On the 10^th of May, at 4 pm UAE time, the veil was lifted, and with it the embargo that put a clause of silence on my tongue and fingers that showed extraordinary restraint all these days from the time I set my eyes on the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. In this age of information, if there is anything next to impossible, it is keeping a secret. Yet, with every leaked and stolen glimpse of the new Rolls-Royce, the ‘high-bodied’ vehicle only aroused the desire for more. The Rolls-Royce Cullinan has effortlessly cruised into humanity’s imagination and millionaire’s buying lists – even as it begins a journey that lives by the promise – ‘effortless everywhere’.

[Magma Red car]

THE DIMENSIONS: Length x Width x Height 5341 x 2164 x 1835 mm

Wheelbase 3295 mm, Turning circle 13.2 m, Boot volume 600 L, Unladen weight 2660 kg

THE PERFORMANCE: 6.75 L / 12 cylinder /48 valves

563 bhp @ 5000 rpm Max torque 850 Nm @ 1600 rpm Top speed: 250 kmph (governed, Fuel economy (company figures) 15 L/100 km, 1CO2 emissions: 341 g/km

The raison d’être in the words of the masterminds

“The super-luxury lifestyle is evolving and Rolls-Royce is in the lead. Luxury is no longer an urban concept. More and more it is about embracing and experiencing the wider world. Our customers expect to go everywhere in luxury, effortlessly and without compromise, conquering the most challenging terrain to enjoy life’s most enriching experiences, wherever they may be. For this reason, they have asked us to create a Rolls-Royce that offers uncompromised luxury wherever they dare to venture. Cullinan is that car. It is Effortless, Everywhere.”

– Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

“The label SUV is now applied to anything with a two-box silhouette and the least suggestion of going off tarmac. We envisioned an authentic, three-box high-bodied all-terrain car with a convention-challenging design and absolute capability that would satisfy the adventurous urges of our clients.”

– Giles Taylor, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“This landscape is savage, but this journey has been seamless. What’s unique is the ability to absorb the road without thought and simply let yourself get lost. You don’t so much drive as you do float and it seems to get almost smoother the faster you go. The turning and the grip are unreal, almost hugging the road and seeming to glide above it. Sometimes making pictures is as much about getting there as it is about the image itself.”

– Cory Richards, National Geographic photographer who set out in the Cullinan on The Final Challenge across Scotland, the UAE and the USA.

5 facts about the essential Cullinan

• The first “three-box” car in the SUV-sector. Cullinan’s partition wall creates a distinct environment for passengers, separated from the luggage compartment
• The second new Rolls-Royce to sit on the all-new aluminium ‘Architecture of Luxury’, Cullinan is the most technologically advanced, and only purpose-built, luxury SUV in the world.
• Mercilessly punished to survive all over the planet, Cullinan is an incredibly capable off-roader that sees the development of the ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ for off-road enjoyment, without sacrificing any Rolls-Royce on-road behaviour.
• Cullinan offers a suite of bespoke features, including the Viewing Suite and the Recreation Module, developed specifically to celebrate the various interests of its owners.
• The 6.75 litre twin-turbo V12 Rolls-Royce engine delivers 563bhp/420kW and 850Nm/627lb ft of torque to the all-new all-wheel drive, all-wheel steer system needed to overcome any challenge.

The beginnings

When Rolls-Royce announced three years ago that it would launch Cullinan, it did so in the knowledge that its customers around the world had asked it to build “The Rolls-Royce of SUVs.” Many of these customers were younger, very successful high-net-worth individuals who are heavily engaged in the experience economy, and wanted a Rolls-Royce that would take them to the ends of the Earth in ultimate luxury.

What they didn’t want was a vehicle as ubiquitous as an SUV with compromises such as increased cabin noise due to the “two-box” formula; shared platforms that affect performance and comfort; the choice of being good either on-road or off-road; or a lower, more featureless SUV that blends in and becomes just another car. “Cullinan is luxury in its purest form blended with perfect practicality and off -road capability,” comments Müller-Ötvös. “Effortless, Everywhere is not just the promise behind Cullinan. It’s the fact.”

For the first time a Rolls-Royce has an opening tailgate, which it calls ‘The Clasp’. It keeps luggage out of the area that is reserved for rear passengers. ‘The Clasp’ opens and closes in its two sections automatically at the touch of the key fob button. The rear passenger compartment of Cullinan has been designed to offer the best seat in the house for the owner’s particular needs. Two rear configurations are offered – Lounge Seats or Individual Seats.

With space for three passengers in the rear, lounge seating will likely be more attractive to families. As for storage, the rear seats also fold down – a first for Rolls-Royce – in a number of configurations. One press sees each backrest effortlessly fold down, whist at the same time moving the headrests upwards to avoid making an imprint on the seat cushion. This creates a flat load area or a split-seat configuration.

