Rolls-Royce cars live for the spotlight and in the high-end luxury car market, two of those spotlight events stand out – the August-hosted Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and BMW Classic’s Concorso d’Eleganza in the beautiful Lake Como area. At this year’s event hosted in the Italian Alps, BMW and Rolls-Royce have decided to wow their visitors with some special products, from the World Premiere: BMW Motorrad Concept 9cento to the Concept M8 Gran Coupe and of course, the all-new and a first for the Brits, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

The ultra-luxurious SUV had its soft launch just a few days ago and now, for the first time, it was displayed to the general public. Named after the largest diamond ever discovered, one which now resides in the British Crown Jewels, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan is a high-bodied, all-terrain luxury car.

The front end’s layout is similar to the eighth-generation Phantom’s, but everything is blockier, bulkier. The chrome grille is a bit more understated than the Phantom’s, yet out back, the Cullinan’s D-pillar is just as beefy. The spoiler is very obviously for slipping through the wind, and quite unique for a Rolls.

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is built on the brand’s all-aluminum “Architecture of Luxury” platform, the same one on which the Phantom VIII is built. According to Rolls-Royce, the Cullinan is the first-ever “three-box” SUV in the segment. A glass partition wall separates the passengers from the rear luggage compartment, in an attempt to isolate the rear passengers from their cargo.

Though shorter by over 400 mm and higher (by nearly 200mm) than the new Phantom, the Cullinan is still a very big car against the standard length Bentley Bentayga and the extended wheelbase Range Rover. The Cullinan’s quoted kerb weight is 2660kg, 100kg more than the Phantom’s official figure and 200kg more than the Bentley.

Rear seat passengers will be treated to either one of two seat configurations; Lounge Seats or Individual Seats. If you decide to choose the Individual Seats for the rear, you get two thrones, separated by a “Fixed Rear Centre Console”, which offers a drinks cabinet filled with whiskey glasses and decanter, as well as champagne flutes and refrigerator.

Under the skin lies a very similar configuration to the new Phantom VIII. Powering the Cullinan is the same 6.75 liter twin-turbocharged V12 as the Phantom and it makes the same 563 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque. Paired to that engine is an eight-speed automatic gearbox and a Rolls Royce-specific all-wheel drive system.

In the gallery below, you will get to enjoy not only the beauty of the Cullinan, but also the scenery at Villa d’Este.