“We are proud to debut Cullinan Series II in New Zealand. Cullinan has been warmly received in this market, and we are seeing here as well as globally that Cullinan is attracting a younger and more diverse group of clients to the marque; over the past five years in New Zealand the average ages has dropped from 61 to 41, and female ownership has increased to 30%. Cullinan continues to engage and delight owners around the world, and we look forward to seeing it embraced in New Zealand.”
Irene Nikkein, Regional Director Asia-Pacific, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
The original Cullinan, launched in 2018, was the world’s first super-luxury SUV, fulfilling a unique and exacting brief, says Rolls-Royce. From a performance and engineering standpoint, it had to have genuine off-road capabilities equal to the most demanding and hostile environments on Earth. At the same time, it had to deliver the marque’s peerless comfort and signature ‘magic carpet ride’, regardless of the terrain. It had to be nothing less than the definitive super-luxury SUV —rugged yet refined, unstoppable yet serene: effortless, everywhere. Its success exceeded Rolls-Royce’s most ambitious expectations around the world, and today Cullinan is the most requested Rolls-Royce in the marque’s portfolio.
Given the motor car’s success, shaping a new expression of the ‘Rolls-Royce of SUVs’ was undertaken with meticulous care, says the company. The marque’s designers, engineers and craftspeople drew on half a decade of detailed client feedback, the brand’s own intelligence gathering — including their own Private Offices around the world — and a raft of new technologies to advance Cullinan. In its new guise, which represents the most extensive Series II development in Rolls-Royce history, it responds to changing codes of luxury and evolving usage patterns while remaining true to the essential qualities that underpin Cullinan’s unprecedented popularity.
Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II: Commanding The Urban Space
It was noted by the marque’s intelligence specialists that an increasing number of Rolls-Royce clients were concentrated in urban areas – from great world metropolises to fast-growth cities in emerging regions. To that end, Rolls-Royce says the Cullinan increasingly serves as a super-luxury product in which clients wish to be seen and project their character – albeit with the capacity to vanish into nature at will. Specialists also observed a shift towards owners driving their motor cars themselves. When Cullinan was first launched, less than 70% were self-driven: today, almost every Cullinan is driven by its owner, with less than 10% of clients retaining the services of a chauffeur. Together with the rejuvenation of the brand and the ever-increasing Bespoke offering, Cullinan contributed to a fall in the average age of Rolls-Royce clients from 56 in 2010 to just 43 today.
An increasingly urban focus, a youthful cadre of clients and a decisive shift towards self-driving informs the surface treatment and detail of Cullinan Series II’s exterior. A key theme is verticality, which echoes illuminated skyscrapers in the megacities where Cullinan is increasingly at home.
Connectivity has been refined throughout the motor car, especially for those in the rear of Cullinan Series II. Clients are able to connect up to two streaming devices to the rear screens, which now incorporate a bespoke interface for streaming car management and seating functions such as massage, heating and cooling.
The installation of internet connectivity allows clients to enjoy a Wi-Fi hot spot connection and independent streaming for each screen. For the first time in Cullinan, Bluetooth headphones of any type can be paired with the rear seat infotainment system, or clients can enjoy the marque’s 18-speaker Bespoke Audio system, which benefits from the latest generation 18-channel 1400-watt amplifier. Cullinan Series II retains the brand’s speaker architecture, wherein cavities within the motor car’s aluminum sill sections are used as resonance chambers for low frequency speakers, effectively transforming the entire motor car into a subwoofer.
Directly in front of the passenger is an Illuminated Fascia panel. In this guise, it features an illuminated Cullinan wordmark and a unique Cityscape graphic inspired by the skyscrapers of the world’s megacities at night. This is created using a specially-developed technique whereby 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. In addition to this prêt-à-porter design, clients are also able to create their own Illuminated Fascia motif in collaboration with the marque’s Bespoke designers.
Incorporating the Spirit of Ecstasy into the interior of the motor car was the product of four years of development, and a unique partnership between analogue and digital craftspeople to create a dramatic and meticulously orchestrated flow of light, claims Rolls-Royce. This sequence begins with the illumination of the driver’s display upon entering the motor car, followed by the Central Information Display, then the Illuminated Fascia, where light sweeps inwards towards the vitrine, lighting the timepiece. The Spirit of Ecstasy is illuminated from below initially, reminiscent of a spotlight on a debut performance, before her stage lighting settles to a soft glow.
Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II: Pricing
Pricing for Cullinan Series II in New Zealand starts from NZD 750,000 excluding on-road costs (Stamp Duty). Pricing for Black Badge Cullinan Series II starts from NZD 850,000 excluding on-road costs (Stamp Duty). First local client deliveries will commence from Q4 2024.
Rolls-Royce pricing is dependent on client specification. Each Rolls-Royce is Bespoke.
