The Rise of the Luxury SUV: Bentley, Cullinan, and Urus

A decade ago, the idea of a Rolls-Royce or Lamborghini SUV would have been considered heresy. Purists argued that these brands had built their reputations on low-slung sports cars and grand tourers, and that an SUV would dilute their identities. Today, those same purists have been proven spectacularly wrong — the Cullinan and Urus are the best-selling models their respective brands have ever produced.

The Bentley Bentayga was the pioneer, arriving in 2015 and demonstrating that a luxury SUV could deliver both the refinement expected of Bentley and genuine off-road capability. The Bentayga's W12 engine produced 600 horsepower, making it the fastest SUV in the world at the time of its launch. More importantly, it proved that Bentley's customers wanted an SUV — and were willing to pay handsomely for one.

Lamborghini followed with the Urus in 2018, and the results were transformative. The Urus doubled Lamborghini's annual production volume and introduced the brand to an entirely new demographic of buyers — families, entrepreneurs, and those who wanted Lamborghini drama without the compromises of a low-slung supercar. The Urus S, launched in 2022, added more power and more technology, cementing the model's position as the definitive super-SUV.

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan, launched in 2018, took a different approach. Rather than chasing performance figures, the Cullinan focused on delivering the Rolls-Royce experience in an elevated driving position. The result is a car that feels as effortless at altitude as the Ghost does on the motorway. The luxury SUV segment has not diluted these brands — it has expanded them, bringing their values to new customers and new contexts.