New electric Rolls-Royce SUV appears ahead of 2027 launch

Rolls-Royce is putting together an all-electric SUV – or ‘high-sided vehicle’ in Rolls-Royce terminology – that will join the Spectre coupe as the brand’s second all-electric model in 2027. 

Little is known on the record about the new EV, but new spy shots from BMW’s winter testing program reveal a prototype that’s both very large and quite different to Rolls-Royce’s first SUV – the more upright Cullinan. Instead, this new model is lower and sleeker, with an almost wagon-like silhouette and shallower windows. 

Yet while it looks lower, this new electric SUV is most certainly longer than the existing Cullinan. This is quite something considering that car’s already over 5.3-meters in length, so we expect this model to sit somewhere between the Ghost and Phantom saloons in size at around 5.3 to 5.4m. 

There’s no mistaking this car’s core Rolls-Royce design cues, dominated by a long bonnet, upright nose, and short front and long rear overhangs. Peer under the camouflage and you’ll also see the same rear-opening ‘coach’ doors, and a set of small Spectre-inspired rear lights. But up front there’s something more innovative going on. 

Central to the front-end design will sit a typical Pantheon grille, but the lighting on either side is promising something quite different. Look closely and you’ll see a set of LED lighting strakes at the intersection of the bonnet and front bumper which taper from angled to vertical as they get closer to the centre of the car.

Underneath these are vertically-arranged headlights, and while they aren’t the production units, their basic layout and placement will be correct to the future road car. 

Given this model’s placement in the Rolls-Royce range as one of its more progressive model types – after all, this isn’t a V12-powered saloon – we expect the interior to be more digitised than ever before in one of the brand’s creations. Expect larger screens and more digital customisation alongside Rolls-Royce’s famous leather, wood and metal craftmanship. 

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Powertrain , battery and performance

Under the skin, this model will improve its electric driving range as its battery technology should be based on the Neue Klasse architecture from its parent company BMW. But the sheer size and weight of the new SUV will probably see the maximum distance on a charge remain somewhere in the 300- to 400-mile ballpark. Expect a twin-motor layout with upwards of 500bhp; a 600bhp-plus Black Badge is also a given. However, as with the Spectre, this won’t be about outright speed, rather a feeling of effortless power. 

While we don’t know for sure, we believe the electric SUV won’t immediately be a direct replacement for the existing Cullinan, as the petrol-powered SUV still does big sales in petrol-hungry markets like the USA and the Middle East. However, it is unlikely that another generation of V12-powered Cullinan will materialise. What’s more probable is a third all-electric model replacing the flagship Phantom, destined for a 2028 launch. 

Of course, this big new Rolls-Royce won’t be the only ultra-luxury British electric SUV coming out next year, as Bentley’s ‘Urban SUV’ is also on the way. Due to be quite a lot smaller and more agile than the Rolls, given its shared underpinnings with the new Porsche Cayenne EV, the Bentley won’t directly compete for the same customers. Instead it’s probably Jaguar, with its SUV follow up to the forthcoming GT that could be the more pointed competitor. Pricing will be in the style of Rolls-Royce, so it’s rude to ask, but if you must know, don’t expect any change from £350,000. 

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