Gilted wheels

Are you planning your next road trip with your dear ones, but are looking to upgrade to a spacious and fancy-looking SUV? With so many luxury options, choosing one can be a hassle. Marquee labels such as Rolls-Royce and Mercedes Benz have driven in with ultra-luxury SUVs, which promise to take long-haul road trips to a zone of unbelievable comfort.

The recently launched Rolls-Royce Cullinan tops this list for the feel-good it offers. The Cullinan SUV made its entry in the market earlier this year, in a bid to dethrone the Bentley Bentayga as the most luxurious and expensive SUV. The classy looking SUV also has a history behind its name; it is the British company’s first attempt at a crossover and is named after the 3,106-carat diamond discovered in South Africa in 1905.

Of course, in order to buy this SUV one needs to double swipe that Amex Platinum. The price for the Cullinan starts at Rs 69.5 million. At this jaw-dropping price, it comes with extravagant interiors. It has  a 'rear-theatre configuration'. Not only will you sit on seats even more luxurious than the ones in the front, but Cullinan offers a plethora of other delights too. Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Global CEO, Rolls-Royce says, "What sets Cullinan apart is its greater headroom and the big cabins. We have also added the orange lines which are till now appreciated by a lot of the buyers. Interior styling is a very important part, Cullinan's spacious interiors including the elevated driving seat adds onto the comfort and is an attraction for many."

For instance, the cabin temperature won’t be affected if someone opens the boot. A glass panel partitions the luggage area from the passenger compartment maintaining the perfect atmosphere. Another talked about feature of the Cullinan is its highly powerful headlights. The laser headlights have an effective range of up to 600 metres. They are just not amazingly powerful, but the diodes are controllable for adaptive beam direction.

Just like the Cullinan, Mercedes-Benz India recently launched the new Mercedes-AMG G 63 – a performance off-roader, which further strengthened this iconic brand's SUV portfolio. This one, though, requires a single swipe but offers a wide range of features. The price for the AMG G 63 starts at Rs.22 million. 

It is powered by a 4.0-litre V8 biturbo high-performance engine that generates an astonishing 430 kW (585 hp) of power and a mammoth 850 Nm of torque which helps it attain 100 km/h from standstill in a mere 4.5 seconds. Roland Folger, CEO of Mercedes Benz India says, “There are not many SUVs in the world that have such an unparalleled legacy, the first Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon debuted in 1979, and since then, has been a cult off-roader. The new Mercedes-AMG G 63 is an SUV that has a cult following because of its timeless design and incredible off-roading prowess.”

The G 63 includes a host of safety features including the 'active brake assist', which gives the driver a visual warning if the distance to the vehicle in front is too small. The 'active lane keeping assist' detects unintentional deviation of the car from its lane, warns the driver by making the steering wheel vibrate, and activates the brakes on one side to help manoeuvre the vehicle back into its lane.

With powerful headlights and spacious interiors to a strong engine, these SUVs provide their riders safety and luxury. You will have the best to choose from the next time you go shopping for a powerful set of wheels for family holidays.