That land yacht driven up my way was a brightener on a cloudy day.

The timing, perhaps, could have been better, with the pandemic still alive, as well as the “stay-at-home” directive.

But it is the 2020 Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV, the most ultraluxurious model ever delivered to me.

The last time I drove a Rolls was more than 40 years ago, in 1978, and I’ll not pass the opportunity to assume control of this new one, even for just a few days.

The full-sized Cullinan last year became the first sport utility vehicle ever produced under the Rolls-Royce marque, as well as the first all-wheel-drive vehicle. It is named for the Cullinan Diamond, the largest gem-quality rough diamond discovered.

The $394,275 sticker price on the 2020 Cullinan review model is more than $100,000 higher-priced than the previous top-ticket item I’d driven 10 years ago, the 2010 Bentley Continental Supersports at $286,845.

The first Rolls I drove way back in ’78, if I remember correctly, was in the $75,000 to $80,000 range. I was with Bill Stewart, the Rolls-trained mechanic who took over the Rolls-Royce franchise of Kumpf Motor Co. and opened Royal Carriage at My Garage at 4^th and Broadway in Denver. He retired a few years ago from an expanded lineup of exotics out on County Line Road.

So, with the many years behind me, this Rolls-Royce is special.

Henry Royce, an electrical and mechanical entrepreneur, built his first motor car in 1904; in May of that year he met Charles Rolls, who sold cars in London, and they formed the Rolls-Royce automobile company.

Rolls-Royce today is fully owned by BMW of Germany. Bentley, Rolls-Royce’s onetime partner and a rival today, is owned by Volkswagen.

Each Rolls-Royce automobile is built by hand at Goodwood, England.

Rolls-Royce’s famed “flying lady” emblem still, after more than 100 years, rests out front at the edge of the hood. When David Polley, driver of the Cullinan to my home, got out of the SUV I noticed he pushed a button on the key fob and the flying lady disappeared beneath the surface of the Rolls. This new feature is responsible for decreasing the rate of thefts of the prized emblem.

Under the huge, long Cullinan hood is a 571-horsepower, 6.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V-12 engine (627 lb.-ft. of torque) with 8-speed automatic transmission.

The big Rolls rides on a wheelbase of 130 inches, is 210 inches in overall length, 85 inches wide and 72.3 in height. Curb weight is 5,865 pounds, just under three tons.

This may be the quietest luxury car I’ve driven was my thought after a short while in the Cullinan on Tuesday. And then it snowed on Thursday.

In spite of the Cullinan’s brawny size, it’s an exceptional handler.  It has a much lighter feel out on the roads than you’d expect from an ultraluxury showpiece in the three-ton category.

Much of its agility on the curves and climbs can be attributed to its aluminum-inspired space frame, double-wishbone front and five-link rear and self-leveling independent air suspension. I believe, also, it’s assisted by the four-wheel-steering capability. Those rear wheels will turn direction 3 degrees. The air suspension is designed with technology to read the road ahead and adjust itself accordingly.

Out front is the traditional Rolls-style upright grille, and at the front edge of the bonnet (hood) is the Spirit of Ecstasy. Beneath the car’s bonnet (hood) is the Rolls’ impressive 12 cylinders. It’s an upgrade from the 6.6-liter V-12 used in the BMW M760i xDrive and Rolls-Royce Ghost sedan. While horsepower is the same 571 in both the 6.75 and 6.6, the Cullinan develops 627 lb.-ft. of torque. The Cullinan’s acceleration is quick and smooth and effortless. It will sprint 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds.

The all-wheel drive, which can be enhanced with an offroad button, was grip-sure in last Thursday’s 6-inch snowfall and cold temperatures.

Jan and I in the Rolls one morning cruised west on U.S. 34 to I-25, then south to 144^th Avenue, where we pulled the big beast off and into a drive-thru line at Starbucks. The young woman cashier, “wowed” by the RR, told us the driver in the car ahead had paid for our drinks. I, in turn, paid for the order from the car behind us – it was son Kurt, in wife Tammy’s Lincoln.

The air suspension drops entry level 1 ½ inches, as a welcome to the plush, quiet interior finished in beautiful charles blue with the finest leather on the seats and lambswool at the floor. Hidden inside each of the forward-opening rear doors is an $1,800 umbrella.

The $394,275 hand-built Cullinan competes with the Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and Range Rover. I was on hand in the fall of 2015 at Bentley of Denver out on East County Line Road for the unveiling of the Bentayga. That ushered in the market for ultraluxury SUVs.

