Name: Rolls-Royce Cullinan (2018 - ) | Expert Rating | The Car Expert
Item: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Rating: 53

Summary

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is a large luxury SUV and the newest model in the Rolls-Royce family. It has been a controversial addition to the line-up, although initial sales have been reported to be very strong.

Like all Rolls-Royce models, the Cullinan is built in the UK at the company’s facility in Goodwood.

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan has received mostly positive scores from the UK motoring media. It has received particular praise for its comfort and interior quality, but has been criticised for its poor cabin proportions and very high fuel consumption.

As of January 2024, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan holds a low New Car Expert Rating of E with a score of 53%. While the car has a positive media reception, the Cullinan has pretty terrible Eco and Running Cost Ratings, like much of the Rolls-Royce range.

More Rolls-Royce ratings, reviews, news and features

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Key specifications

Body style: Large SUV
Engine: petrol
Price: From £185,500 on-road

Launched: Autumn 2018
Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Auto Express+

Model reviewed: Range review
Score: 9 / 10
“The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is the most luxurious SUV (lots of) money can buy.”
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Score: 9 / 10
“The Cullinan offers an incredible insight into the lives of the super-rich, and deserves its place at the very top of the SUV tree. Audacious, awesome, luxuriously practical and beautifully crafted: if you’ve got the cash, there’s nothing quite like it.”
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Autocar+

Score: 8 / 10
“This big car is a Rolls-Royce at heart. Less outwardly dynamic but more comfortable than a Bentley and far more luxurious than the most expensive Range Rover. It looks like a Rolls-Royce, feels like one, drives like one and, at £250,000 before you start adding options, of which you can choose a lot, is priced like one.”
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Car+

Score: 8 / 10
“The looks may be challenging, and the price daunting, but the Cullinan sets new overall standards in the luxury SUV class. Its on-road comfort and refinement is a notch or two above anything from Bentley or Range Rover, and so is cabin quality and comfort. It’s almost as good as a Phantom on the tarmac – and that’s high praise indeed.”
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Carbuyer+

Score: 8.4 / 10
“The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is the brand’s first SUV, redefining the upper reaches of the market for luxury and bespoke craftsmanship.”
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Daily Mail+

“The Rolls-Royce Cullinan certainly delivers the traditionally smooth ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ on and off the road thanks to its sophisticated self-levelling air suspension designed to make it ‘effortless anywhere.’ But it’s a real gas-guzzler with fuel consumption a mere 18.8mpg and hefty CO2 emissions of 341g/km.”
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Evo+

Score: 7 / 10
“A Rolls-Royce that’s fun to drive? Almost – the Cullinan will surprise with its speed and agility, but not its quality and refinement.”
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Parkers+

Score: 8.4 / 10
“The world’s ultimate luxury SUV”
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The Telegraph+

Score: 6 / 10
“The craft and engineering skills are self-evident and it does a passable ‘waft’ in the great tradition of the marque, but the Rolls-Royce Cullinan is ugly, its cabin proportions are not particularly appealing and, my goodness, it loves fuel.”
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Top Gear+

Score: 8 / 10
“Even if you struggle with the concept of the big, fast, heavy SUV, you can’t argue with the execution here. Rolls-Royce’s cars are always vastly greater than the sum of their parts, and the Cullinan is part of a fascinating engineering continuum.”
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What Car?+

Score: 8 / 10
“Its ride isn’t perfect, but the Rolls-Royce Cullinan is in most respects the ultimate luxury SUV that it was designed to be – with a price to match.”
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Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

No safety rating

As of January 2024, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan has not been crash tested by Euro NCAP, and due to its price and exculsivity, we think it is unlikely to ever happen. If and when it is put through its paces by Euro NCAP, we will publish the results here.

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

As of January 2024, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan has not been lab tested by Green NCAP.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of January 2024, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Rolls-Royce to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.

As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Cullinan, we’ll publish the score here.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

CO₂ output	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Petrol models	363 g/km	D	341 – 370 g/km	D – D

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	50	F	50 – 50	F – F

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is – unsurprisingly – a very expensive car to own and run, according to whole-life cost data provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our technical partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

We currently only have limited information about the Cullinan, but the very poor CO₂ output is an indication of similarly poor fuel consumption. Mind you, that’s exactly what you’d expect from a three-tonne SUV powered by an enormous V12 petrol engine.

Similarly, we don’t have servicing costs for the Cullinan at the moment, but as the saying goes: if you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it…