The difference is in the thinking

Only Rolls-Royce can think about certain detail, because no one can afford to think about perfection as the Rolls-Royce can. Which is why, every feature in the new Rolls-Royce too is actually each a seamless experience waiting to unfold. Here are some examples.

The rear compartment or boot area offers a standard 560 litres of space, growing to 600 with the parcel shelf removed. Furthermore, the base of the rear seats sit higher than the boot floor, so even with both rear seats folded, the items in the boot cannot slip forward and are safely contained, unlike in any other SUV. But for those wishing to carry a long item back from their trip – whether it be a Mark Rothko from the Art Gallery of a newly discovered artefact from the latest archaeological dig – a loading length of 2245mm and load capacity of 1930 litres is accessed by electronically raising the boot floor to meet the seat base, allowing the item to slide through effortlessly. For trivia sake, the loading length is longer than a Range Rover Vogue Extended Wheelbase.

The two individual rear seats are separated by a Fixed Rear Centre Console incorporating a drinks cabinet with Rolls-Royce whisky glasses and decanter, champagne flutes and refrigerator. Moreover, the rear seats can move in a number of planes to offer flexibility in comfort. One of the best examples of Rolls-Royce thinking is the level of ultimate luxury in this configuration of Cullinan, creating the first truly “three-box” SUV. Inspired by the age when one never travelled with ones luggage, a glass partition isolates the passenger cabin from the luggage compartment, creating an inner ecosystem for the occupants. Besides class-leading silence within the sealed cabin, thanks to the glass partition wall, the occupants can remain in optimum temperature even when the luggage compartment stands open.

Thought has gone into maintaining effortlessness of access. From its high-bodied majesty, Cullinan lowers itself by 40mm to make entry effortless. The doors are sealed shut at the press of a button too. One touch of the sensor on the exterior door handles also will see the doors automatically close themselves from outside. The start button then elevates Cullinan 40mm to its standard, commanding ride height.

The reverse of access happens when the passengers alight, still enjoying the fruits of the marque’s extraordinary way of keeping the customer at the centre. Alighting on to the wild, the occupants needn’t get their trousers or trousseau dirty as both front and rear coach doors wrap low under the sill of Cullinan, ensuring that all dirt remains of the outside of the door. So while alighting, the ankles don’t scrape the dirty part of the running board.

Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Adventure awaits

Despite all the luxury arrangements within, Cullinan is designed as a driver’s car, as announced by its thicker, smaller steering wheel. It is no surprise its rim is heated and so are the seats heated and ventilated.

Besides the ‘Spirit of Ecstasy controller’ on the central console, touch controls the central information screen in a Rolls-Royce for the first time. The driver can easily select functions, map views and vehicle set-up whilst on the trail. The console is also home to the ‘Off-Road’ button, Hill Descent Control button and Air Suspension height adjustment controls.

The most technologically advanced car of its kind

The driving equipment is supported by a whole array of technologies: Night Vision and Vision Assist including daytime and night-time; Wildlife & Pedestrian warning; Alertness Assistant; a 4-Camera system with Panoramic View, all-round visibility and helicopter view; Active Cruise Control; Collision Warning; Cross-Traffic Warning; Lane Departure and Lane Change Warning; an industry leading 7×3 High-Resolution Head-Up Display; WiFi hotspot; the latest Navigation and Entertainment Systems.

The rear seat is the most privileged balcony in the world, in a manner of speaking. Sitting higher than those in the front, Rolls-Royce’s Pavilion Seating allows grandstand views of the surroundings thanks to the large glazed area of Cullinan’s side windows and industry-leading panoramic glass roof.

Support tech includes a locator in the rear through a touchscreen map, and five USB charging ports around the cabin as well as wirelessly charging of mobiles in the front.

“The proposition of this car is an engineering masterpiece, its off-road capability, whilst maintaining the world-famous ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ of Rolls –Royce.”

– Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

One life, many lifestyles

Planning a far-flung trip and driving to the remote location are all part of an adventure in an unexplored destination. Upon getting there, further enjoyment awaits in the shape of a Rolls-Royce Recreation Module. The legendary concierge of luxury has the provision to commission several recreational modules to suit the Rolls-Royce owner’s pursuits.

Fly fishing, photography, rock climbing, snowboarding, parascending, kite boarding, base jumping, volcano boarding or simply sitting and taking in the view, anything is possible thanks to the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective. Each Recreation Module contains a motorised drawer housing the equipment and paraphernalia specific to each pursuit, and fits nicely into the boot of Cullinan, waiting to present itself when the owner is ready for it.