Rolls-Royce Refuses to Call Its Project Cullinan SUV an SUV

Jason Siu
by Jason Siu

Rolls-Royce is working on a luxury SUV, but the automaker won’t be calling it that.

In a recent interview with Motoring, the British automaker’s global product communications manager, Andrew Boyle, said Project Cullinan is a “high-sided vehicle,” and not an SUV. “SUV is not necessarily the right thing to call it because it’s not necessarily sports, it’s not necessarily utility,” he said. In other words, customers should expect the unexpected with Project Cullinan, which will possibly get a new name when it debuts.

It’s been widely believed that Rolls-Royce is working on a luxury SUV to take on the Bentley Bentayga, but the British automaker could change things up by making a high-riding, luxury wagon. “You’ll have to wait to see what we decide it should be, but I think you’ll find that it’ll be a different interpretation to what’s available today,” Boyle added.

SEE ALSO: The New Rolls-Royce SUV Could Look Like This

What we do know is that the new model will ride on a new scalable aluminum architecture that will also underpin the next Rolls-Royce Phantom. Both vehicles are expected to arrive in 2018, with the Phantom coming earlier in the year.

Boyle was hesitant to disclose whether the new Cullinan will be electrified, making it sound as if Rolls-Royce has yet to make a decision.

[Source: Motoring]

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Jason Siu
Jason Siu

Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.

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