After a few years of getting used to seeing Rolls-Royce produce a full-size sport utility vehicle, the Cullinan – named after a massive diamond, of course – has gone through the classic mid-cycle facelift procedure. And it didn’t come out unscathed, some say.
Together with the Lamborghini Urus (which also got updated, though for the second time, and is now a plug-in hybrid V8 super-SUV Urus SE), this model has become the pinnacle of ultra-luxury crossover vehicles – and it’s consistently popular in a cloud nine-like segment populated by the likes of Aston Martin DBX707, Bentley Bentayga, Land Rover Range Rover, and more.
Of course, nowadays its most ardent rival isn’t the sports-oriented Urus but rather Ferrari’s 715-hp Purosangue. It’s not only more powerful but also equipped with coach doors plus a V12 under the hood. However, Rolls-Royce probably doesn’t need to worry too much about the nimbler Ferrari – most likely, customers will choose to have both in the garage and use the Purosangue when they feel like driving and the Cullinan when they prefer being driven instead. Back to the facelift, the technical specifications of the 6.75-liter twin-turbo V8 have remained the same, complete with 563 hp for the regular variants and no less than 591 hp for the Black Badge models.
There are numerous punctual improvements both inside and outside, of course, to warrant a hiked MSRP, most likely, like new colors and new trims, as well as new 23-inch wheels, among others. However, everyone will be happy – or not, depending on their POV – to attest that Rolls-Royce made sure anyone can recognize the facelifted Cullinan, at least from the front. As such, while the changes to the profile and around the back are mostly subtle (the new exhaust tip chrome pieces are the most obvious ones), at the front, there’s no mistaking the pre- and post-facelift Cullinan.
However, a lot of folks foresee a problem – Rolls-Royce luckily avoided the split-headlight polemics and even threw in a massive new DRL lighting signature, but sadly, the ‘gilded’ front bumper won’t be to everyone’s liking. Even the imaginative realm of digital car content creators thinks the same as some pixel masters have proceeded to reinterpret the looks of the Cullinan Series II according to their unofficial vision.
Such is the case here with Marouane Bembli, a virtual artist better known as "TheSketchMonkey" on YouTube, who is unofficially keen on bringing to CGI life an alternative Cullinan refresh – both at the front and in the rear. The rear bumper is easy to resolve – he just reduced the dimensions of the chrome exhaust trim plates and made the bumper a solid piece by eliminating the black plastic protection under the tailgate.
Meanwhile, upfront, he took a more drastic approach – without touching the upper portion of the Cullinan Series II, starting with the radiator grille and DRLs, he completely changed the geometry of the front bumper and made the gilded intakes disappear in favor of a flusher horizontal approach that’s very close to the OEM style of the pre-facelift model. So, which one do you like better - with or without (fishy) gills?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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