Rolls-Royce Refuses to Call Its Project Cullinan SUV an SUV

Rolls-Royce is working on a luxury SUV, but the automaker won’t be calling it that.

In a recent interview with Motoring, the British automaker’s global product communications manager, Andrew Boyle, said Project Cullinan is a “high-sided vehicle,” and not an SUV. “SUV is not necessarily the right thing to call it because it’s not necessarily sports, it’s not necessarily utility,” he said. In other words, customers should expect the unexpected with Project Cullinan, which will possibly get a new name when it debuts.

It’s been widely believed that Rolls-Royce is working on a luxury SUV to take on the Bentley Bentayga, but the British automaker could change things up by making a high-riding, luxury wagon. “You’ll have to wait to see what we decide it should be, but I think you’ll find that it’ll be a different interpretation to what’s available today,” Boyle added.

SEE ALSO: The New Rolls-Royce SUV Could Look Like This

What we do know is that the new model will ride on a new scalable aluminum architecture that will also underpin the next Rolls-Royce Phantom. Both vehicles are expected to arrive in 2018, with the Phantom coming earlier in the year.

Boyle was hesitant to disclose whether the new Cullinan will be electrified, making it sound as if Rolls-Royce has yet to make a decision.

[Source: Motoring]

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