Rolls-Royce took the wraps off the Cullinan Black Badge in November last year. Now, the BMW-owned British marque has launched it in India. Wearing an eye-watering price tag of Rs 8.2 crore, it is not only the most expensive production SUV but also the most imposing. The new derivative carries the same sort of visual and performance enhancements as the Black Badge editions of the Dawn, Wraith and Ghost did previously.

Amongst the added embellishments is a high-gloss black Spirit of Ecstasy sculpture that, like in the standard Cullinan, pops-up at the top of the imposing grille. The grille surround, side frame finishers and even the exhaust outlets feature the same darkened treatment. The side profile also reveals 22-inch wheels in a silver-black dual-tone finish. Hiding behind those are huge brake rotors and very un-Rolls-Royce-like red callipers. Indoors, the cosmetic enhancements include carbon fibre finishes on the dashboard and the centre console. And yes, the starlight headliner is part of the pack as well.

Propulsion comes courtesy of the same powertrain that does duty in the standard SUV. However, there’s more oomph on offer. The 6.75-litre, twin-turbo, V12 puts out 592bhp/900Nm, an increment of 29bhp/50Nm. Harnessing and feeding the power to the wheels comes from an 8-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system. To tame the added punch without disturbing the character of the SUV, Rolls-Royce made changes to the suspension, throttle and the gearbox.

In the Black Badge form, the Cullinan costs substantially more than the standard version. The price difference in India is way above the Rs 1 crore mark. Not that anyone will bother contemplating for anything else, but the closest competition comes in the form of a Range Rover SVAutobiography and the Bentley Bentayga. Some might say that the Cullinan Black Badge is unnecessary. Red brake callipers on a Rolls-Royce is something not many discerning customers will dig. What’s your take on it? Is the standard Cullinan good enough to be a Rolls-Royce?