arctic Circle; from the grassy glens of the Scottish Highlands to the towering canyons of North America.’
The engine that will propel this SUV not been confirmed yet, but it’s expected that a developed version of the Phantom’s 6.8-litre V12 will be used.
Cullinan is the second Rolls-Royce (after the Phantom VIII) to ride on the company’s recently announced all-new aluminium ‘spaceframe’ architecture. The SUV is likely to be unveiled later this year.