Enlarge / After building the R1T adventure truck, Rivian followed up with the R1S SUV.
jonathan gitlin
Last September, we drove one of Rivian’s new electric trucks and found its R1 platform to be highly competent on and off-road, with an impressive level of engineering that makes driving to the top of a mountain nearly effortless. It’s been a rough few months for the electric-vehicle maker since then, with supply chain problems delaying deliveries, a former executive filing a discrimination lawsuit and shareholders upset over a rather clumsy price increase.
But Rivian is still very well financed, and its factory in Normal, Illinois, is building electric trucks and delivery vans for Amazon. Now another R1-based EV is entering production: the R1S SUV.
Like its truck sister, the R1S has a friendly appearance, particularly compared to the more aggressive SUVs coming out of Detroit. Partly that’s due to the design of the lights, which should highlight its pareidolia, and partly to what now passes for a relatively low hood height, with curved edges that are aided by sharp creases at the corners.
Enlarge / It’s hard not to see a face here.
jonathan gitlin
That said, the R1S is still a big SUV. It is the same width (81.8 inches/2,078 mm) as the R1T truck, but at 200.8 inches (5,100 mm) long, the R1S is actually 16.3 inches (414 mm) shorter, with the largest part of that difference (14.7 inches/374 mm) comes from the wheelbase. As a consequence, there is no longer a gear tunnel, the innovative cargo area that sits just below and behind the rear seats of the R1T, but a third row of seats that fold with the floor when not in use.
Under the hood, there is a large motorized trunk, like in the R1T, with 11 cubic feet (313 L) of storage space. Open the split tailgate – the bottom can hold up to 1,000 lbs. (454 kg), so feel free on it, and there’s a 17.6 cu. ft. (498 L) payload capacity that increases to 46.7 ft. cubic ( 1322 L) if you do not need to use the third row of seats. For really big loads, fold down the middle row too and enjoy 88.2 cu. ft. (2,498 L) of cargo capacity.
Commercial
As with the truck, the interior is a stylish place to be. I’m a particular fan of the reclaimed wood trim, as well as the thoughtful approach Rivian took to placing the USB-C ports and storage areas. Visibility from the driver’s seat is good, without too many blind spots, but some readers may be put off by a touchscreen UI for the infotainment system and a lack of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
This is a no-button zone, but there are plenty of USB ports and places to store your stuff. You could use grab handles and a retractable umbrella though.
jonathan gitlin
The center row of seats splits 40:20:40 and moves back and forth. Even with this row all the way back, there is room in the third row, although, as with all third rows, the feet are fairly close to the hips.
jonathan gitlin
There is an additional 5 cubic foot storage area under the floor.
jonathan gitlin
The cabin could use grab handles to make it easier to climb aboard, and once again, an automaker has created an EV with a full-length glass roof that doesn’t have a sunshade. Rivian says that panoramic glass blocks 99.9 percent of UV rays and heat, but it would be nice to have a retractable fabric that could block it all out when the owner wants it. A passenger sitting in the middle row on the right side of the car could also be dazzled by reflections from the main instrument display, as I discovered.
The family resemblance between truck and SUV is more than skin deep; mechanically, the R1S we drove in New York is basically the same as the R1T we drove in 2021. Our test R1S featured the 835-hp (623-kW), 908-lb-ft (1,231-Nm) quad-engine setup, along with the 135 kWh Battery Pack.
The front-wheel drive unit generates 415 hp (310 kW) and 413 lb-ft (560 Nm), while the rear-wheel drive unit contributes 420 hp (313 kW) and 495 lb-ft (671 Nm). Each drive unit contains two motors, one for each wheel, so the drivetrain doesn’t require a conventional differential to spread torque from one side to the other.
Source: arstechnica.com