There is scarce need to mention fuel mileage for an auto that weighs 5,900 pounds with all-wheel drive and is driven by a huge, twin-turboed, V-12 engine. I’ll tell anyway; overall average for the Cullinan was 14.9 miles per gallon.

Bearing a “can’t miss” tag, the 2020 Nissan Sentra showed up in January with excellent styling and revised engine on a new platform and a price that seems “very reasonable,” comparatively speaking ($25k). It is one of the better-looking compact sedans in the U.S. auto market.

Its brightening of showrooms at introduction in late January and early February faded almost overnight upon impact of the coronavirus infection a month later. Few have had opportunity to view the new product, which with closure of showrooms to the pandemic scare, even fewer have had opportunity to buy. New-car showrooms in Colorado are closed (still, in April), though many dealers are open to online business.

The Sentra was to be 2020’s guide in Nissan’s efforts to avoid a third consecutive year of sliding sales. But the fact the ’20 version missed most of the month of January, then suffered from the virus shutdowns the last two-thirds of March, sales for Sentra amounted to only 23,879 units in the U.S. during the first quarter; a year ago, the Sentra at the same time had totaled 56,793 sales.

I took a liking to the Sentra SR model delivered to me, oh, it lacked some in performance, but it looked great, was well-equipped and maintained outstanding fuel mileage.

It was finished in white with a black roof, and Nissan designers continue to tweak the C-pillar window treatment. The newest look gives the small C-window a fine point, and it goes well with the sleekly sloped rear roofline and deck.

The new Sentra sits 2.2 inches lower with a 2.4-inch-wider track, is slightly longer and is 150 pounds heavier in 3,047 curb weight. Handling is impressive from independent front strut and multilink rear suspension.

For the new platform, the Sentra’s overall length was stretched a half-inch to 182.7 inches. Interestingly, that now measures up the same overall length of the Honda Civic, Kia Forte and Subaru Impreza. Those four at 182.7 are lengthier than the Toyota Corolla at 182.3, the Hyundai Elantra at 181.9, the Mazda3 at 175.6 and the Volkswagen Golf at 167.6.

Sentra’s new engine is a 149-horsepower, 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder, linked to a continuously variable transmission and front-wheel drive, riding on 18-inch Hankooks. It replaces last year’s 124-hp, 1.8-liter engine; a small optional turbocharged engine from 2019 is also no longer available.

Overall fuel mileage in my drives was 32.4 miles per gallon; the Sentra’s EPA estimate is 28/37.

An interior highlight is an 8-inch color touchscreen with Bose audio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Rear seating is somewhat snug; trunk space is 15 cubic feet.

The Sentra SR trim level carries base price of $22,355 and climbs to $25,825 sticker price with these optional items:

Power moonroof, heated front leatherette seats, heated steering wheel, thin-type LED headlights, around-view monitor and interior ambient lighting.

Since Super Bowl Sunday in very early February, interest has grown toward the 2021 Kia Seltos, the flashy little subcompact crossover which drew so much acclaim when it was featured in a commercial with the Las Vegas Raiders’ Josh Jacobs.

Styled similarly, in smaller measure and with a bit more boxiness, to the hot-selling Telluride midsize crossover, the Seltos sizewise is positioned between the Soul and Sportage in the Kia lineup.

What the heck is a “Seltos?” Kia says the name is inspired from Greek mythology and the legend of Celtos, the son of Hercules. Replacing the C with S in Seltos is to signify speed, sportiness and strength, the company says.

“Wow, I like the style of that one,” said Alex, the young man serving in the Starbucks window and referring to the new Seltos. “What is it,” he asked.

I explained that it is the new Kia subcompact crossover, Seltos, then asked Alex, “How about the color, do you like it?” It’s called starbright yellow, kind of a yellow/green mix.

“No, no,” he responded, “I’d want black or a lighter color, but I wouldn’t want this color.” I agreed with him.

Twice I was surprised by messages delivered into the Kia’s driver information center. The first was while sitting in a drive-thru line and after the car in front pulled ahead, the message read: “The leading car is driving away.” The second was while I sat in the idling Kia on a cold morning as Jan went into the pharmacy for a prescription, the message was: “Vehicle will be turned off automatically in 30 minutes.” Plenty of time.

The Kia Seltos is 172 inches in overall length on a wheelbase of 103.5 inches, with curb weight of 3,317 pounds. It is 3 inches longer than the key-rival Honda CR-V, 200 pounds heavier and owns a half-inch edge in ground clearance.

