2022 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge SUV

There is no doubt over the fact that buying an SUV that costs a six-figure sum will get you all the luxuries and creature comforts that one might ever need. And considering that it is a Rolls-Royce of them all, the Cullinan offers everything that one can imagine and then some more. All the safety functions, driver aids, heated and ventilated seats with massage function for both the front and rear row comes as standard with the Black Badge.

With several other features like a 360-degree view camera, front and rear parking sensors. Satellite radio and a panoramic sunroof, there are numerous other cabin features that can be tailor-made just for you, which includes a picnic table, a mini-fridge with two champagne flutes, and a whiskey decanter, rear-seat entertainment system, and much more. The seat upholstery, interior panels, headliner, door panels, all come with a plethora of variety and can be customized as per order for an added price. 

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As the list of customization and personalization is just endless with any Rolls-Royce, there is hardly anything else for us to suggest to you. That being said, all the small changes and options that you choose, come with a hefty price tag and eventually hikes the overall price of the car exponentially. 

2022 Roll-Royce Cullinan Black Badge Release Date

Many of the Rolls-Royce dealerships have already started listing the new 2022 Cullinan on their websites and hence expect the car to hit the American shores very soon. Deliveries should begin in the final quarter of 2021.

The massive heft of the uber-luxe Cullinan SUV has dragged effortlessly thanks to the 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine under its hood that produces a whopping 600 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, up from the base Cullinan’s 563 hp and 627 lb-ft. The power is sent to all four wheels as standard through a slick eight-speed automatic transmission which quietly takes the Cullinan to triple-digit speeds before you even know it. 

The Cullinan is no Lamborghini Urus in terms of acceleration performance but the under 5 seconds 0-60 mph sprint and the quarter-mile done in just over 13 seconds makes it quicker than most premium SUVs. And that’s what most of its owners would want, acceleration such that it wouldn’t spill the wine they might be sipping at the back seat. Add to that towing ability that can be rated for over 7,200 lbs makes it very versatile in nature. 

Apart from the butter-smooth drivetrain, the Cullinan’s ride quality is what will blow your mind as well. Be it choppy roads or no roads, the SUV just glides over them with Rolls-Royce's Magic Carpet Ride suspension. It is second to none and leaves its occupants feeling relaxed at their journey's end. It is not sporty in terms of dynamics at all as it has an extremely light steering wheel and no sport mode as such. Therefore, behind the wheel, it may not be the one to be, but it might arguably be the most comfortable SUV in the world. 

Though the Cullinan might be the most expensive SUV here, the Bentley Bentayga is a much more affordable rival that offers superior power and torque figures which result in much quicker acceleration and towing capabilities. The Aston Martin and the Maybach SUVs are priced very close to each other but the sporty nature of the DBX makes it quicker off the line than the Mercedes, which instead has the higher towing capacity with a more plush cabin. 

There is no doubt that all the Cullinan buyers would never care about the fuel economy figures but just to get things out of the way, the 2022 Rolls-Royce Cullinan also gets the same 14 mpg combined rating by the EPA which is pretty average and expected for an SUV with such heft and high power output. The 22-gallon fuel tank also does its job just fine as it offers around 400 miles of maximum driving range on a single tank of gas while cruising on the highway. The 250-mile range in the city means one will have to visit the gas station more often with this SUV than its rivals. 

No large capacity high-performance V12 engine is expected to go easy on fuel consumption and although the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 gets a hybrid V8 powertrain, it only returns better fuel economy figures in the city while the highway ratings are lower than the Cullinan but with the larger gas tank on offer, the overall driving range is far better. The case is similar to the DBX which is marginally less frugal than the Mercedes. The Bentayga on the other hand has similar fuel consumption as the Cullinan. 

The Rolls-Royce engineers and craftsmen dedicate an extraordinary time for the cabin of their cars and the Cullinan is no different here. They offer the most opulent and premium experience possible in a vehicle with the choice of an array of the most exquisite fabrics, leathers, wood, plastics, and other premium materials. Rolls-Royce Cullinan is an all-button car, which means that every function inside its cabin gets a dedicated button for utmost practicality.

