Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV officially previewed

Rolls-Royce has released images of its first-ever SUV - the Cullinan. The car in the images has a camouflaged body. The company has confirmed that the car has started testing on public roads.

The images reveal that the Cullinan gets an upright front fascia with a rectangular theme being adopted for all elements. It appears to take design inspiration from the company's flagship - the Phantom.

In its production form, the Cullinan is expected to borrow the Phantom's 6.75-litre, V12 engine, though the manufacturer has remained tight-lipped about the final specifications. Reports have also mentioned the possibility of the company introducing a new plug-in hybrid powertrain for the Cullinan.

The British automaker has been working on the Cullinan project for a fairly long time. The company is developing a new all-wheel drive system and suspension for the SUV. It will also be the first model to be built on an all-new aluminium architecture, which is expected to underpin all Rolls-Royce cars from 2018 onwards.

The manufacturer also claims that it will be testing the production-ready test mule in varied conditions. The SUV will soon enter the Arctic Circle to undergo cold weather durability and traction testing. Later, it will be taken to the Middle East to test its performance in high temperatures and desert conditions.