It was with great pomp and circumstance that Rolls-Royce presented its most iconic model – the new generation of the Phantom. Practically everything is new for the Phantom, highlighting the new architecture, duly named Architecture of Luxury.
The exclusivity of the architecture is what will put the new SUV on a unique level. That's what Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce says, and it doesn't stop there:
We do not use mass produced bodies. This limits what can be done at the design level and massively undermines exclusivity. You don't want a camouflaged Q7 in this segment. You want a real Rolls-Royce.
Insert interjection or interjections appropriate to the quote! That's how the CEO of Rolls-Royce decided to refer to the biggest rival of the future SUV of the brand, the Bentley Bentayga.
The diminutive words about the rival refer to the use, by the Bentayga, of the base of the most common Audi Q7, the SUV of the German brand. The MLB Evo is one of the reasons for the, shall we say, defiant proportions of the Bentley Bentayga that forces massive engines to be placed in front of the front axle. And of course, sharing its architecture with “common” models removes part of the prestige and exclusivity appeal that the value and symbol of these brands promise.
Nothing that has hindered the commercial success of Bentayga, but according to Rolls-Royce, Project Cullinan will be a proposal with more prestige and exclusive. As for the design, well, we'll just have to wait and see.
Müller-Ötvös did not mention new details about the future model. It's predicted to share a lot with the Phantom, including its bi-turbo 6.75 liter V12 engine – 571 horsepower and an impressive 900 Nm available at a low 1700 rpm. The biggest difference will be in the use of all-wheel drive, or it was not an SUV.
Or as Rolls-Royce defines it: it's not an SUV, but, trying to translate as best as possible, an all-terrain, high sided vehicle.