2025 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Review, Pricing, and Specs (2024)

Overview

Named after the largest rough-cut diamond of gem quality ever discovered, the Rolls Royce Cullinan SUV is a rolling embodiment of its namesake legacy. Large, extravagant, and dizzyingly expensive, the Cullinan takes the traditional Rolls benchmarks—a curated selection of upholstery and trim materials, a whisper-quiet interior, a traditional Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament, and a sky's-the-limit customization program—and applies them to a full-size SUV. A twin-turbo V-12 rated up to 592 horsepower resides under the hood, sending its output to an eight-speed transmission and standard all-wheel drive. Pampering the occupants takes precedence here, and that includes a spacious rear compartment with exquisitely padded seating to make the passengers—or in some cases, the owner, though Rolls-Royce tells us that is the exception rather than the rule these days—arrive as fresh as possible. Nearly twice as expensive as a Bentley Bentayga or a Mercedes-Maybach GLS Class, the Cullinan is also far more exclusive. For many buyers, that makes its price of entry a relative bargain.

What's New for 2025?

Rolls-Royce identifies the mild updates to the 2025 Cullinan by adding the "II" suffix to its name, but the changes are largely cosmetic and related to the user interface. The iconic Pantheon grille remains, but is now illuminated, and a new L-shaped LED strip flanks the rectangular headlamps. The front bumper is reworked with slanted air intakes creating a "V" shape. The rear bumper gets a high-gloss black finish that contributes to an overall bolder look. Polished stainless steel elements around the exhaust and a brushed stainless steel protective plate finish the look. New seven-spoke 23-inch wheels are in place, each milled from a single billet of aluminum. There's also a new Emperador Truffle finish intended to give off a subtle shimmer, created by infusing lacquer with glass particles. Inside, a full-width glass panel incorporating the instruments and infotainment touchscreen replaces the previous setup, and there's a new available rayon upholstery fabric crafted from bamboo called Duality Twill.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

If we were in a position to purchase a Cullinan, we wouldn't be too concerned about spreading around a little extra green to get things just right. That means we'd choose the Crystal paint scheme, the gold-plated Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament, and the electronic tow hitch. And we wouldn't pass up the opportunity to have the fabric above our heads display a fiber-optic starry night sky via the Shooting Star Headliner. Finally, we'd add the rear privacy glass and side curtains to make the back row into a tranquil hideout. The Black Badge edition is on hand for those looking for a slightly sinister blacked-out appearance with a few additional exterior tweaks including a more aggressive lower air intake as well as the extensive use of carbon-fiber interior trim bits.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

The Cullinan's twin-turbo 6.7-liter V-12 provides 563 horsepower (592 in the Black Badge model) and is whisper quiet, lest it disturbs the VIPs in the cabin. All-wheel drive is standard, although we suspect buyers will never venture off the tarmac and risk damaging the paint. The Cullinan rides on an air suspension that receives information from a road-scanning camera and automatically adjusts the vehicle's height to compensate for imperfections in the pavement. Ride comfort is beyond the standards of regular luxury vehicles, as the Cullinan wafts down the road and transmits nothing unpleasant to the people inside.

0–60-MPH Times

We've tested a Cullinan, and it hustled to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds—impressive for a vehicle that weighs about three tons, V-12 powered or otherwise. On the other hand, the last Bentayga V-8 we tested managed the same in just 3.3 seconds.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

Let's pretend for a minute that anyone seriously considering the V-12–powered Cullinan is concerned about fuel efficiency. These hypothetical buyers will be relieved to learn the Cullinan wears EPA fuel-economy estimates of 12 mpg city and 20 mpg highway, which, remarkably, aren't the worst figures in the class. The V-12-powered Bentley Bentayga matches its 12 mpg city figure, but can only eke out 17 mpg on the highway. We ran the Cullinan on our 75-mph highway fuel economy route, which is part of our extensive testing regimen, and it outperformed expectations, achieving 21 mpg. For more information about the Cullinan's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

The spacious cabin is lined with a laundry list of materials ostensibly culled from the homes of the British ruling class: box-grain leather, lambs-wool carpeting, beautiful wood trim, and milled aluminum accents. Nods to the current consumer climate include a new rayon fabric crafted from bamboo that is called Duality Twill which is said to include 2.2 million stitches and up to 11 miles of thread, and a new open-pore, Grey Stained Ash wood trim option. The largest update is the new full-width glass panel that incorporates instruments and infotainment. The upholstery also gets a boost with new artistic patterns formed by the articulate managing of the perforations in the leather, as demonstrated by a pattern said to be inspired by the constantly changing shapes and shadows of the clouds at Rolls Royce's HQ in Goodwood, England. Crucially, the liftgate configuration still allows for fitting the optional Viewing Suite consisting of a pair of leather-wrapped seats and a small table that pops out of the floor. This is by far the most luxurious way to take in a polo match at the country estate. The equipment list is but a starting point, as Rolls will gladly indulge buyers' personalization requests. All it costs is money.

Infotainment and Connectivity

New for 2025 is a full-width glass panel incorporating instruments, driver data, and infotainment into a single unit. Interestingly, the new 2025 model does away with the former upholstered trim piece that could be positioned to hide the encroaching digital reality, aka the touchscreen. The display now runs Rolls-Royce's latest infotainment system, called Spirit, which was first seen in the electric Spectre. Bluetooth headphones of any type can be paired with the rear seat infotainment system, or clients can listen live to the 18-speaker, 18-channel 1400-watt audio setup. A pair of rear screens are capable of streaming and displaying individual content.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The Rolls-Royce of SUVs has a host of driver-assistance technology, including night vision. For more information about the Cullinan's crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:

• Standard forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking
• Standard lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist
• Standard adaptive cruise control

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Rolls-Royce provides exemplary warranty and included-maintenance programs that span four years with no mileage limit.

• Limited warranty covers four years and unlimited miles
• Powertrain warranty covers four years and unlimited miles
• Complimentary maintenance is covered for four years and unlimited miles

More Features and Specs