Rolls Royce has released photos of its first-ever SUV, which is slated to go on sale sometime in 2018. Developed as Project Cullinan and formally dubbed an “all-terrain, high-sided vehicle” by the automaker, this ultra-lux go-anywhere transporter will be based the new aluminum architecture set for use on all future Rolls-Royce offerings.
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Despite its full body camouflage, it’s clear the prototype shares its exterior styling character with the current Phantom model – although we’ll have to wait until the next round of images to see exactly how Rolls rendered the Cullinan’s aft section. The first AWD vehicle ever produced by Rolls-Royce is expected to be fitted with a bespoke version of the Phantom’s naturally-aspirated 6.75-liter V12 engine, although there’s talk of both turbodiesel and hybrid variants at some point.
Rolls-Royce said on-road testing will start immediately with the goal of ensuring the production model will be “Effortless … Everywhere.” After Christmas, Project Cullinan development vehicles will head to the Arctic Circle for cold-weather testing with hot-weather testing in various Middle East desert venues scheduled for later in the year.
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“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,” noted Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “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.”
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