The fact that companies like Rolls-Royce and Ferrari succumb to making an SUV should tell you a lot about the pressures big companies have to face. Anyway, the Cullinan has been around for about six years now, and the British car maker thought it was time to give it a mid life-cycle facelift. So here we are, with the Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II. Oh wait, there’s also a Black Badge version as well.
It seems like the V12 is making a rather dramatic comeback, but that’s a story for another day. The Cullinan Series II retains its 6.75-litre V12 powertrain, with 563 bhp and 86.67 kgm of torque on offer. In its Black Badge guise, these figures go up to 591 bhp and 91.77 kgm. All of this is channelled to all four wheels via the 8-speed automatic transmission.
Rolls-Royce says a key theme in the Cullinan’s design is verticality, inspired by the skyscrapers in big cities. The headlights have been slightly restyled, and now receive an L-shaped DRL strip. The front bumper has been restyled as well, featuring slanted air-intakes forming a V-shape, which is said to be inspired by the sharp bow lines of a modern yacht. Taking a cue from the Spectre, the Cullinan now features an illuminated Pantheon grille. At the rear, there are now polished steel surrounds at the exhaust pipes, along with a brushed stainless steel skid plate, while the bumper is also completely new as well.
The Cullinan Series II now rides on 23-inch wheels, milled from a billet of aluminium, and there is also a new Emperado Truffle paint scheme on offer; a solid grey-brown shade combined with the Bespoke ‘Crystal Over’ finish, a lacquer infused with glass particles. Rolls-Royce says this gives the Cullinan ‘a subtle shimmer reminiscent of fresh snow under morning light.’
Inside, the Cullinan features a full-width glass panel, housing the touch-screen infotainment system and the digital instrument cluster. The infotainment system now runs on RR’s in-house Spirit OS, and the passenger-side display takes cues from the Spectre, featuring a cityscape graphic inspired by the skyscrapers of a city at night. RR says this is created using a specially-developed technique, in which 7,000 dots are laser-etched onto the rear of the darkened and toughened security glass, each at minutely differing angles and dimensions to create the perception of depth. Of course, it being a Rolls, you can get in touch with the designers and have the motif of your choice on that panel. There is also a new clock cabinet featuring an analogue clock and a Spirit of Ecstasy figurine. The personalization levels have also gone up, with the Cullinan Series II gaining a new palette inspired by botanicals.
There’s no word on when the 2024 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II and the Black Badge will arrive in India. However, be prepared to whip out your cheque books.