Plenty of performance pop came from a 1.6-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder that makes 175 horsepower and pairs with a 7-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission. Standard engine on less-expensive models is a 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated 4-cylinder of 146-hp mated to a continuously variable transmission. The CVTs are good for our times; this quick-shifting 7-speed automatic is better, though, much better.

On a relatively quiet morning in the Big Thompson Canyon west of Loveland, I pushed the drive mode button for Sport, slapped the shifter handle into manual-mode gate and the Seltos gripped the road surfaces and treated very nimbly these curves as though it’d been over them dozens of times. With fewer than 60 miles on the odometer, I knew it was a first-time trial for this Kia.

A roomy interior, including lots of rear-seat legroom, is a plus for the subcompact Seltos. Its cargo space behind the rear seats is 26.6 cubic feet; that’s 3 feet more than available in the Honda HR-V.

Besides the Honda, the Seltos will compete with the Subaru Crosstrek, Buick Encore, Jeep Renegade, Chevy Trax, Ford EcoSport, Mini Cooper Countryman, Nissan Kicks, Toyota C-HR and others.

The drive into the mountains and back averaged 28.3 miles per gallon. EPA rating for the Kia is 25-30 for the turbo engine and 7-speed automatic; for the cheaper AWD models with the non-turbo and CVT transmission the rating is 27/31.

In a walkaround and inspection of the model with Dustin Pew, general sales manger at Peak Kia North at Windsor, he pointed out the high-end equipment level on the SX, including LED headlights, 10.25-inch navigation touchscreen, adaptive cruise control and driving assist which can adjust speed according to the posted limits.

All these features and the Seltos’ sticker price remained below $30,000 – well, barely below at $29,935, which included a $700 sunroof.

In a direct contrast to last year’s winner, the 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid has been named Car of the Year by members of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Style and 52-miles-per-gallon fuel estimate earned this year’s prize for the Corolla Hybrid; the honor a year ago went to the 480-horsepower Ford Mustang Bullitt.

Two other standout models – the Jeep Gladiator and Kia Telluride – were voted Truck of the Year and SUV of the Year, respectively.

The winners were announced on April 1 by Craig Conover, president of RMAP. That would have been the day of the Preview Gala kicking off the 2020 Denver Auto Show, had it not fell victim to the coronavirus pandemic.

The big, tough-looking ’20 Gladiator, Jeep’s first pickup since the early ‘90s, beat out ’19 Chevy Silverado 1500, the ’20 GMC Sierra 1500 and the ’19 Ram 2500.

Opposing the Kia Telluride for SUV crossover honors were the Subaru Outback, Hyundai Palisade and Fiat 500X Trekking. All are 2020 models.

The sharp-handling ’20 Toyota Corolla Hybrid earned the car crown against the Subaru Legacy, Nissan Versa and ’19 BMW M850i xDrive convertible, a $131,000 premium luxury showpiece that didn’t seem to fit with the others.

The Corolla, powered by a 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder gas engine and two electric motors, is estimated to produce 52 mile per gallon in overall driving duties.

The Kia Telluride, when it showed up at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2019 was noticeably larger than the established Kia Sorento, a relatively “small midsize entry.” A 292-horsepower, direct-injection 3.8-liter, V-6 engine with 262 lb.-ft. of torque is tied to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Performance in the Kia gets a boost in Sport mode, and passing power is more than adequate on the highway. Properly equipped, the Telluride can tow up to 5,000 pounds.

The Kia has 21 cubic feet of cargo space behind its third row of seats, and by folding down the back row that is expanded to 46 feet. The Kia is built in West Point, Ga.

The Jeep Gladiator, a four-door pickup, has coil springs all around, lending it a “good ride” rating.

Lowering the rear seatback on the passenger side of the Jeep reveals a removable Bluetooth wireless speaker, which can be lifted out and used nearby as a receptor of music.

The Gladiator 4X4 receives strong performance from its 285-horsepower/260 lb.-ft. torque, 3.6-liter V-6 engine and 8-speed automatic transmission with manual-mode shifting.

Redesigned for the 2020 model year is the Toyota Highlander, now in its fourth generation.  It looks somewhat larger; its wheelbase has been stretched from 109.8 inches to 112.2 and in overall length it has grown from 192.5 inches to 194.9.

Most noticeable is the roominess around the captain’s chairs in the middle of its three rows of seating. The chairs will slide far forward to allow ease of access into the more tightly quartered back row.

The model delivered up my way was the high-end Highlander Platinum with comfortably bolstered front seats of perforated leather.

