2025 Rolls Royce Cullinan review: The Godfather of SUVs
At long last we get behind the wheel of the ultimate luxury SUV, but is it worth the hype, and money?
Published on Mar 08, 2025 08:00:00 AM
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We Like
- Unbeatable road presence thanks to imposing size and bold details
- Effortless and silky smooth twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
- Nearly limitless personalisation options (for a price)
We Don't Like
- Extremely high price of Rs 11.92 crore, before options
- Huge size makes it difficult to park and navigate through traffic
The V12 is dying: we’ve heard this year upon year for the last decade or so. And along comes a new high-strung V12 sports car from some exotic brand, and we rejoice, showering said brand with accolades and gratitude for being so brave in this ever-changing world. Yet, Rolls-Royce has exclusively been using this engine configuration for decades. In fact, three of the four models it currently sells are powered by a V12 – a mammoth twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre unit, no less – and in many ways, its most extravagant application is the Cullinan Black Badge.
2025 Rolls Royce Cullinan Exterior Design and Engineering – 9/10
A bold and assertive expression of ultimate wealth
Yes, every Rolls-Royce is excessive, even a bit ostentatious, but the Cullinan somehow takes it a step further. It’s an SUV, for one, which in itself makes it the more conspicuous choice, and then there’s the Black Badge treatment.
Rolls’ hallmark surfeit of chrome is replaced with dark chrome, and that includes the window surrounds, door handles, number plate garnish, exhaust surrounds, and most notably the pantheon grille and Spirit of Ecstasy mascot. The headlamp and tail-lamp internals are darkened as well and, yes, the badges themselves are black. You can now option 23-inch wheels on the Cullinan, a size that certainly doesn’t look out of place on this ‘high-sided vehicle’, as Rolls calls it, but here too, the Black Badge offers a more aggressive, two-tone design that bares the brake calipers for all to see.
The facelift, to these eyes at least, injects some much-needed character into the imposing but uninteresting face of the original Cullinan, in the form of slimmer headlamps with vertical LED running lights that drop down into the bumper, which itself has fewer openings for a much cleaner look.
2025 Rolls Royce Cullinan Interior Space and Comfort – 9/10
Space as vast as the exterior dimensions suggest, and immaculately appointed
It’s a similar story inside, where you could choose an uninspired all-black cabin, but you’re nudged towards yellows, blues and purples, which are in sharp contrast to the piano black or dark metallic dashboard trim – your only options in a Black Badge.
Quality? Near faultless, of course; from the uniformity of the stitches to the flawlessness of the hide, to the micron-perfect fit of the trim pieces; the craftspeople really earn their commission. Mirroring its exterior, the Cullinan has a taller, bolder dashboard fascia than the rest of the model range, but the layout is familiar, and the Series II facelift has brought with it a wider array of personalisation options.
One option you won’t see in these pictures, but which we wholly recommend, is the ‘Sanctuary’ rear seat. This gets you two individual chairs – powered, heated, ventilated and massaging – as well as a drinks fridge and a glass separator for the luggage compartment. Either way, though, space is more than you’ve ever seen in an SUV, thanks to a limo-like 3.3-metre wheelbase, with a tall, stately seating position from which to survey your empire.
2025 Rolls Royce Cullinan Performance and Refinement – 8/10
Effortless and with genuine character, but it’s no sprinter, expectedly
Now, back to the V12, which sits resolutely under that long bonnet, heralded by the lady atop the grille. The car may have been updated, but the engine remains largely the same, and while it ordinarily – if you can use such a word in a Rolls – deploys 571hp and 850Nm, in the Black Badge, that’s upped to 600hp and 900Nm.
These swollen outputs aren’t easy to perceive in everyday driving, but press the ‘Low’ button on the gear stalk, and you’ll notice a greater eagerness from the powertrain. A subdued burble pushes through several hundred kilograms of sound insulation into the cabin; enough to signal potency without being uncouth.
Once you’re done flexing, however, un-pressing the Low button reverts the Cullinan to the Rolls-Royce default spec, and really, this is what you’re actually paying for. The burble is now a whisper, the steering lightens up, the suspension relaxes, and the demeanour simmers from Hulk to Bruce Banner.
2025 Rolls Royce Cullinan Mileage – 4/10
If you’ve bought a V12 Rolls Royce SUV, does it even matter?
Fuel efficiency isn’t something most Cullinan buyers are concerned with, and predictably, no real gains have been made in that department with the Series II update. With a 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 under the hood, the focus remains firmly on smoothness and effortless power rather than frugality. In case you’re wondering, the Rolls Royce Cullinan mileage is rated at 6.2kpl on the WLTP cycle.
2025 Rolls Royce Cullinan Ride Comfort and Handling – 8/10
Ultra cushy ride from high-tech hampered by 23in wheels; not fun in corners
It’s at this point you notice it’s not as intimidating to drive as a 5.3-metre SUV might seem, thanks to high seating, great visibility, rear-axle steering and easy-to-spot square edges.
Every Rolls is unapologetically heavy, and the suspension is engineered requisitely robust to compensate. The 2.9-tonne Cullinan, however, has the added complication of a high centre of gravity, which it manages with aplomb. No, it isn’t a Porsche Cayenne around a bend, but its ability to deliver composure and comfort, whether at single or three-digit speeds, on any surface imaginable, has to be felt to be believed.
2025 Rolls Royce Cullinan Features and Safety – 8/10
The sky is truly the limit when it comes to customising this SUV
The Cullinan Series II facelift has brought with it a wider array of personalisation options, both inside and out. From bespoke colour palettes (with crystal finishes and hand-painted coach lines) to dashboard finishes and high-spec rear seats, Rolls-Royce leans into its tradition of tailoring every vehicle to its buyer’s desires.
There is a comprehensive suite of active and passive safety features, though ADAS is part of a paid option package. In fact, over and above the car’s exorbitant price, there are a series of correspondingly pricey options; but you would, wouldn’t you?
2025 Rolls Royce Cullinan Price and Verdict – 7/10
The ultimate luxury SUV commands the ultimate price
The Series II updates are subtle but effective, widening the personalisation possibilities and bringing a hike in price to an eye-watering Rs 10.33 crore for the standard version and Rs 11.92 crore for the Black Badge! The same cynics from earlier might scoff again, but the truth is, inside, outside and under the skin, it’s the same as a Phantom, albeit with a different form factor. An arguably more contemporary and desirable one, and certainly a more practical one.
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Where every other Rolls-Royce is named after something ethereal – Ghost, Spectre, Phantom – the Cullinan is named after the world’s largest gem diamond. Big, bold, valuable and indestructible, it’s a name that fits. For an established, traditional brand to go down the SUV route to boost sales might irk the cynical amongst you. The simple fact is that it’s good business, and the Cullinan is by far the highest-selling model in the range. It’s even responsible for dropping the average Rolls owner’s age from 56 to 43, and the Black Badge version, with its almost rebellious attitude, has no doubt played a part.
Titanic road presence, effortless performance and peerless luxury truly make this the monarch of SUVs.
Also see:
Rolls-Royce Spectre review: Silent grandeur
Rolls-Royce Spectre Black Badge with 659hp revealed
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