- Rolls-Royce is developing a second-generation Cullinan.
- New SUV may ride on the Spectre’s platform architecture.
- A full reveal could happen within the next twelve months.
A new chapter is beginning for one of the world’s most opulent SUVs. Big changes are on the horizon for the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. The British marque has been producing its luxury SUV since 2018 and gave it a refresh in 2024, but even that update has a shelf life. Now, a full second-generation model is in development, and it’s shaping up to be a very different machine.
Read: Next Rolls-Royce Cullinan Is Changing Way More Than You Think
We got our first look at the next Cullinan earlier this month, courtesy of a batch of spy shots from cold-weather testing in Scandinavia. Despite the camouflage wrap, several design cues peeked through, including parts of the completely redesigned headlights and taillights.
Cleaner Styling
Inspired by those spy photos, digital artist Kelosonik has produced a series of speculative renderings for Auto Mail, offering a preview of what the next-gen Cullinan might look like. Compared to the current version, which some find visually awkward due to its unusual headlight layout, the updated model appears to bring cleaner, more resolved styling.
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The most noticeable change at the front will be the lighting. Like many modern cars, the Cullinan is expected to adopt a split headlight setup, with a slim LED strip where the current headlights sit and separate square housings positioned just below.
This change will give the new Rolls a more modern look and, for the brand’s sake, hopefully won’t offend some of its older buyers.
Of course, the marque’s signature upright grille will stay, anything else would be heresy, but it may get a subtle revision. In profile, these renderings suggest the overall shape remains familiar, complete with rear-hinged back doors, which have become a Cullinan hallmark.
Spy shots showed the new model with updated taillights, each complete with two vertical LEDs, so that’s exactly what’s featured in these renderings.
An Electric Pivot
It’s not just the Cullinan’s design that will change. The next Cullinan may share its platform with the all-electric Spectre, built on Rolls-Royce’s Architecture of Luxury. If so, this could mark the Cullinan’s transition to a fully electric powertrain.
The Spectre uses a 102 kWh battery, but for the SUV’s size and weight, Rolls-Royce might opt for a larger or more advanced unit. That could involve sourcing a more energy-dense pack from BMW, its parent company.
Baldauf
A report from Autocar suggest it might even draw from BMW’s upcoming “Gent” battery and motor tech, the same advanced system destined for the Neue Klasse EVs, such as the new iX3. That upgrade would hinge on whether the new hardware can be adapted to the Architecture of Luxury, which wasn’t originally designed for it.
Rolls-Royce has yet to confirm timelines or technical details, but a reveal could happen within the next twelve months.