Watch Rolls-Royce’s SUV go berserk in the desert

Over the last few months, a bin-bagged Rolls-Royce Cullinan – a camouflaged prototype of the British company’s first SUV, sorry, ‘high-bodied car’ – has been pounding around different parts of the world as part of its final development cycle.

The whole sign-off process has been broadcast via Rolls’ social media channels in partnership with National Geographic. Some of Nat Geo’s heartiest adventurers (the kind who enjoy wearing breathable technical clothing) have been rigorously testing the car everywhere in conjunction with RR engineers, from the rainy Scottish Highlands, snowy Austrian peaks and, most recently, arid Middle Eastern deserts.

As you can see from the video above, they’ve not been giving the world’s most luxurious SUV an easy time. Having made it to the scorching sands of the UAE, the keys are handed over to a local who proceeds to surf the SUV – sorry, ‘high-bodied car’ – around the desert in a way no other Rolls-Royce has been driven in history. Beating even Thierry de Montcorgé, who made a bet with friends that he could race a Rolls Royce in the Paris Dakar. 

Given the commitment and capability of the big Roller on sand, we’re now more intrigued than ever to see what Rolls’ SUV – sorry, ‘high-bodied car' – will be like to drive.