Rolls-Royce Cullinan teased before official reveal

The Cullinan will be revealed in all its glory on May 10, 2018.

Ahead of the global digital reveal of the Cullinan, Rolls-Royce has shown the first undisguised facet of its first high-riding vehicle. Going by the D-shaped tail lamp in the teaser, it is confirmed that the Cullinan will stick to Rolls-Royce’s unmistakable design language.

Named after the Cullinan Diamond – the largest flawless diamond ever discovered – the upcoming SUV will be underpinned by the British company’s new proprietary aluminium platform, dubbed Architecture of Luxury. The Cullinan will likely be powered by a 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 petrol engine – also found on the new Phantom – but power and torque figures may vary.

Being an SUV, the Cullinan will also be capable enough to conquer rough terrain, unlike any Rolls from the past. The company had recently released a series of videos in collaboration with National Geographic, where the Cullinan is seen tackling rocky landscapes in Scotland and barren dunes in UAE. This means that the presence of a four-wheel drive or an all-wheel-drive system on the Cullinan is inevitable, however, whether it will be based on parent company BMW's XDrive is still a mystery.

The uber-luxurious Cullinan will primarily compete with the Bentley Bentayga and, possibly, the rumoured Maybach version of the upcoming next-gen Mercedes GLS. With all that off-road technology and the usual levels of opulence synonymous with the Rolls-Royce brand, expect the Cullinan to be the most expensive vehicle in Rolls-Royce's portfolio.