When Rolls Royce first announced it would be creating an SUV, it was a decision met with quite a bit of hesitation. “An SUV, from Rolls Royce?” The famous British brand has been largely considered to be the pinnacle of luxury and class. So an SUV, which is supposed to be a bit utilitarian by nature, seems a bit brash for the folks in Goodwood. However, Rolls Royce is adamant that it will create an SUV that is distinctly a Rolls Royce. It will have class.
We’ve seen spy photos of the new Rolls Royce Cullinan, its upcoming SUV, before. From these spy photos, we can tell that it’s big, it’s brash and it’s certainly a Rolls. Every typical RR design element is there — the massive upright grille, the squinty headlights and the slowly sweeping roofline are all present. It’s most certainly a Rolls Royce product. Well, some new spy photos have emerged that show off the front end without camouflage on. Admittedly, there’s still not much we can see, as most of the car is covered in a tarp of some kind, but you can see some details, such as the shape of the headlights, the horizontal LED fog-lights underneath and some large air intakes below those.
This specific car also seems to have some crash-testing decals on it. Those yellow and black decals look like the ones seen on a car right before it’s sent into a steel wall, with crash dummies being tortured inside. Considering that each of these Cullinans will cost over $300,000, the thought of crash testing one makes me uneasy.
While it looks a bit odd seeing the Spirit of Ecstasy on such a brash and utilitarian vehicle, it actually makes a bit of sense. Rolls Royce has always been about being the ultimate in luxury. Modern-day customers find that a higher seating position, more space, and the ability to traverse some gravely pavement that SUVs can afford them to be more luxurious than anything else. It’s the reason why Ranger Rovers do so incredibly well. And if that is what luxury customers want, why not give it to them?
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