Gone are the days when the best seat in a Rolls-Royce was the one in the back. As the average age of Rolls-Royce clientele has dropped by over a decade (from 56 in 2010 to 43 in 2024), chauffeurs are out and owners are taking the wheel.
“In 2018, Cullinan reframed super-luxury motoring, enabling Rolls-Royce clients to experience the brand’s hallmark magic carpet ride regardless of the terrain and in every corner of the world,” said Chris Bronwirdge, CEO of Rolls-Royce. “In the six years since, Cullinan has attracted entirely new groups of clients to Rolls-Royce and profoundly altered perceptions of what a Rolls-Royce motor car is, and what it can mean to its owner. Cullinan Series II has been created to build on that success.”
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Six years after the debut of the original Cullinan, the British marque has given the super-luxury SUV a rather aggressive facelift, touching up the body, interior styling, and technology, while—thankfully—leaving the V12 unaltered.
The boxy silhouette of the Cullinan Series II remains unchanged from its predecessor, however the front fascia has been given a dramatic redesign. In a bid to appeal to a younger target market, the daytime running lights have been thinned out and streaked down to the lower bumper. While it’s likely intended to give the car a more dynamic appearance, we liken it to a handlebar moustache on a cartoon villain. Make of that what you will.
Up front, the bumper lines form a shallow ‘V’ shape which recalls the bow lines of contemporary sports yachts, with these complemented by lower air intakes that are angled outwards. For the first time, the marque’s signature Pantheon grille has been illuminated. In the dark, this combined with the ‘moustache’ daytime running lights makes for an…interesting sight.
The profile is made sleeker by way of a feature line leading from the taillight to the centre of the ‘RR’ centre caps on the rear wheel, making for a more tapered effect. Aside from smoother, more seamless lines on the back end, the most notable difference is the upsized wheels. The Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II now rides on 23-inch wheels, each milled from a billet of aluminium and featuring a three-dimensional faceted seven-spoke design available with a partial or fully polished finish.
The newcomer also sees the addition of a new paint finish. Titled ‘Emperador Truffle’, it’s inspired by veined brown marble and takes on a grey-brown tone which combines with the marque’s ‘Crystal Over’—a lacquer finish infused with glass particles—to create a subtle shimmery effect.
Stepping into the well-appointed cabin, you’ll find a new pillar-to-pillar glass panel fascia in the upper portion of the dashboard, which plays host to both impeccable physical craftsmanship and innovative digital technology. The gauge cluster panel and new permanently visible central information display in the centre of the fascia bring the British marque’s flair for bespoke customisation into the digital world, with clients able to tailor the colour of the instrument dials to complement the Cullinan Series II’s interior palette or exterior finish.
The new operating system also sees Whispers (the Rolls-Royce private members application) integrated into the vehicle, with members able to send directions to their car, view its location, and manage vehicle locking remotely through the app.
Backseat drivers are also kept sufficiently occupied during road trips, with the ability to connect two streaming devices to the rear screens, which also contain controls for seat functions such as massage, heating, and cooling. Internet connectivity allows for wi-fi hotspot connection and independent streaming for each screen, while the motor car;s 18-speaker Bespoke Audio system is complemented by the option to pair Bluetooth headphones with the rear seat infotainment system.
The interior material palette looks to nature. Influenced by botanicals, it features open-pore wood with a delicate shimmer, while rayon fabric made from bamboo (dubbed ‘Duality Twill’) is embroidered with an abstract graphic inspired by the interlocked R initials of the marque’s founders. The twill fabric is available in three shades—Lilac, Chocolate, and Black—with the option to select from 51 thread colours.
Inside, the Cullinan Series II is kept gliding by the same 6.75-litre V12 engine as its predecessor.
Pricing is yet to be announced, but expect it to sit comfortably at seven figures post-ORC.
Words by John Deckard