Even Rolls Royce is not averse to following market trends from time to time, hence the introduction of its first SUV, the Cullinan. It's even got a mini bar.
Obviously it won’t come cheap – somewhere in the region of €500,000 – but you will get a mini bar fitted between the rear seats. It's the details that count with a car like this.
For the launch, Rolls Royce returned to the Midland Hotel in Manchester where Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce first met in 1904 to establish Rolls-Royce. Lord knows what they would think of their original car brand creating this toy for oligarchs and the like 114 years later.
The Cullinan is, as you might expect – big. It weighs in at 2,600 kg and for that you need a big engine. It’s 6.75-litre V12 that produces oodles of power and will have an equally thirsty capacity of about 15 litres of fuel per 100 km, or about 18 miles to the gallon in old money.
The interior is what makes the car different from any other SUV that has gone before it.
But it’s the interior that really reinforces the RR credentials – there is a choice of 18 different colours of leather, eight different interior finishes and nine carpet colours.
For the launch, Rolls Royce returned to the Midland Hotel in Manchester where Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce first met in 1904 to establish Rolls-Royce. Lord knows what they would think of their original car brand creating this toy for oligarchs and the like 114 years later.
But the Cullinan is not just for oligarchs, however. Apparently the new RR dealership in Manchester is one of the top 10 performing outlets globally. Could it be anything to do with the presence in the area of some of the highest paid sportsmen in the world - Premier League players ?
"We knew we had to offer our clients what they couldn’t find in the SUV market," says Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of RR. "They do not accept limitations or compromises in their lives. They are the new pioneers, and for them it’s about their sense of adventure and daring in how they live their experiences. This approach to life demands a motor car that can go-anywhere in ultimate luxury and style – Rolls-Royce style. Hence Cullinan."
And the Cullinan is'nt just a toy, apparently.
Rolls Royce says "a press of a button unleashes Cullinan’s full off-road capability. All-wheel drive actively engages, providing uninterrupted torque to all four wheels for precise, reliable performance on dry, wet, snowy or icy surfaces. Suspension raises 40mm. Brake and acceleration responses adapt for greater control and comfort. Once engaged, the off-road setting can be finessed for optimum performance on any terrain, gradient or surface quality."
Not quite what you expect from a car designed to be driven off-road.
And the mini bar ? Well, it's even got customised RR glassware. It and the rest of the interior make me wonder just how far off road Cullinan owners will ever take this car.
