The Rolls-Royce Cullinan arrived in 2018 as the brand’s first SUV. Named after the world’s largest diamond, it was built on the new aluminium spaceframe known as the Architecture of Luxury. The Cullinan used a 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12, shared with the Phantom, and combined all-wheel drive with adjustable air suspension. It was aimed at customers who wanted Rolls-Royce refinement in a more versatile format.
By 2020, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan gained the Black Badge edition, which offered more power and a sharper dynamic setup. This version appealed to younger buyers looking for a sportier expression of the SUV. While no major redesigns have occurred since launch, small updates have kept the cabin technology in step with the wider Rolls-Royce range. The Cullinan has not been sold under alternative names in overseas markets.
Today the Rolls-Royce Cullinan remains central to the brand’s global growth. It has become the most popular model in markets like North America and the Middle East. In Australia, it sits above the Ghost and Phantom in terms of size and presence, appealing to buyers who want luxury with practicality. The Cullinan continues to anchor Rolls-Royce’s SUV line-up as competitors from Bentley, Aston Martin and Lamborghini expand their offerings.
The line-up currently starts at $705,000 for the Cullinan (base) and ranges through to $810,000 for the range-topping Cullinan Black Badge.
The Rolls-Royce Cullinan feels like an executive office, and we're talking C-suite here, or perhaps the bridge of a super yacht. Everything gleams, the surfaces make musical sounds when you touch them and it all smells expensive and divine. The little Spirit of Ecstasy in the dash is a new and wonderful touch.
It's hard to go past the beguiling golden green called Chartreuse but other choices include Diamond Black, Anthracite, Jubliee Silver, Silver, Midnight Blue, Darkest Tungsten, Salamanca Blue, Scala Red, Bohemian Red, English White and Arctic White.
Yes, you can choose to have seating for five in a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, but then you can also choose to have a champagne fridge between the two rear pews, instead, which seems like the Rolls thing to do. So, four or five seats, all of them hugely comfortable.
The Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II uses the same 6.75-litre, twin-turbocharged V12 found in the original Cullinan, and still making an impressive 420kW and 850Nm.
The Rolls-Royce Cullinan can hit 100km/h in 5.2 seconds, or slightly faster in the Black Badge, despite weighing 2.75 tonnes. It has a top speed that is limited to 250km/h.
You get all your accessories included here, with the typical screens, a bespoke stereo system, umbrellas in each door and the Starlight Headliner above you, that can be set up to show the sky the way it looked on the day you were born.
With a 100-litre tank and a theoretical fuel-economy figure of around 16 litres per 100km, you'd be lucky to get 625km of range out each rather expensive fill up, but the trip computer on the car was actually suggesting something closer to 500km of range.