The seats themselves are probably the most comfortable seats one can have in a car and with the rear coach-style doors that gently close with the tap of a button, together offer utmost comfort to the most important men of the world. The brand's famous Shooting Star headliner that lights up the roof of the car with an array of fiber optic cables and mimics a stargazing experience is also one of a kind. The Cullinan comes as a five-seater as standard but opting for the $18,025 immersive seating option replaces the middle rear seat for a center console.

There is no third row of seats to make sure that there is no compromise made in terms of comfort and luxury of its occupants, one can get the lower section of the tailgate with a pair of leather-clad perches and a picnic table to enjoy the beautiful views this SUV will take you to. Though the 21.6 cu-ft of trunk space isn’t the most practical option for an SUV, a nifty feature like the section of trunk floor automatically rises when the rear seats are folded to make hauling large goods easier, is a function that only a Rolls-Royce can offer.

The customization options available with the Cullinan are unparalleled in the world. There are innumerable design schemes, colors, and material choices, and features available for you to build each SUV unique to itself. The options include leathers, veneers, carbon fiber, chrome, and plastics, all of which are available in different colors, hues, and themes that are all handcrafted for the most bespoke feel. The Black Badge also gets its unique lemniscate logo throughout the interior which is the mathematical symbol representing infinity. 

Though Rolls-Royce never unveiled the exact interior dimensions of the Cullinan, rest assured that it offers more cabin space both at the front and at the rear than most of its rivals. The Aston Martin DBX is the most compact SUV here while the Maybach GLS 600 is the one to go for if interior space is what you need the most. Even the Bentayga falls short in terms of headroom and legroom against the 40.4-inch of headroom and 43-inch legroom offered by the Cullinan. Some of the interior features in the 2022 Roll-Royce Cullinan Black Badge are:

• Heated/Ventilated & Electrically Adjustable Front seat w/massage function and memory settings
• 60-40 Folding Bench Fold Forward Heated/Ventilated Rear Seat
• Heated armrests for all four doors
• Full-Leather Seating Surface
• Leather Door Trim Insert and Leather Upholstered Dashboard
• Genuine Wood/Leather Interior Panel Insert w/Chrome/Aluminum Interior Accents and Deluxe Sound Insulation
• Power Tilt/Telescoping Steering Column w/Auto Tilt-Away Leather Steering Wheel
• Four-zone automatic climate control
• Head-Up Display

How intuitive is the 2022 Roll-Royce Cullinan Black Badge’s infotainment unit?

The 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system is very familiar to most buyers as it is a direct adaptation of the BMW’s iDrive infotainment system which uses a rotating knob on the center console called the Spirit of Ecstasy rotary controller in this guise for controlling the screen along with touch and voice inputs. There is wireless Apple CarPlay available as standard but oddly enough, Android Auto is missing even from the options list. 

The touch-sensitive buttons placed below the screen are very handy and can be programmed to offer shortcuts to radio stations, navigation, and many other functions. Navigation is offered as standard while wireless phone charger, mobile hotspot, and other notable features have to be opted for separately. The rear theater configuration that costs $8,250 adds two more touch screens at the back and can also be controlled via the secondary rotary dial on the rear center console. Some of the infotainment features in the 2022 Roll-Royce Cullinan Black Badge are:

• 10.25-inch Infotainment system w/Spirit of Ecstasy rotary controller
• 16-speaker 600W 10-channel premium audio system w/2 floor-mounted subwoofers
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Navigation system
• HD Radio and Satellite Radio
• Mobile Hotspot Internet Access
• Bluetooth Wireless Phone Connectivity and Audio Streaming
• Voice recognition system

One expects to make a grand entrance wherever they go when they get off a Rolls-Royce and the Cullinan does just that with no less poise than the Ghost or the Wraith. The squared-off front fascia with the massive shiny Pantheon grille with the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot on top of it flanked by rectangular headlights on either side look menacing and macho in every way in spite of the average ride height to aid easy ingress and egress. 

