For more than a century, Rolls-Royce built exactly one kind of automobile: long, low, and chauffeur-driven. Then, in 2018, the legendary British manufacturer introduced an SUV—or, as the company itself insists on calling it, a “high-sided car.” The Rolls-Royce Cullinan marked the brand’s first entry into a burgeoning segment already entered by Bentley, Lamborghini, and eventually Ferrari. However, Rolls-Royce approached the market on its own terms, creating less of an off-roader with leather seats, and more of a flagship sedan that happens to sit six feet off the ground.
A Name Borrowed From the Crown Jewels
Rolls-Royce announced the vehicle’s development years before its official 2018 debut, referring to it simply as “Project Cullinan.” When the production name was confirmed, the working title became permanent. The SUV was named after the Cullinan Diamond, a 3,106-carat rough stone discovered in South Africa in 1905, which remains the largest gem-quality diamond ever found. Cut into the Great Star of Africa and eight other major gems, pieces of the original diamond now adorn the British Crown Jewels. Former Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös noted that the name reflected the epic, millennial processes that created the diamond—a dramatic comparison only Rolls-Royce could make with a straight face about an automobile. The Cullinan made its formal world premiere on May 10, 2018, at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on Lake Como, sharing the same prestigious debut stage Rolls-Royce later selected for its bespoke Sweptail and Boat Tail models.
Built on the “Architecture of Luxury”
Rather than adapting a mass-market platform, Rolls-Royce built the Cullinan on its proprietary aluminum spaceframe structure, dubbed the “Architecture of Luxury.” This bespoke engineering platform is shared with the eighth-generation Phantom flagship sedan. The approach allowed engineers to tune body stiffness and mass distribution specifically for Rolls-Royce ride standards, avoiding the dynamic compromises inherent to shared corporate architectures.
Under the massive hood sits a 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine producing 563 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque in standard form. Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time all-wheel drive, this powertrain moves the six-thousand-pound vehicle from zero to sixty miles per hour in roughly five seconds. The performance-oriented Cullinan Black Badge variant increases output to 591 horsepower (and up to 597 horsepower in updated trims) for a sharper character. However, Rolls-Royce rarely markets the Cullinan on raw speed, prioritizing instead the effortless sensation of gliding.
Engineering “Effortless, Everywhere” Capability
Rolls-Royce launched the Cullinan under the marketing tagline “Effortless, Everywhere,” backing up the claim with intensive global testing. Prototypes underwent Arctic cold-weather trials, Middle Eastern desert endurance runs, and North American canyon tests to validate genuine off-road performance. The production SUV features twenty-one inches of water wading depth and utilizes the brand’s Flagbearer suspension system, which uses stereo cameras to scan the road surface ahead and pre-adjust the self-leveling air suspension in real time. This system successfully extends the marque’s signature “Magic Carpet Ride” to unpaved trails and broken pavement alike.
Visually, the Cullinan was styled as a traditional “three-box” SUV featuring distinct hood, cabin, and cargo profiles riding on twenty-two-inch wheels with rear-hinged coach doors. The rear tailgate, known as “The Clasp,” splits and opens in two powered sections, serving as a functional design nod to the exterior-mounted luggage trunks found on early twentieth-century Rolls-Royces.
Bespoke Interior and Tailgate Innovations
Where most luxury vehicles treat the cargo area strictly as storage, Rolls-Royce transforms it into a stage for leisure. The signature tailgate feature is the Viewing Suite, which consists of two forward-facing leather seats and a cocktail table that fold out automatically from the rear compartment for outdoor events. Buyers can also specify a motorized Recreation Module tailored to store equipment for personal hobbies such as falconry, photography, or shooting without cluttering the main cabin. Inside, the passenger space features the iconic fiber-optic Starlight Headliner alongside hand-selected wood veneers, fine leathers, and custom metal detailing.
Pricing and the Series II Update
The original Cullinan debuted in the United States in 2018 with a starting price of $325,000. Rolls-Royce introduced a comprehensive Series II update, refreshing the exterior front fascia, introducing a pillar-to-pillar glass dashboard, updating digital instrumentation, and adding new luxury textile options. Today, the Series II Cullinan starts at roughly $432,000, while the Black Badge Series II begins closer to $470,000 to $500,000 before customization. Through the brand’s Bespoke commissioning program, most buyers personalize their vehicles well beyond the sticker price, often exceeding $600,000.
The wager behind the Cullinan proved that high-net-worth buyers wanted the brand’s signature silence and craftsmanship in a vehicle capable of traveling to ski chalets or remote safari camps. Today, the Cullinan remains Rolls-Royce’s best-selling model worldwide.
Video Deep Dive: 2025 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II Review
For a closer look at the updated exterior styling, new digital gauge cluster, and overall driving dynamics of the updated model, automotive channel Throttle House reviewed the 2025 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II Black Badge. The video highlights the redesigned front end, illuminated front grille, twenty-three-inch wheels, and the interactive motorized tailgate seating module. You can watch the full review on YouTube via the Throttle House Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II Review.
