The lighting that is there, however, is as finely and thoughtfully applied as it would be in the lobby of a five-star hotel. It’s most beguiling when you look up to the stunning, and expensive, starlight headlining. This isn’t a new thing for Rolls-Royce, but it’s as spectacular as ever.
A degree of restraint can also be seen in the cabin, though. The screen, though useful, is quite small and feels outsized by systems in modern city cars. But that’s okay. Consider it a digital detox – with serenity, rather than overloading the driver with largely useless information, the desired effect.
All the heating and ventilation controls are physical and work flawlessly, there’s a huge volume knob in the middle of the dash and everything in the cabin feels bespoke to Rolls-Royce rather than borrowed from a lesser source. This is all part of the experience, of course.
The compact drive selector sits up on the steering column, and to engage drive you must pull it towards you and then down. This is unlike any other new car in the UK, and immediately gives you a sense you’re driving something special. The V12 isn’t silent, as you might imagine, but the noise that does emanate is gentle and regal. Press the throttle pedal and the response is incredibly soft, but it makes pulling away smoothly easy.
When driving at low speed, it’s easy to think the Cullinan feels a little slow, but that’s nothing to do with the 563bhp twin-turbocharged V12 engine. Instead it’s about how the powertrain is calibrated, being designed for smoothness above all else. It makes for a totally serene experience in a way that no car, even a Bentley or a Range Rover, quite matches.