The side profile looks massive while the suicide doors stand out from all the other SUVs. At the rear, the tailgate is a split-folding one, and with the Black Badge variant, many of the chrome trims have been blacked out for a more sinister look. The 22-inch wheels also have a different design for the Black Badge and also come with the self-righting hub caps which ensures that the famous emblem is always correctly displayed. 

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is massive in dimensions and is the largest SUV in our comparison. While the Maybach is much smaller than the Rolls-Royce, it still weighs a bit more than the Cullinan. The Aston Martin is the lightest of them all but it is the Mercedes that offers the highest ground clearance while the Bentley rides marginally lower than the Cullinan and DBX. All the SUVs other than Rolls-Royce offer a much more sleek and smooth design language as opposed to its square boxy design. Some of the exterior features in the 2022 Roll-Royce Cullinan Black Badge include:

• Programmable Projector Beam LED Low/High Beam, Daytime Running, Auto-Leveling Directionally Adaptive, Auto High-Beam Headlamps
• Power Liftgate and Lip Spoiler
• Reverse Opening Rear Doors and Soft-close doors
• Electrically Heated Glass Front Windshield
• Rain Detecting Variable Intermittent Wipers w/Heated Jets
• Power Heated Auto Dimming Side Mirrors w/Tilt Down, Power Folding, Memory and Turn Signal Indicator
• Chrome Bodyside Moldings and Black Bodyside Cladding
• Express Open/Close Sliding And Tilting Glass Panoramic Sunroof w/Power Sunshade
• 22-inch 7-Spoke Part Polished Shadow Light alloy Wheels

There is no question over the fact that nobody would even think of crashing such an extremely high value and extremely low sales volume car just for the sake of some safety tests. Hence none of the government and private institutions have ever tested the Cullinan since its inception and will probably never even happen in future. 

That being said, the fact that only the who’s who of the world with great power and money at their disposal use this car as their commuter, we don’t think safety should be a matter of concern at all. Add to that, there is a long list of safety features offered as standard, with even more safety features available as options, a highlight of which is listed below. Some of the safety features in the 2022 Roll-Royce Cullinan Black Badge include:

• Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Driveline Traction Control
• Forward Collision Warning w/Automatic Emergency Braking
• Rolls-Royce Assist Emergency SOS
• Night Vision
• Lane Departure Warning
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• 360-degree view camera w/Aerial View Camera System
• Low Tire Pressure Warning

2022 Roll-Royce Cullinan Black Badge vs Aston Martin DBX

The Aston Martin DBX may be considered as one of the alternatives in the premium luxury SUV segment, both the DBX and Cullinan are different in every way. The Cullinan is focused on offering utmost comfort and opulence while the DBX does offer comfort but with a hint of sportiness to the ride and handling. There is not even half of the amenities offered by Rolls-Royce available with Aston Martin, which is a unique selling point for the RR badge.

2022 Roll-Royce Cullinan Black Badge vs Bentley Bentayga Speed

The Bentley Bentayga is the only direct rival to the Cullinan and it too costs significantly less and yet is much quicker off the line. The cabin is much more premium and spacious in the Cullinan but the Bentley offers more sophistication. Both offer a wide range of customizations but the range that Rolls-Royce has is just absolutely mind-numbing. As long as the high asking price does not scare you, there is no way one would settle down on a Bentayga instead of the Cullinan.

2022 Roll-Royce Cullinan Black Badge vs Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC

Though both the products intend to offer the utmost comfort in an SUV, both do it in a very different way. Both are very spacious on the inside but there is a huge difference in the quality of materials and the available features and customization between the two. While the Mercedes does a fantastic job in itself, when made to stand against the Cullinan, the Mercedes-Benz Maybach GLS 600 too starts to feel lackluster.

The Rolls-Royce brand name has been enough for them to be able to sell cars over the years, but the new Cullinan is an SUV that just obilerates all its competition in every possible way. The attention to detail, expert craftsmanship and the unending range of personalization all come unsaid with a Rolls-Royce, the strong performance, ultra-premium ride quality no matter the road surface, and a solid towing capability, all make the Cullinan have its own strong characteristics that are unique and different from its brand’s name.