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Rolls-Royce has long been calling its upcoming SUV the ‘Cullinan Project’ as a nod to a famous 3,106-carat diamond found more than 100 years ago in a South African mine … and the nickname has stuck.
The luxury marque has announced that it will be named Cullinan and will be built on the company’s new aluminium architecture, a staple of the maker’s design process going forward.
Set to be fully unveiled later this year, Rolls Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös explained why the name was fitting. “The new Rolls-Royce Cullinan has undertaken a fascinating journey,” he said.
“The vehicle has been tested in deserts in Africa and the Middle East, the snowy environs of the Arctic Circle and the grassy glens of the Scottish Highlands.
“The name Cullinan has been hiding in plain sight since we revealed it as the project name some years ago. It is the most fitting name for our extraordinary new product. Cullinan is a motor-car of such clarity of purpose, such flawless quality and preciousness, and such presence that it recalibrates the scale and possibility of true luxury.
“Just like the Cullinan Diamond, the largest flawless diamond ever found, it emerges when it is perfect and exists above all others.
“We were inspired by the epic processes, over many millennia, which went into the creation of the Cullinan Diamond. As such, the name embodies the many facets of our new motor car’s promise.”
The Cullinan has been described as a high-sided all-terrain vehicle. The drive train will be on a 4x4 drivetrain coupled to an automatic transmission. The Cullinan uses a unique chassis platform, body, interior, and retains traditional Rolls-Royce design cues.
Final assembly, including all body, paint, wood, and leather work, will be completed to each customer’s individual specification at the Goodwood plant located in Goodwood, West Sussex, UK, close to the historic Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit.
The cost of the car has yet to be announced, but industry analysts expect a minimum starting price of around BD113,000 rising up to BD230,000 depending on bespoke options.
