(Rolls-Royce)
Sport utility vehicles are supposed to be about exploring new territory, and that’s exactly what the new Rolls-Royce Cullinan does.
It’s the British ultra-luxury brand’s first SUV, and is as large and lavish as you’d expect it to be.
(Rolls-Royce)
Longer than a Lincoln Navigator, the Cullinan rides on the same aluminum platform as the Rolls-Royce’s latest Phantom sedan shares its twin-turbocharged V12 engine, here with 563 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque.
It’s also Rolls-Royce’s first all-wheel-drive vehicle, and comes standard with an air suspension system than not only raises and lowers the ride height, but can extend each corner individually so the tires stay firmly planted to the surface when it’s driven off road.
(Rolls-Royce)
The Cullinan is actually capable of that, and can ford over 21 inches of water if needed, but potholes and puddles will probably be the worst it has to deal with.
(Rolls-Royce)
The interior is trimmed in a barnyard of high end woods and leather, and can be ordered with a pair of first-class rear seats and a bar between them.
(Rolls-Royce)
Further back, there’s an optional viewing suite that slides out of the tailgate and provides two chairs and a table for you to host the fanciest tailgate party ever from.
While it’s likely to convert some Rolls-Royce sedan owners, it’s really meant to compete with the likes of the Bentley Bentayga and highest-end Range Rovers and, since it’s named after the largest diamond ever, you won’t be surprised that it has an appropriately high price that starts at $325,000.
That makes it the most expensive series production SUV in the world, but a bargain for Rolls-Royce, which has models that sell for well over half a million bucks each.