1905 saw plenty of excitement. Las Vegas was founded that year, the Russo-Japanese War was in full swing, Canada founded the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and Albert Einstein wrote the beginnings of his theory of relativity.

Meanwhile in the UK a motor manufacturer called Rolls-Royce was just getting started, and in South Africa the world’s largest diamond was pulled out of a mine near Pretoria.

The diamond weighed more than 1.3 pounds uncut, and was so large that – following its presentation to King Edward VII – it was cut into nine jewels, the largest of which (at a quarter pound) was placed atop the royal scepter; the second in the imperial crown. That jewel was called the Cullinan Diamond, after Sir Thomas Cullinan and the mine he founded (from which the gem was extracted). A suitable name, in short, for the project leading to the first sport-utility vehicle being developed by Rolls-Royce.

A “high-sided vehicle,” the automaker calls it. But this is coming from the same BMW Group that calls the X5 a “sports activity vehicle,” and the X6 a “sports activity coupe.” No matter; we know what it is, and this is our best look at it yet.

These spy shots snapped way up near the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia give us an even better look at the preview shots released by the automaker itself. And like the jewel after which it’s named, it’s huge: it may emerge slightly shorter from nose to tail than the recently discontinued Phantom (even with the standard wheelbase), but it will be much taller – and likely wider, too. It may prove lighter, though, thanks to a new aluminum architecture that’s slated to underpin every new model Rolls-Royce will make for the foreseeable future.

Expect motivation to come from a version of the same 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 engine that powers the Ghost, Wraith, and Dawn, driving (for the first time in a Rolls-Royce) all four wheels, through an eight-speed automatic transmission. In true Rolls-Royce style, it’s anticipated to feature suicide rear doors to provide easy access to the most opulent cabin space in the business. And as you can see – in contrast to the growing trend of slant-backed “crossover coupes” – the Roller is slated to stick with a conventional wagon roofline to maximize interior space.

Look for the Rolls-Royce Cullinan to debut sometime next year, at which point it looks poised to eclipse even the Bentley Bentayga – and make Range Rovers look like Ford Fiestas by comparison.

Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops

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