That the Rolls Royce is a luxury vehicle, could be rehashing known information, but its ‘Cullinan’ model is extending utility beyond passive comfort rides.
The off-road capability of the Rolls Royce Cullinan was experienced, first hand, this last weekend and the minutes spent driving showed a vehicle made with every bit of luxury expected, yet, almost seemed made for Nigerian roads.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Lagos of Coscharis Motors Plc, the exclusive franchise of the luxury brand vehicles in Nigeria, recently invited select media partners to have a ‘feel’ of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, the first-ever Sport Utility Vehicle to be produced from Goodwood in the United Kingdom – the House of Rolls-Royce.
The location was around the luxury apartments by Azuri Towers at the Eko Development City right beside the Atlantic Ocean on a Saturday morning with all the trappings of the beautiful landscape within the city.
“The choice of this location is to give you the smooth drive a Rolls-Royce Cullinan will deliver for you effortlessly on all the different road terrains you can imagine. Right here, you will enjoy the drive on a smooth road and sandy areas on the beachside that gives you both the on and off-road capabilities of the Cullinan,” said Abiona Babarinde, general manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Coscharis Group.
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The average Rolls Royce owner is not expected to take their shiny vehicle out into the sand, but, when it comes as an SUV with dedicated off-road capability, taking it to the village for social functions becomes more appealing.
Even some of the best parts of Nigerian cities have uneven roads, and portions appearing never constructed. The driving experience is hardly pleasing, worse still, in sedan-like vehicles without much ground clearance.
When SUVs, favoured for the Nigerian terrain are used, the occupants are not entirely spared the bumpy ride either. In some places, especially on what should be highways, pot holes are more like bomb craters and the need for SUVs is reinforced. Still, the journey is not always as smooth.
However, at the touch of a dedicated ‘Off Road’ button, the Rolls Royce Cullinan transforms into a mode suited for the bumpy terrain. No, it does not transform like in the Transformer movie, but “its all-wheel-drive actively engages, providing uninterrupted torque to all four wheels for precise, reliable performance on dry, wet, snowy or icy surfaces,” according to details on its website. It further indicates suspension raises 40 mm to offer additional ground clearance. Brake and acceleration responses adapt for greater control and responsiveness on uneven terrains. Once engaged, the off-road setting can be tailored for optimum performance on any terrain, gradient, or surface quality.
To summarise; the rough, bumpy road suddenly feels like the car were still on ‘normal road’. Added to this, no noise or jiggling vehicle parts to irritate the ears.
The Rolls-Royce team delivered presentations on different aspects of what was described as the ‘luxury of SUVs’. Michael Onyewuchi, the Ownership Services Manager of the brand gave a rundown of all the after-sales offerings available to give the customer ‘peace of mind’. He noted that aside guaranteed warranty from the purchase of the Cullinan from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Lagos, there is a guarantee of genuine parts to be fixed with the right tools by certified Rolls-Royce technicians.
