Rolls-Royce to show new Cullinan SUV in 'closed-room' events
Wed, Jan 24 2018
Rolls-Royce plans a series of closed-room events starting this summer to show off its upcoming ultra-luxury SUV to potential buyers ahead of its expected unveiling in late summer.
Codenamed the Cullinan and described by the company as an "all-terrain, high-sided vehicle," the SUV is Rolls-Royce's answer to ultra-luxury competitors like the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini's new Urus. It's expected to nudge the brand's vehicle sales past 5,000 a year after sales in 2017 fell 16 percent to 3,362, Automotive News reports. Engineers are now finalizing the handling of the vehicle on Germany's Nurburgring track.
The Cullinan bears the luxury brand's signature long hood, vertical-slatted grille and upright, block-like fascia. It will be built on the same aluminum platform as the Phantom and is also likely to share the 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12 that makes 563 horsepower and and eight-speed automatic transmission, only in all-wheel-drive.
Sales are expected to start near the end of the year with deliveries beginning in 2019.
Related Video:
By Sven Gustafson
See also: New Rolls-Royce Cullinan spied with production-spec lighting, Bloodhound hits 210 mph in test for land speed record run, Rolls-Royce Cullinan test car takes the wheel — from a BMW 3 Series.