Tomorrow, Rolls-Royce will reveal their first SUV. It's been something on the company's radar — and the tip of the tongue of many a journo — for the best part of nearly 18 months now. But until this point, all we've seen are cleverly camouflaged editions of the large Sport Utility.
Perhaps until now.
Images have appeared online (showing up first on Instagram), claiming to be of the new Cullinan. It's natural in these instances to be cynical about the authenticity of such pictures. The poster curiously claims that Rolls-Royce have contacted him asking to have the images taken down, which gives them legitimacy if true. And on top of that, the pictures themselves look like everything you'd expect from a typical Rolls-Royce press kit.
The exterior also appears to match that of the camouflaged examples; tall, square, and sporting much of Rolls-Royce's signature design elements. There's an unmistakable grill, a tasteful array of chrome highlights, and a 'Spirit of Ecstacy' hood ornament proudly placed at the edge of the bonnet.
The doors are also of the trendy 'suicide' variety, though this was already known given the location of the door handles. As a visual package, the Cullinan is best described as ... uhh ... an acquired taste.
Inside, a unique colour-combination interior greets — white leather over splashes of wood and vaguely aquatic green. Given these leaked images come with no further info it's hard to take note of what other features may lurk within, but a concealed infotainment screen appears to hint at a motorized display similar to that in the upcoming Bentley Continental GT replacement.
Speaking of doors, the rear bootlid appears to offer a pair of proper chairs. No more sitting perched on a tailgate — owners will be able to relax on their two seats, with a dainty little table in the centre for their beer stubbies (okay ... wine flutes).
What we should expect to hear a lot about overnight is some kind of trick all-wheel drive system. The Cullinan was reportedly developed across various forms of tricky terrain, from the Middle East to the Arctic Circle.
“This is an incredibly exciting moment in the development of Project Cullinan both for Rolls-Royce and for the patrons of luxury that follow us around the world,” said Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Torsten Müller-Ötvös in late 2016.
“Bringing together the new four-wheel drive system and the new ‘architecture of luxury’ for the first time sets us on the road to creating a truly authentic Rolls-Royce which, like its forebears, will reset the standard by which all other luxury goods are judged.”
Them's fighting words.