High Roller: RR Confirms 'Cullinan' as SUV Nameplate

The rumor of an SUV from one of luxury’s mightiest brands has been kicking around for about three years now. Today, the folks at Rolls-Royce confirmed they will be calling it the Cullinan. Hey, at least it’s better than Urus.

In the spirit of not playing by any rules whatsoever, Rolls is referring to the Cullinan as a “high-bodied car.” Well, then. *adjusts monocle*

“The name Cullinan has been hiding in plain sight since we revealed it as the project name some years ago,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce, in an official statement from the company. “It is the most fitting name for our extraordinary new product.”

Deploying words such as flawless, quality, and preciousness, Rolls is not simply flinging around pithy phrases, but is intentionally evoking thoughts of expensive diamonds. Gems do certainly align with the brand but, more importantly, the largest flawless diamond ever found was called the Cullinan diamond. Good company to keep, then.

Ever since the oddly styled Bentley Bentayga arrived for the 2016 model year, a Roller SUV was all but a certainty. You just knew there was no way its former stablemate was going to let it get away with cashing in on the SUV boom all by itself.

Spy shots provided by the manufacturer (so they’re not really spy shots at all, actually) show a familiar-ish two box shape with a large and upright chrome snout like that which is found on the Phantom. Unconfirmed reports bouncing around the web peg the Cullinan’s length in excess of 218 inches, more than a foot longer than the Bentayga. Could the Rolls seat seven?

Perhaps there will be two available interior configurations from the factory, resting on the same platform. One could be the seven-passenger model mentioned above, while the other could ditch the third row in favor of two thrones pushed rearward for maximum legroom and levels of luxury heretofore unseen in the SUV game. That’s all speculation, of course, but certainly not too far fetched if that length dimension is even close to correct.

Expect to find a V12 under the bonnet hood when the Cullinan reaches market. Given today’s concern for Johnny Polar Bear, a plug-in hybrid is a good bet, too. The company didn’t get into plebian details such as price or release date.

Last month, Rolls Royce sold about 100 vehicles in America, so any addition to the lineup – especially of the SUV variety – will surely result in a significant sales bump. Ones thing’s for sure: with the newly refreshed G-Wagen, Bentayga, and Urus, the world’s 1 percent will be spoilt for choice when choosing their next bus for the school run.

[Images: Rolls-Royce]