Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II is still the ultimate decadent SUV

If you were expecting big changes – a diversion to a more subtle look – prepare to be disappointed. The Series II Cullinan doubles down on the opulence and presence that were the original’s bread and butter, with a revised facia, an upgraded infotainment and new options. 

We’ll get it out the way now: the 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 remains, unhybridised and unchanged from before, meaning you get 570PS in the standard car and 600PS in the Black Badge.

So what’s different? Firstly, the looks, which at the front are dramatically different, especially on the Black Badge. Gone are the fairly uniform rectangular vents in the lower valance, with angular, almost Lamborghini-like items in their place. On the Black Badge they are highlighted with extra black trim with the intention of the redesign to give the appearance of a yacht sailing through water. There are new thinner LED lights with a new 90-degree-kinked day-running light accent. 

At the back the exhaust exits are higher up in the bumper, which goes some way towards the stated goal of developing the Cullinan’s monolithic, vertical presence. Rolls-Royce wants it to look even more at home amongst towering skyscrapers and the timeless architecture of modern cities, where many Cullinan owners have spent the most time in their cars. New too are bigger wheels, up one inch to 23 inches.

On the inside, big change is afoot, with a new width-spanning glass panel on the dashboard replacing the more traditional sectioned look of the outgoing car. That houses the driver’s display, the new infotainment screen, and a Spectre-style art piece ahead of the passenger. Between that and the infotainment screen, you may have noticed a Spirit of Ecstasy and a clock above her, in what Rolls-Royce is calling the ‘cabinet.’

Also, Spectre-style is the SPIRIT visual interface and operating system, which can be customised. The new Cullinan also gets Whispers, a private members app that lets buyers manage their car from afar in terms of climate and pre-programming navigation.

A new interior trim option is ‘Duality Twill’, which is made from bamboo and has meant that a full-time master weaver has had to be hired by Rolls-Royce. Apparently, a full Duality Twill interior will require up to 2.2 million stitches, 11 miles of thread, and take 20 hours to construct.

So what do you think of the new Cullinan? It certainly does more of what the original did in terms of its presence and image, which is what the buyers want. And there are plenty of buyers, with the Cullinan being the marque’s most successful model since its 2018 introduction. Prices are expected to start at over £330,000 and rise based on customisation and whether you get the Black Badge.