Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII will debut THIS year – Rolls Royce Cullinan SUV in 2019

The Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII – RR’s new Phantom – will debut this year, and its sibling – the new Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV – in 2019 says RR boss.

Last summer, Rolls Royce confirmed that production of the current Phantom, the Phantom VII, would stop at the end of 2016, and that 2017 would be a Phantom-free zone for RR before the new Phantom VIII went in to production in 2018.

But it seems Rolls-Royce has either made better progress than they expected or they’ve got a hustle on, as RR sales boss, Ian Grant, has told Car Advice that the new Phantom will actually debut later this year, although deliveries won’t start until 2018.

He also revealed the new Phantom, which will be lighter, stiffer and more dynamic (not too dynamic, we hope), will come with four wheel steering which will make it far more maneuverable.

With the Phantom rolling out later this years – and the Frankfurt Motor Show in September seems the likely venue – its new sibling, the Rolls Royce Cullinan SUV, is now planned to launch in 2019, a bit later than expected.

But the Cullinan, if that’s what RR call the production car, won’t be sitting in the line-up where the Bentayga sits in Bentley’s, but will be a top of the range offering, on a par with the Phantom. Which will doubtless make it the most expensive 4×4 by far.

New aluminium underpinnings shared with the Phantom VIII, a new four-wheel drive system (will that find a home elsewhere in the RR range in time?), lots of technology and huge dimensions should see the Cullinan occupying a place in the market which doesn’t yet exist.

The Cullinan may seem like sacrilege to some, but in may ways – especially as its built off the new Phantom’s underpinnings – the Cullinan SUV is actually more ‘Traditional’ Rolls Royce than a BMW Roller like the Ghost family.

And it looks like a perfect platform for Rolls -Royce’s new Coachbuilt passion – as evidenced by the Rolls Royce Sweptail – as the wealthiest on the planet commission the ultimate hunting, shooting and fishing express.