Rolls-Royce has been attracting a lot of attention lately. Having revealed what seems to be the most expensive car ever in the shape of the Sweptail, Rolls-Royce has big plans for the near future as well with the launch of the Phantom and a new all-terrain vehicle in 2019.
Project Cullinan, as it’s known around enthusiast circles, will not be the SUV we all know, but rather a luxurious all-terrain car. According to Car Advice, speaking to the brand’s global client sales manager for the Asia Pacific division, Ian Grant, at a recent showroom launch in Australia, Project Cullinan will reach completion in 2019. Built atop the same platform as the upcoming Phantom, the two cars will be using extensive amounts of aluminum to try and bring down their respective weights.
The Cullinan however will be offered with AWD which will probably be based on the xDrive all-wheel drive system of parent company BMW. Furthermore, since the Phantom is getting all-wheel steering chances are we’ll get to see that feature on the SUV as well, for better maneuverability around town. The size of the car will be its most imposing feature though, as Grant puts it, hinting at an accordingly inflated price tag as well: “We don’t chase volume. We’re not going smaller, we’re not going cheaper. Larger is certainly the way we’re heading.”
As far as pricing goes, the high-riding Rolls will most likely be on par with the Phantom but since 90 percent of the cars wearing the Spirit of Ecstasy are bespoke models, it’s hard to say how much a customer car will actually cost. We’ll find out nonetheless once the car is revealed in about two years’ time.
