FINEST CUT FOR THE ROUGH Text and photos by Kap Maceda Aguila
YOKOHAMA, Japan — The uberwealthy now have another reason to be uber-happy. With the release of the Cullinan, Rolls-Royce has formally, decisively, and dramatically entered the sport-utility vehicle market.
“Together with the Dawn and Wraith, the Cullinan provides a third emotional component to our lineup,” said Paul Harris, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars regional director for Asia Pacific, at a press preview of the SUV here.
The UK car maker makes no bones about the significance of its first sport-ute in its more than a century of making the most luxurious of cars. Named after the world’s largest gem- quality rough diamond ever found, the Cullinan was systematically and deliberately developed over some of the harshest of environments, such as the Scottish highlands, ice-blanketed passes of the Austrian Alps, and sand dunes of the Arabian peninsula.
All- wheel drive and allwheel steering lend further confidence and credence to an already compelling, 6.75- liter, 48-valve, twin- turbo V12 engine generating a stout 563 hp and 850 Nm. Designers and engineers made sure the Cullinan looks every inch a Rolls- Royce — with the signature long hood and an execution of the familiar Parthenon grille.
In exclusive interview, Mr. Harris admitted to BusinessWorld; “We had to make sure that [ getting in the segment] was right for us, and we wanted to do it in the right way.” He continued that the Cullinan had “bookends” of the SUV market — the “ultimate luxury” of the vaunted “magic carpet” ride, and an incredible capability and competency off road.