The Cullinan competes in a rarified segment since the Ferrari Purosangue is the only other twelve-cylinder SUV. The Volkswagen Group killed the V12 diesel-powered Audi Q7 many moons ago, while the W12 Bentley Bentayga went away not that long ago. The AMG G65 is long gone, and so is the Lamborghini LM002. If you want the large-displacement engine under the hood, time is running out. RR will go completely electric around 2030.
In the meantime, it’s business as usual for the BMW Group-owned brand headquartered in Goodwood. The Rolls-Royce of SUVs received a striking facelift year this year when it gained the “Series II” suffix. This marketing jargon is RR’s equivalent of BMW’s Life Cycle Impulse (LCI). Only now a full set of images from the press launch in June has been published. Painted in daring colors, the opulent luxobarge poses for the camera in beautiful Ibiza.
Looking like a Stormtrooper following the unusual front redesign, the Cullinan remains as imposing as ever. To make an even bigger splash, the ultra-posh SUV is now available with massive 23-inch wheels from the factory. Equally attention-grabbing is the large pantheon grille, which lights up on the Series II.
Rolls-Royce is also offering a closer look at the hotter Black Badge version, identifiable by its darker accents. It uses the same venerable twin-turbo, 6.75-liter V12 engine as the standard model but dialed up to 591 hp and 900 Nm (664 lb-ft). The regular model is no slouch, either, at 563 hp and 850 Nm (627 lb-ft) from the same BMW N74 engine the M760i had.
Interior images remind us that the mid-cycle update has not significantly changed the Cullinan. However, the digital instrument and infotainment have been improved, and there are even more customization options.
Since the facelift was released this year, expect the first-generation Cullinan to remain on sale until closer to the end of the decade. Unless plans change, its successor will be entirely electric.
Source: Rolls-Royce
