It is always a moment when Rolls Royce rolls out something new of its Goodwood plant and the Cullinan is rather special. It’s the only SUV in the world which proudly embodies the ‘Spirit Of Ecstasy’ on its hood and stands testimony to the popularity that SUVs have garnered. It’s the pinnacle in SUVs and has been finally launched in India after making its global debut in May this year. Prices for the Rolls Royce Cullinan start at ₹ 6.95 crore (ex-showroom, India) and Rolls Royce has kept a limited stock for our market which will be shipped according to the order. We have been lucky enough to hang around with the Cullinan for some time and have observed some elements which set it apart from other SUVs.
Longest SUV
The Cullinan is a massive SUV and measures over 5.3 metres (5341 mm to be precise) in length which makes it 140 mm longer than the long-wheelbase Range Rover. It is 2164 mm wide and is based on the same ‘Architecture Of Luxury’ or aluminium spaceframe platform which underpins the Rolls Royce Flagship- Phantom. No wonder where it got all those muscles and stretch from.
Suicide Doors
Ever seen a Rolls Royce without suicide doors? Well, even this one maintains the trademark. Cullinan is the first ever production-spec SUV to have suicide doors and this has made ingress and egress much easier for the Cullinan which was necessary by Rolls Royce standards as Cullinan is a high-bodied SUV and Rolls Royce has always maintained that sheer luxury is in minimizing all the efforts at owner’s end. However, the purpose of these suicide doors is beyond that. The coach like opening makes for a wide view of the cabin when looked from outside which simply adds to the visual appeal right from the time you approach towards it.
Also Watch: Rolls Royce Cullinan Launched In India, Price And Specs
Deployable Spectator Seats
One can consider it an addition to the plenty of party tricks but the spectator chairs are something which adds up to the reputation of owning a Rolls Royce and no ordinary SUV. When the Rolls owner wants to have some leisure time on the go, he/she no more need to look out for a place to sit or manage resting on the lower part of the split boot gate. Instead, he/she can widely open the boot and use the spectator chairs along with the tiny centre table. Ohh! But the catch is that they are optional.
Also Watch: Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV Makes World Debut
Three Box SUV
Rolls Royce also claims that the Cullinan is the first ever SUV in the world to have a three-box cabin which typically is the body description of a sedan. The boot compartment is parted with a glass and it does nothing but helps isolate the passenger area from the boot section so that you cannot hear the luggage as the car moves and that definitely adds to the opulence level. Again! Someone at Rolls Royce can only think this way.
A V12 Engine
The Cullinan is the only SUV which has a V12 engine under the hood and the humongous dimensions of the engine compartment easily substantiate it visually. The only other SUV which has 12-cylinder engine is the Bentley Bentayga though the engine layout is W12, i.e. the cylinders have been stacked in the ‘W’ format in a bid to reduce the length of the engine compartment of the Bentayga.
The one doing duty under the massive hood of the Rolls Royce Cullinan is the Phantom sourced 6.75 litre, twin-turbocharged V12 engine which churns out a whopping 563 bhp and a hefty 850 Nm of peak torque and is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission which channels the power in all the four wheels. Not to mention, the Cullinan is the only four-wheel drive Rolls Royce besides it getting the four-wheel steering too.
Magic Carpet Ride
The Rolls Royce Cullinan is also the first SUV which has the ‘Magic Carpet Ride’. It is equipped with self-leveling air-suspension which is a key attribute that complements the magic carpet ride. Moreover, there are larger air struts to the Phantom sourced air-suspension which has larger amount of air-volume which maintains the pressure to dull any impact of the rough tarmac or off-road sections the Cullinan will have to smother over. The ‘Magic Carpet’ function works in conjunction with the ‘Everywhere’ or off-road mode of the Cullinan.
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