The 2019 Cullinan breaks a lot of new ground for Rolls-Royce. It is the first Rolls to have all-wheel drive, the first with a hatchback, and—in a more modest step forward—the first to use touchscreens for its infotainment system. Yet all that fades into insignificance next to the most obvious difference between this and every other vehicle Rolls has made throughout its 112-year history: This is the company’s first SUV. The production version is keeping its development code name, Cullinan being the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found. With V-12 power and a price that we’re told will eclipse all its obvious rivals’, that model name seems appropriate. In what we can only assume is a knowing reference to Get Shorty, company CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös says it is the “Rolls-Royce of SUVs.”
The 2019 Cullinan is Rolls-Royce's first foray into the premium luxury SUV class.Part of the first Cullinan generation introduced for 2019.
Pros Unmistakable Rolls-Royce presence Interior craftsmanship is unparalleled An abundance of power from a turbocharged V12 Endless customization options
Cons Prohibitively expensive, even for the class Styling is awkward and bulky from many angles
Like its recently reborn Range Rover siblings, the Discovery switches to aluminium construction – 85% of the body-in-white is made of the stuff – which means big weight savings; the lightest Disco 5 is 480kg lighter than the lightest 4 and stiffer too, although it still pushes the scales to 2.1 tonnes. It's no flyweight.There’s magnesium in the nose, higher-strength aluminium in key safety zones and steel subframes; Land Rover says the latter mean more load space and a better centre of gravity. Rear end aside, arguably, it looks good on the road, the interior is comfortable and smart as well as life-swallowingly practical and the driving experience is fit to deal with almost anything you can throw at it. It’s far from being a cheap car, but it’s also ready to be your only car.