Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Car type	SUV/truck
Curb weight	2660 Kg (5864 lbs)
Introduced	2018
Origin country	United Kingdom

Powertrain specs

Engine type	V12 DOHC
Displacement	6.7 l (6749 cc)
Power	571 PS (563 bhp / 420 KW) @ 5000 rpm
Torque	850 N-m (627 lb-ft) @ 1600 rpm
Power / liter	85 ps (83 HP)
Power / weight	215 PS (212 bhp)/ t
Torque / weight	320 N-m (236 lb-ft)/ t
Transmission	8 speed ZF automatic
Layout	Front engine, All wheel drive

While most Americans are busy growing the sea of faceless crossovers, the country's richest residents are luxuriating in the literal Rolls-Royce of SUVs. Once the exorbitant Cullinan went on sale, the company synonymous with wealth presumably got wealthier. Its first-ever SUV became its best-selling model and a fashion accessory for one-percenters. It's powered by an effortless twin-turbo V-12 engine and floats on an adjustable air suspension. The cabin is pure bliss, with supremely comfortable seats and generous passenger space. The environment can be enhanced even further with myriad personalization options. Without doubt, the 2020 Rolls-Royce Cullinan is the fanciest SUV on the planet, and that's why it costs a small fortune.

The 2020 Rolls Royce Cullinan can now be ordered with leather to match its optional Viewing Suite and all-new Sanctuary Seats. These upgraded rear thrones add extra padding and a power-adjustable calf rest on the right rear seat. Although these options sound as if they're from some Feng Shui theater, just remember that Rolls-Royce customers prefer to be pampered on another level. Of course, only the grandest Cullinans will have the newly available leather floormats and piano-white veneer.

Rolls-Royce Cullinan Engine, Transmission, and Performance

Its Twin-Turbo 6.7 liter V12 provides 563 effortless horsepower and runs as whisper-quiet as you would expect, lest it disturb the VIPs in its cabin. In our testing, we recorded a zero-to-60-mph time of just 4.5 seconds—impressive for a large SUV that weighs as much as the Cullinan does (around three tons, based on our scales). An electrified powertrain is rumored to join the lineup later, but for now Rolls-Royce's V12 engine is the sole offering. All-wheel drive is standard, although we suspect buyers will never venture off the tarmac. The Cullinan rides on an air suspension that automatically adjusts its height using a road-scanning camera; ride comfort is beyond the standards of regular luxury vehicles, and it wafts down the road transmitting nothing unpleasant to the interior.

Rolls-Royce Cullinan Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

The EPA estimates that the 2020 Cullinan's V-12 powertrain will consume 12 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway. Believe it or not, those figures aren't the worst in its class. The V-12 Bentley Bentayga is expected to earn 12 mpg city and 17 highway while the Mercedes-AMG G63 is rated at 13 mpg city and 15 highway. We tested the Cullinan on our 75-mph fuel-economy route, and it beat its highway rating by 1 mpg (21 total) in the real world.

Rolls-Royce Cullinan Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

The spacious cabin is lined in box-grain leather, lambs-wool carpeting, beautiful wood trim, and milled-aluminum accents. For an even higher level of luxury, Rolls-Royce will customize almost every part of the Cullinan's already lavish interior with whatever delights the buyer can imagine. The exterior is classic Rolls-Royce, but its liftgate configuration allows for the addition of a pair of leather-wrapped seats and a picnic table that pop out of the Cullinan's tailgate—this is by far the most luxurious way to take in a polo match at the country estate. Even though building an SUV is a clear break from tradition for the storied British brand, it's still an uncompromised Rolls-Royce in every way.