It carried me on a morning in midweek into the heart of Denver to the “Car Shack,” as some refer to the luxury home offices of the Colorado Auto Dealers Association at Grant and Speer Boulevard. Filming was underway by Bill Reddick and Danielle Klein of 9News in promotion for the scheduled Preview Gala and Denver Auto Show at the Colorado Convention Center.

A dinner preceding the Gala was to feature inaugural inductees into the newly revealed Colorado Automotive Hall of Fame. Both events, of course, were postponed by the coronavirus pandemic.

The all-wheel-drive Highlander performs adequately, though not particularly impressively, with a 295-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine and 8-speed automatic transmission; even with the 110-mile run to Denver and back, its overall fuel-mileage average was only 20.9.

The Highlander interior materials are of a high grade and there are small storage pockets positioned all over. While Toyota includes the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard equipment in all its trim levels, the most exclusive list of options for the other models goes as standard for the Platinum, including:

• rain-sensing windshield wipers,
• adaptive headlights,
• 10-inch head-up display,
• second-row heated seats,
• panoramic moonroof and
• 20-inch alloy wheels for its Bridgestone 255/55R20 tires.

Cargo space behind the third row of seats is only 16 cubic feet; that expands to 48.4 by folding flat the back row. Handy for shopping trips is a hands-free power liftgate. That pushed sticker price to a whopping $51,112. Pricing for the Highlander L base model begins around $36,000.

Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 increases safety with precollision warning and braking, pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise and lane-departure assist.

Among competitors for the Highlander are the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Telluride, Honda Pilot, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevy Traverse, Ford Explorer, Mazda CX-9, Volkswagen Atlas, Subaru Ascent and others.

Truck sales honors year after year are hauled off by the Ford F-series; now its newer, smaller stablemate, the 2020 Ranger, is drawing notice with satisfactory performance from an EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine, mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Turbo boost puts zip into acceleration and provides power to tow for the Ranger. Add to that some decent economy figures and the Ranger’s status goes higher after a slow start in 2019.

With the Ranger and Jeep Gladiator going on sale in recent months, the compact pickup field has grown to seven makes, including also the Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier and Honda Ridgeline.

The Ranger by December 2019 had risen to No. 2 in sales for the month, trailing only the perennial leader, Tacoma. Others, in order, were Colorado, Gladiator, Frontier, Ridgeline and Canyon.

Though the Ranger is a relatively new model for Ford, it’s an old name. The Ranger was Ford’s compact pickup from 1983 to 2012, when production ended. Following a seven-year hiatus, sales of the totally renewed Ranger resumed in January 2019.

There are three trim levels, the XL starting around $25,000, the XLT at $29,000 and the Lariat at $33,000, and two cab configurations, the SuperCab with a 6-foot bed and the four-door SuperCrew with a 5-foot bed.

Brought to me for testing was the Lariat SuperCrew 4X4, base-priced at $38,675 and with options climbing to $46,910 in sticker total. It has safety items in precollision assist and lane-keeping, and interior appeal with front bucket seats (heated), leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. Among its extras are Sync3, Bang & Olufsen sound, navigation, adaptive cruise control, running boards, FX4 offroad package, tonneau cover.

Quick steering response is noticeable in the Ranger; its stiff ride level is somewhat rougher than competitors. It will tow up to 7,500 pounds.

Dialing in among 2Hi, 4Hi and 4Lo grips is as easy as twisting a dial on the center console. Push a button marked TM (terrain management) in the center of the dial and select adjusted terrain control from normal to snow, mud/rut or sand.

The Ranger’s Hankook Dynapro 265/60R18 all-terrain tires were good-to-go on a muddy course I chose following a snowmelt. On a separate run in normal mode, the Ranger handled very well on graveled country roads.

A reader, Tom K., informed me that he intended to buy a Ford Ranger SuperCab, “but when I got in the cab my knees were bent and almost hit the steering wheel, so I tried a Chevrolet Colorado which seemed to have more legroom, and I ordered one of those.” He said he had interest only in an extended-cab, no four-door.

The 2.3 turbo/10-speed automatic is the only power source for the Ranger. It carries an EPA estimate of 20-24 miles per gallon; my tests averaged out at 21.8.

The ’20 version of the BMW X6, always a strong performer with firm ride, has grown a bit – 1 ½-inch-longer wheelbase and an inch longer in overall length just short of 195 inches.

Sharing underpinnings with BMW’s popular X5 SUV, the X6 crossover attracts attention for its sloping roofline.

