Meet the New King of SUVs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Prestige carmaker debuts a 4X4 named after the world's largest diamond.

Rolls-Royce has produced its first all-wheel-drive car, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. It is the first Rolls 4×4, but it is absolutely not the first off-roader from the company. “Cullinan is a name borrowed from the world’s largest diamond,” reports Maxim, which is now part of the British crown jewels.

The car has the same aluminum “Architecture of Luxury” chassis and 563-horsepower, 6.75-liter V12 engine seen in the Phantom, but its drivetrain now also powers the front wheels as well as the back. The Cullinan includes an air-suspension system that lowers to a Phantom-like ride height for ingress and egress or raises an inch and a half to provide that SUV-like “command” driving position that so many drivers love. The biggest body design change is its rear cargo bay, which replaces a traditional trunk. The rear of the car opens with a split hatch featuring a small lower tailgate and a larger hatch on top, similar to the Range Rover. You can reconfigure the back seats, and can make them into a three-across bench or a pair of reclining seats.

Director of Design, Giles Taylor said that the Cullinan has a “commanding stance of a warrior” and immediately “communicates its strength and power.”

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