When you're in the market for a Rolls Royce, you're not looking for a car that you can take off-roading, you're looking for the epitome of class and luxury bundled into a vehicle.
While it does fit into that luxurious category, it turns out that the Rolls Royce Cullinan can perform reasonably well when it leaves the tarmac. And although 99% of Cullinans won't be leaving the sticky stuff, it is impressive to see the SUV in action.
Simplicity seems to be the theme in the Cullinan, as you only need to press one button, and everything off-road is taken care of. One press of the 'Off-Road' button raises the suspension by 44mm and turns all the required assists on/off as needed.
Elizabeth Williams, Communications Manager for Rolls Royce America, explains that this theme of effortlessness is key across the whole Rolls Royce line-up.
"Our customers are looking for a vehicle that they don't have to make 50,000 adjustments before they can drive in an appropriate manner, it's very simple, but it still has everything that you could possibly need."
In 'Off-Road Mode' the air suspension is constantly working to keep the body clear of obstacles, and the four-wheel steering helps the SUV move around difficult obstacles. Another thing to note is how quiet the SUV is while it is bouncing over rocks and through mud puddles, something that Rolls Royce pride themselves on.
Despite the Cullinan sitting on 22-inch wheels wrapped in summer tyres, it seems to handle the terrain reasonably well. Although it wasn't the most extreme track, there's something about watching a $500,000 Rolls Royce drop violently into a mud puddle that makes us wince.
Now that we've seen the Cullinan off-road, it would be interesting to see how the Lamborghini Urus fears on that same trail.