About a decade ago, an automotive cataclysm occurred. Within a short time frame, three manufacturing monoliths — Bentley, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce — decided to introduce sport utility vehicles. Purists declared it was heresy, but the trend didn’t stop; Ferrari debuted its contribution in 2022.

Albeit in small numbers, the foursome has added to the ever-expanding SUV industry dominance. About 9 million of the 16 million new cars sold in the United States in 2024 were SUVs.

For 2025, the Bentley Bentayga, Ferrari Purosangue, Lamborghini Urus and Rolls-Royce Cullinan are still among us, rare beasts all. They can’t possibly be family haulers, thanks to the never-ending list of perfectly worthy options with price tags a few hundred thousand dollars less. And what possible cargo is carried in the opulent small apartments on wheels? Are the original appeals of SUVs still relevant?

The Purosangue and Cullinan are the options with starting prices of more than $400,000, with the latter carrying a heavier responsibility. The Ferrari model’s name is Italian for a thoroughbred horse. The Rolls-Royce breaks from the carmakers’ traditional vehicle nomenclature referencing ghosts; it’s named after the largest rough diamond ever found.

Prestigious from its debut, Rolls-Royce has a tumultuous history of uber-luxury, lean times and litigious owners. It was first designated the “best car in the world” by Autocar magazine in 1907, three years after the brand debuted. The company badge is the combination of West London auto dealer Charles Stewart Rolls’ last name and the vehicle made by Henry Edmunds at Royce Ltd. in Manchester, the Royce 10. The alliteration of the brand’s name and its cars’ status morphed into a superlative. A high-end appliance may be described as the “Rolls-Royce of coffee makers” or the “Rolls-Royce of refrigerators.” Who knows if Rolls-Royce is flattered or takes offense?

With its few updates, including 23-inch, seven-spoke aluminum wheels, the Cullinan — launched in 2018 as the world’s first super-luxury SUV — is now the Cullinan II for 2025. It features all Rolls-Royce requisites. It’s massive and powerful, boasting a 6.7-liter, twin-turbo V12 engine. It advances with an eight-speed transmission and is standard with all-wheel drive.

The Cullinan II is exquisitely adorned with top-line materials and packed with cool and wonderfully unnecessary features, all exuding class. Carbon fiber umbrellas are hidden inside driver and passenger front door panels. They’re released with a push-button lever and locked back in a nonuse position and dried with an in-door air mechanism. There’s the fiberoptic light-laden headliner in a constellation of buyer’s choice. Upholstery made with bamboo and lambswool carpeting provides additional opulence.

There’s also the brand’s signature, the jumbo-sized Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament above the front grille. It’s the polished stainless steel motor mascot represented by a woman leaning forward with her arms outstretched behind and above her. Cloth extends from her arms to her back, resembling wings. In recent years, the adornment has been reduced to 3 inches tall and is mounted on a spring-loaded mechanism designed to retract instantly into the radiator shell if struck from any direction. It’s also upgradable, with 24-carat gold plating and illuminated frosted crystal versions as costly options.

With all of its luxuries and its longstanding status, what would Rolls-Royce represent if it also wasn’t the most expensive production or close to it? The Cullinan II costs nearly twice as much as the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus. Its starting price is slightly less than the Ferrari Purosangue.

Unlike other Rolls-Royce models, the Cullinan II’s exterior relies on a bulky design and is void of any contours and subtleties. It’s 17 1/2 feet long and 6 1/2 feet tall. It weighs 7,283 pounds and takes command on the road with a powerful silence. It’s what Rolls-Royce has always done best.

Facts & figures

Acceleration: 0 to 60 mph, 4.5 seconds 

Airbags: 8

Horsepower: 563 (592 Black Badge model only)

Gas mileage: 12 mpg city, 20 mpg hwy

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $410,350

Priced as fully equipped: $475,350

Manufacturer’s website: rolls-roycemotorcars.com

Warranty: Bumper-to-Bumper, 4 years/unlimited miles; Drivetrain, 4 years/unlimited miles; Complimentary maintenance, 4 years/unlimited miles