When it was introduced 12 years ago, the X6’s unusual look with the sloped exterior (some call it “coupelike” though it is a four-door hatchback) divided onlookers into a “love/hate” reaction.

I saw it at the Detroit auto show in January ’08, then took another look when it showed up at the Denver Auto Show two months later. At that time, I asked Karen Silveri, a BMW official, if I might drive it. “Probably not,” she said, “since it will be rushed to Phoenix immediately following the Denver show.” She said maybe she could give me a short ride in it. “Probably not,” I said, and waited for one to be delivered to me in June. It was worth the wait.

This year’s product, equipped with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel control, of course, performs very responsively with a 335-horsepower, 3.0-liter, twin-power turbocharged, inline-6-cylinder engine and 8-speed automatic transmission with sport and manual modes and paddle shifters.

An added option is a Parking Assistance Package, in which in a parallel-parking situation the driver turns loose of the steering wheel and the car is automatically guided into the space. The driver still does the gear selection, acceleration and braking.

The wide-track Bimmer’s 4,800-pound curb weight and 42-feet turn circle are reflected in its EPA fuel estimate of only 20/26; my overall average was 23.3 miles per gallon. Though there are softer-riding BMW models, the handling is appreciatively taut.

The interior remains very quiet, highlighted by Harman Kardon surround-sound and 12.3-inch center display with Apple CarPlay compatibility and enhanced smartphone connectivity.

Jan and I made a swift drive on a Sunday evening to the farm home of Don and Audrey Carey, northwest of Sterling, joining them and Sandy Boggs for dinner. A business meeting the next evening with Mrs. Boggs in Broomfield concluded with dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Westminster.

Base price of $68,600 for the BMW X6 xDrive 40i increased to $72,020 with the optional parking assistance and a premium package including remote engine start, headup display, gesture control and enhanced Bluetooth.

While the engine and transmission are German products, the X6 is assembled at a BMW factory in Spartanburg, S.C.

A higher-end model at a premium price is the X6 M50i, boasting a 523-horsepower, 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine.

Interesting it is that the same week I’ve been testing Ford’s new, yet old-style, 7.3-liter pushrod V-8 engine, the company has announced it will bring to market in 2022 a Ford Transit electric cargo van.

The electric Transit will follow introduction of an electric Mustang Mach-E crossover and an electric F-150 pickup.

It seems late in the game for the F250’s old-type block, especially considering the load of plaudits earned by Ford in recent years with modern EcoBoost V-6s and 4-cylinders.

The big Ford was a surprisingly good handler through the narrow, twisting roadway of Sunrise Canyon, north of U.S. 34 and the Big Thompson Canyon.

It’s the 2020 Ford F250 Super Duty Lariat 4X4 Crew Cab, with Ford’s new gigantic naturally aspirated 7.3-liter V-8 engine churning out 430 horsepower and 475 lb.-ft. of torque. The big block is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Depending on configuration and tow equipment, the trailering capability for the Super Duty will range as high as 22,800 pounds. Cost will be considerably below the added bill for the 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel V-8, and the 7.3 is durable with a cast-iron block, a forged steel crankshaft and oil jets to cool the pistons.

Sticker price is right around $70,000, with a load of options including gooseneck and fifth-wheel hitch kits, 6-inch step bar, tailgate step, camera trailer backup assist, adaptive steering, spray-in bedliner, remote start, navigation and leather seats.

The electronically controlled 10-speed transmission, with push of button at end of shift stalk, offers selectable drive modes of normal, tow/haul, eco, slippery, deep sand and snow. A 10-step ladder gauge in the instrument panel indicates the gear in effect at a glance.

My overall fuel mileage average for the run in Sunrise Canyon, return on U.S. 34, a bit of offroad and some in-town stop-and-go was 14.9 mpg.

The truck was finished in a bright “velocity blue.” Parked one afternoon outside my garage in the driveway, the Ford was photographed by my neighbor Dennis, who as a friend I call a “blueblood.” He did a similar photo last summer for an F-150, also finished in blue. Rumor has it that Dennis and wife Marsha have owned nothing but blue cars and trucks over the years. The trend has caught up with them; blue is one of the fastest-growing color choices on new vehicles of the past two years.

Ford Motor Co. will show off its 2021 Mustang Mach-E crossover electric at the 2020 Denver Auto Show April 2-5, at the Colorado Convention Center. A Preview Gala will precede the opening of the auto show the evening of April 1, at which an inaugural group of awardees will be inducted into the Colorado Automotive Hall of Fame.