Rolls-Royce Black Badge Cullinan Series II

Modern and sporty exterior design

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan, which was released in 2018, will likely be remembered as a historic turning point in future SUV history. The Range Rover, the original luxury SUV, was once known as the “Rolls of the Desert,” but with the release of the original Cullinan, that nickname became obsolete. Six years after its debut, the Cullinan underwent a minor change in the summer of 2024. Rolls itself calls this revised version of the Cullinan the “Series II,” in a very British style.

Rolls-Royce is known as the world’s best chauffeur-driven car. The Cullinan’s body style is typical of Rolls, with rear doors that open forward, allowing passengers to enter and exit the car in style even when dressed appropriately. At first glance, the rear appears to be a typical SUV hatch gate, but once you open the gate, you’ll find another rear window on the inside, clearly separating the passenger compartment from the luggage compartment.

However, according to Rolls-Benz, the Cullinan is designed as a driver’s car, even though it can also be used as a chauffeur. Rolls-Benz, which felt it needed to attract a younger customer base, launched the “Black Badge” series in 2017, inspired by customizations for younger customers, and the Cullinan in 2018.

Rolls’s plan was a complete success. With the introduction of the Black Badge and Cullinan, the average age of Rolls-Royce’s customers dropped from 56 to 43, and while the owner-driver ratio before the Cullinan was less than 30%, the Cullinan’s chauffeur usage rate is less than 10%.

The gorgeous interior will take your breath away

No matter how unprecedented the Cullinan is as a Rolls-Royce, and even though it is the latest Series II, the Rolls-Royce design promises are not broken. One of them is the positioning of the three elements at the front: the Spirit of Ecstasy is always placed above the Pantheon grille, and the headlights are never placed higher than the Pantheon grille. The other is that the side view is formed by three lines: the roof line starting from the Spirit of Ecstasy, the shoulder line extending from the Pantheon grille, and the lower line (= watt line) running between the wheelhouses.

What is most innovative about the Series II is its face. The headlights, or “eyes,” have been made longer and narrower, and the daytime running lights that surround them now have an inverted L-shape that emphasizes the vertical design that is a recent trend. The front bumper has been simplified to emphasize the “eyes,” while the angled air intakes, inspired by yachts, have the effect of making the Cullinan appear to have a lower center of gravity.

The basic design of the interior remains unchanged, but the analog clock still placed in front of the passenger seat is now housed in a glass cabinet, accompanied by a small Spirit of Ecstasy. Another news for the Series II is that the meter has been replaced with a full LCD panel, eliminating the triple ring (the display itself was also LCD in the Series I), but it’s also typical of Rolls-Royce to not resort to the touch panel that’s common these days. All of the carefully polished buttons, switches, knobs, and other elements, including the infotainment dial, remain.

The Black Badge Cullinan was also available in the Series I, but with the Series II, which has a stronger driver’s car feel, it will be available from the start, rather than being added at a later date. The test drive vehicle this time was also a Black Badge. The maximum output of the 6.75-liter V12 engine has been increased to 600 PS and maximum torque to 900 Nm (standard is 571 PS and 850 Nm), and in addition to the various exterior details, the interior also features a dark-finished Spirit of Ecstasy clock cabin and mirror-finished carbon fiber panels, which are unique to the Black Badge.

Equipped with a now rare V12

Being a Rolls-Royce, the interior and exterior can be tailored to any order, but the innovative lime green and black interior colors are very much in keeping with Black Badge. The center of the seats is made of “Duality Twill,” a new rayon material made from bamboo, which is making its debut this time. Genuine leather is considered the standard for seat coverings in luxury cars, but that can be said to be luxury up to a certain level. In the days of horse-drawn carriages and before the war, waterproof and easy-to-clean leather was used for the driver’s seat, while the rear seat space for the owner was made of elaborate, top-quality fabrics such as wool and silk. In other words, genuine leather is not the true luxury fabric.

Sitting in the silky-smooth seats, the Cullinan is undeniably a huge car. However, even when rolling the Cullinan, unless you’re driving on an extremely narrow road, it’s surprisingly stress-free, which is one of the great things about the Cullinan as a driver’s car. This is because the line of sight is one level higher than a normal SUV, and the square body provides excellent visibility.

Furthermore, just by looking at the Spirit of Ecstasy from the driver’s seat, you can instantly imagine the path of the left front wheel ahead. The Cullinan is naturally equipped with four-wheel steering, and although mechanical details such as maximum steering angle are not clear, as far as observing through the door mirrors, the rear tires of the Cullinan are visibly turned at a great angle, making it more maneuverable than you would imagine.

The Series II is also the first for both the Cullinan and the Black Badge to be offered with large 23-inch tires. While little has been revealed about the Cullinan’s mechanical updates, it seems that the suspension tuning, including electronically controlled air springs and continuously variable dampers, has been revised to match the new 23-inch wheels. The test car was also fitted with 35-40mm low-profile 23-inch Pirelli P Zero tires, and compared to the 22-inch Series I, there is a slight increase in the bumpy (but not lumpy) feeling at low speeds, especially in the rear seats, but more than that, I was impressed by the sure-footed handling, which is likely due in part to the 23-inch wheels.

It’s truly amazing how operating this ultra-heavyweight, nearly 2.8 tonnes, at moderate speeds on hilly roads feels stress-free. All controls are light and responsive, but there’s no ambiguity and it’s precise. There’s no drive mode switch, but pressing the “LOW” button on the column shifter simultaneously switches to a high-revving gear program, giving the Cullinan a sporty handling with sharp acceleration and deceleration. However, what surprised me most this time was the quietness. Of course, the classic catchphrase “At 60 mph, the only sound inside the new Rolls-Royce is the ticking of the clock” is a bit of an exaggeration, but the quietness, isolated from the hustle and bustle of the outside world…or rather, the quietness is truly extraordinary.

Quietness isolated from the outside world

On the other hand, the sound of the V12 engine reaches your ears clearly, which is probably due to the deliberate tuning unique to the Cullinan, which claims to be a driver’s car. Even so, apart from Rolls, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Aston are the only other manufacturers that currently have mass-produced 12-cylinder engines, and the restrained sound of the Rolls 12-cylinder, which is different from that of these super sports cars, is irresistible in its own way. If we were to apply the aforementioned slogan to its appeal, it would be something like, “When accelerating, all you can hear inside the Cullinan is the breathing of the V12.” It is a world that can only be experienced in the Cullinan.

REPORT / Hiromune SANO

PHOTO / Wataru TAMURA

MAGAZINE / GENROQ April 2025 issue

SPECIFICATIONS

Rolls-Royce Black Badge Cullinan Series II

Body size: Length 5355, Width 2000, Height 1835mm

Wheelbase: 3295mm

Vehicle weight: 2725kg

Engine: V12 DOHC twin turbo

Total displacement: 6750cc

Maximum output: 441kW (600PS) / 5250-5750rpm

Maximum torque: 900Nm (91.8kgm) / 1700-4000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed AT

Drive system: AWD

Suspension type: Front double wishbone, rear multi-link

Brakes: Front and rear ventilated discs

0-100km/h acceleration: 5.2 seconds

Vehicle price: From 54,154,040 yen

[Official website]

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
https://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/

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Super luxury SUV “Rolls-Royce Cullinan” updated to Series II [Video]

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