All this talk about climate change and the need to reduce our carbon footprint and emissions and we see new bigger, bolder, brawny and beautiful luxury SUV models being paraded on social media to tease the wealthy into parting with their easy money.
A few years ago, before the raging forest fires and increased flooding around the globe became a serious issue, Rolls Royce marketers decided that they needed to produce a large and very luxurious SUV for very rich people to be transported from point A to B in absolute comfort.
It was a design challenge to get a boxy vehicle to look like an interesting SUV and they achieved it with the Cullinan. A global sales success, even in Malaysia, this is the biggest Roller you can buy today and it is full blown SUV.
Now the entry-level Rolls Royce Cullinan is priced from £250,000 (RM1,426,000 estimated) in its home country, however after you tick all the many option boxes the final price could nudge past the £400,000 (RM2,281,800) mark.
Today, sales of this large and boxy luxury machine is selling beyond belief and profits are rolling in for Rolls Royce.
Rolls Royce Cullinan V12 Specifications
Engine V12-cylinder Petrol
Capacity 6,750cc
Transmission 8-Speed Automatic Transmission
Max Output 563bhp
Max Torque 850Nm
0-100km/h 5.2 seconds
Top Speed 250km/h (restricted)
Price: RM4.0 Million (Estimated)
Meanwhile, we look at this just launched brand new long wheel base (LWB) Range Rover which is 5252mm long, 2209mm wide, and 1870mm tall. Its selling price in UK starts from £94,400 (RM540,000) which is about £16,000 more than the previous Range Rover.
Yes, the new 5th generation Range Rover might not look very different from the 4th generation model, but its very different in small ways.
It rides on a 3197mm wheelbase, and in five-seat models offers 725L of boot space beneath the luggage cover, 1050L with the cover removed, and 2165L with the second row folded flat.
The LWB seven seater 4×4 luxury machine has 229L of boot space behind the third row seatbacks or 312L to the roof, 713L beneath the luggage cover with the third row folded, 1061L with the cover removed, and 2601L with both rows of seating folded flat.
It is powered by a BMW sourced ‘M’ engine that delivers driving performance that will surprise sports car drivers on the highway. The Rolls Royce Cullinan also comes with a BMW engineered powertrain but with added cylinders. It is a V12 BMW engine.
This is probably the closest rival to the Cullinan right now and with both luxury vehicles powered by BMW it will be interesting to see how different they are …… to say, a BMW X7 M50i SUV which is powered by 8-cylinder TwinPower Turbo engine that produces 530hp.
This new top of the pick V8 powered Range Rover has 750Nm of torque and an acceleration time of just 4.4 seconds which is 0.5 seconds faster than the Cullinan. Does it matter?
Range Rover V8 Specifications
Engine Twin Turbo V8-cylinder Petrol
Capacity 4,400cc
Transmission 8-Speed Automatic Transmission
Max Output 523bhp
Max Torque 750Nm
0-100km/h 4.4 seconds
Top Speed 283km/h
Price: RM1.5 million (Estimated)
Now, for the super wealthy Malaysian the, huge price difference between the New Range Rover and the Rolls Royce Cullinan is no issue. A RM2.5 million gap actually, which will buy you another new Range Rover and also a new Defender with all options included.
This is because, for the Cullinan buyer, it is all about the badge at the end of the hood. That iconic hood ornament is worth the additional RM2.5 million and for the buyer, that’s like ‘pocket change’.
So, we will probably see this all new Range Rover outselling the the all new Defender when it arrives in Malaysia as there are enough wealthy Malaysians who already bought a Rolls Royce and they will want this new Range Rover as well.
