Rolls Royce Cullinan: Gentle Giant
ROLLS ROYCE CULLINAN
GENTLE GIANT
Words by Alessandro Marrone
Photos by Giorgia Rossi
Sometimes writing an article has a different value than usual. For the Cullinan I am sure that 90% of you already have their own idea and a bit because of the brand and its illustrious history, a bit’ on the wave of preconceptions that assail you as soon as you put your nose on the web, putting in place a couple of arguments without being overwhelmed by a bit of – let’s say – worriness will be difficult. And how can I tell you the other side of the story, when the symbol of luxury in automotive decides to follow the wave and produce its first SUV in history, which also represents the first model of the house to be equipped with four-wheel drive. There are many “but” in the young life of this unusual Rolls Royce and who knows what Henry Royce and Charles Rolls would think in front of this unexpected evolution that inevitably looks at the current market and the main rivals, in this case not represented by the SUV par excellence (Range Rover), but by the new generation of super-SUVs, such as the Lamborghini Urus and in particular the Bentley Bentayga.
The Cullinan does not know half measures and keeps intact its ability to attract the looks and comments of any living creature nearby, predictable situation when dealing with a giant of nearly three tons that takes its name from the biggest rough diamond in the world. The Phantom platform has been developed and will act as a base for the next models of the company, but keep in mind that the SUV will be positioned halfway between the Ghost and the Phantom, responding immediately to the first question that comes to mind – “Who could ever buy one?” Simple, who owns a Rolls has not just a Rolls and it is fair to imagine that the eventual Phantom, Ghost or Wraith would not be the only Spirit of Ecstasy worthy of ending up in some expensive garage. Unlike the flagship model that is mostly entrusted to the judicious hands of a private driver, a self-respecting SUV has as its main objective to allow you to reach places rather different from your next company meeting. Designed for families rather special and configurable with 5 or even 4 seats, the Cullinan is the extremism of every concept related to luxury on wheels, both from the mechanical point of view to the dynamic and obviously the aesthetic one.
Starting with the design, the initial approach that takes place towards a car and which can turn it into a fan favorite or the very opposite, it divides the general public in a drastic manner, painting this Rolls on heels like an ugly and huge duckling. Regarding the size there is nothing to say, given that in addition to almost 3 tons of weight, the Cullinan features a more substantial ground clearance and roof line than the typical SUV we cross on the roads every day, even with the adaptive suspension set for the most reduced excursion. But aesthetically, a bit like a precious jewel, we should not consider it so much, looking for a mere stylistic aspect, as for what it offers in its segment, a niche that will delight the richest rich and that precisely because of this will assure RR excellent sales numbers. After a quick briefing with the English PR team, I go downstairs in the parking of the Hotel Metropole and I find myself in front of the white Cullinan that I will have the good fortune to drive in a couple of minutes.
It’s really huge, it has the aerodynamics of a colonial mansion and flaunt opulence from every centimeter you look at it. Staying true to the typical lines of the brand, we have the huge grid with vertical profiles that serves as an altar for the Spirit of Ecstasy, which can be chosen with your favorite material. The side view is undoubtedly made awkward because of the dimensions but offer an impressive interior habitability (and for this we will not have to tear our hair for the absence of a long wheelbase version), while at the back we have a split hatch that reminds those hanging trunks at the back of previous century’s Rolls Royce. To confirm how much the house points on exclusivity and the involvement of its customers in the configuration phase, the Cullinan trunk is not only suitable to accommodate anything you want, but is even able to set up a real compartment pointed to your needs and also boasts the so-called Viewing Suite, two seats and a table made from the lower portion of the tailgate, essential if you want to admire the sunset while sipping a Martini with your sweet half.
A lifetime would not be enough to discover all the cockpit functions, let alone immerse ourselves in the infinite abyss of the BMW-sourced multimedia system. Suffice to say that the Cullinan is equipped with an off-road mode operated by a button on the central tunnel, giving you the possibility of choosing between 3 different types of traction control intervention and then managing power on the two axles, varying from gravel to slippery or soft ground (for example snow, mud and sand). Once with the photographer on the generous back sofa equipped with tables, touch screens (yes, you still have a couple of umbrellas), coach doors opening and buttons for closing them, I give life to that engineering giant who was waiting under the huge hood. This is a V12, which in the most classic tradition of the brand tops 6,750cc, but moves the Cullinan with ease thanks to two turbos and its 570 horsepower displaced at around 5,000 rpm. Traction is obviously on both axles and managed by an 8-speed automatic transmission, with the lever anchored to the steering column. Moving the first meters and it seems just learning all over again; I go slowly out of the parking lot of the hotel and observe how a giant is carrying me along with a size that would make our office pale. In the silence of a perfect soundproofing, we are sliding in city traffic, with a raised view and perfect visibility from every corner.
Although Rolls Royce has not identified performance among its primary objectives, having 850Nm of torque available at the slightest throttle pressure allows you to move in souplesse and to discover a side that you would never have thought belonged to such a beast. With the same power of a titan and the kindness of a guardian angel, the Cullinan is designed to grind kilometers and embellish those moments that we carve out for everyday life. It does not upset any concept to be honest, but it emphasizes the need to have something special, even when we are actually driving for a different purpose than the drive itself. It is not a car to throw on some mountain pass and rape its tires at every turn, but a way to get to the top and rest its 22 inches on some piece of paradise to share with those on board with you. The Cullinan is a precious and expensive way for an excursion into nature, but without forgetting that it represents at the same time an ostentation of force, useless to deny it.
In spite of the actual dimensions, after the first kilometers I realize that this SUV is driven like any other SUV, except for the frequent stops at the petrol pump, but when you have to water a 12-cylinder, no complaints are allowed. The steering wheel is accurate, the on-board instrumentation is complete and all that is needed is logically close at hand, such as the analogue display with digital background in front of the driver’s eyes or the large screen located in the center of the dashboard, another portion that can be configured according to the tastes of its master. And I say master not by chance, because it does not seem to have a car in my hands, but the English version of Falkor (the giant flying dog of “The Neverending Story”). From here everything is muffled and somehow feels more special than how it was before closing the door behind us and remaining alone with the desire to explore, without any sacrifices of any kind and with the undeniable skills that the BMW experience has granted to its illustrious stepson.
Maybe you still not like it and for many of us it will still be abundantly out of budget, since you have to consider spending at least € 340,000 – € 440,000 for the model I’m testing – but if a car is first and foremost a vehicle for our satisfaction, even the Cullinan makes its own sense because and precisely for those extreme dimensions and solutions sometimes far more than superfluous. It’s in all senses the embodiment of the most luxurious SUV in the world and the most obvious answer to the simplest questions.
ROLLS ROYCE CULLINAN
Layout – front-engined, all-wheel-drive
Engine – V12 cylinder 6.750cc – twin-turbo
Transmission – 8-speed automatic gearbox
Power – 570 hp @ 5.000 rpm
850 Nm @ 1.600 rpm
Weight – 2.660 kg
Acceleration – 5 sec.
Top Speed – 250 kph
Price – from € 338.000 (€ 440.000 as tested)