Our artist's impression of 2018 Rolls-Royce SUV (R.Varicak/Motor Forecast)
► Rolls SUV is go! Here in late 2018
► New aluminium spaceframe architecture
► 4 or 5 seats, priced in excess of €300,000
In an open letter published on 18 February, Rolls-Royce chairman Peter Schwarzenbauer and chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös confirmed the development of 'an all-new Rolls-Royce with exceptional presence, elegance and purpose.' In the works is 'a high-bodied car with an all-new aluminium architecture... that can cross any terrain.'
Yep, you read that right. we can now confirm that the Rolls crossover has been approved. CAR magazine first revealed the posh 4x4 back in our March 2013 issue.
For more than two years, the British luxury marque has been evaluating the opportunities of a top-notch SUV positioned above even 2016's Bentley Bentayga. And today, they've finally taken the plunge and committed to it publicly.
Rolls-Royce's SUV: project Cullinan
Codenamed Cullinan - after the biggest diamond ever found - the new off-roader marks the arrival of the third RR model line.
'It is worth knowing that this is not a derivative of an up-market BMW X,' Klaus Fröhlich, the group's freshly appointed board member in charge of R&D tells CAR. 'Instead, we are preparing a special vehicle which fuses unmistakable design with exceptional craftsmanship and a second-to-none driving experience.'
Like the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Phantom, final assembly of the still-nameless SUV (let's hope the badge is better than Bentayga!) will take place in Goodwood, in England's leafy west Sussex. To make room for an additional product, the capacity of the parent plant which employs more than 1500 workers will be extended without increasing the acreage.
In 2014, Rolls-Royce sold a little more than 4000 cars. The third model range is expected to boost the output to 6000 or 7000 units. That's a similar capacity to Italy's Ferrari, and would represent record output for Rolls.
'But this business is not about volume,' stresses Müller-Ötvös. 'For a luxury goods manufacturer like us, raising the volume can actually be counter-productive. That's why it would be strategically wrong to aim for five digits.'
Why four-wheel drive could become the Rolls norm
The Cullinan will be the first Rolls equipped with four-wheel drive, but it won't be the last. It's based on a new aluminium spaceframe architecture distinct from BMW's SUVs. This approach is said to facilitate small production runs, one-offs, minor changes and a clear dissociation from the upcoming 2015 7-series and the X7.
This will be a huge SUV, stretching to 5500mm long and rolling on 22in rims. Yet BMW top brass promises it'll offer '90% of the off-road capability of a Range Rover.' That's some claim.
When the noble high-roof Rolls comes to market in late 2018 or early 2019, the only available engine will be an iteration of the faithful V12 (N74) which BMW keeps updating almost exclusively for its luxury brand. Unlike Ghost and Wraith, which will over time be fitted with a high output 694bhp twelve-ender, the sumptuous off-roader is likely to feature a 626bhp version capable of producing up to 1000Nm, or 768lb ft, of torque - which is bound to put even the reinforced eight-speed automatic to the real test.
Should Rolls-Royce branch out into SUVs? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
