Five Fancy Features Of The 2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan

The waiting for the Rolls-Royce Cullinan are over. The British automaker has launched its first SUV, a vehicle with super-luxury credentials and equally impressive off-road chops.

It’s based on the Phantom platform, but is basically new from the ground up, giving it a bespoke look and feel that’s completely different from anything Rolls-Royce has done before. Still, the Cullinan is inseparable from the Rolls-Royce identity. Anyone with working eyes will know exactly what brand this SUV hails from.

Here are five features we think set the Cullinan apart from the competition.

Everywhere Mode

The full-time 4WD system lacks a traditional low-range gear set, but makes up for it with the “Everywhere” button. As its name suggests, the driver simply has to engage this off-road mode and the Cullinan’s computers do the rest. Rolls-Royce says the Cullinan even boasts the segment’s deepest fording depth (540 mm) thanks to the adaptable air-ride suspension. It seems Rolls isn’t classifying the Range Rover as a competitor, since it can ford a shirt-soaking 900 mm, or 33.5 inches.

Nevertheless, the Cullinan will blaze trails no other Rolls-Royce could dare venture. The SUV uses the familiar 6.75-liter V-12 found in the Phantom, though the twin-turbo engine has been reworked and kicks out an impressive 563 horsepower and a stump-pulling 627 pound-feet of torque. That is more than adequate for hauling this 5,864-pound SUV up any mountain it wants.

Magic Carpet Ride

The 2019 Cullinan utilizes a unibody architecture shared with the Phantom, while its suspension is uniquely designed to handle both tarmac and off-road poundings. Rolls-Royce claims its famous “Magic Carpet Ride” is maintained no matter what terrain the luxury SUV find itself traversing.

Much credit can be given to the self-leveling air suspension. These adaptive dampers not only raise the height in Everywhere Mode, but also actively work to smooth the ride. For example, if the sensors detect a tire losing traction, that wheel’s air damper instantaneously applies more pressure to improve grip. On the road, the Cullinan’s independent front and five-link rear suspension offer a smooth ride that’s void of any boat-like tossing.

Glass Partition

Since sharing the same air with luggage is for the hoi polloi, Rolls-Royce added a glass partition behind the second row in the Individual Seat configuration. This completely separates the passenger cabin from the luggage compartment, preventing air and dust from annoying the passengers.

So, regardless of whether the chauffeur is loading the luggage compartment in a parking garage or howling dust storm, those sitting in the power-operated and reclining second-row seats can breathe ease while pouring whiskey from the Rolls-Royce-branded decanter into equally branded glasses.

Customers favoring functionality over luxury can opt for the second-row bench seat. This configuration allows for more cargo space with the 40/20/40-split bench folded flat – but you’ll be missing on that oh-so-very classy feature.

Recreation Modules

When functionality is held in high esteem, Cullinan customers can commission Rolls-Royce to build custom “recreation modules” that easily slide into the cargo area. They can fit whatever activity imaginable, from fly-fishing and photography to snowboarding and kite surfing, all with a motorized drawer that deploys when needed. There is even a recreation module with twin seats – perfect for viewing sunsets over a seawall cliff out past the beaten trail.

Diamond Namesake

Rolls’ first-even SUV is named after the Cullinan diamond, the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found. The diamond was minded in Cullinan, South Africa in 1905 and weighed 621.35 grams, had a carat value of 3,106.75, and would be worth an estimated $400 million in today’s money. The massive diamond was split apart in 1908 and nine smaller diamonds were formed. Royalty from around the world ended up with several pieces, with the two largest now belonging to Britain’s Crown Jewels. “We found it’s a very suitable name for our car being that it’s kind of a diamond in the rough”, Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös commented.