73
600 - 835
1 speed, Automatic
Electric
All Wheel Drive
With Rivian on its way to producing 25,000 vehicles this year in a former Mitsubishi assembly plant in Normal, Illinois, the well-funded startup electric-vehicle (EV) maker has proven that it's more than a flash in the pan. In 2021, the EV maker successfully launched its innovative R1T pickup truck, and for the 2022 model year has followed that with the subject of this review: the Rivian R1S sport utility. It's basically the same vehicle as the R1T pickup from the front seats forward but with an extra row of seats and an enclosed SUV cargo bay instead of an open pickup bed.
Sizewise, the Rivian R1S is a bit of a tweener among 3-row SUVs. At 200.8 inches nose to tail, it's just a few inches longer than an Acura MDX, Ford Explorer, or Kia Telluride and slightly more abbreviated bumper to bumper than a BMW X7, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, or Mercedes EQS SUV. Also, in terms of garageability, the R1S is much more compact than traditional full-size 3-row luxury SUVs such as the Cadillac Escalade, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, or Lincoln Navigator. For the moment at least, most of the current electric luxury SUV competition to the Rivian R1S, such as the midsize Audi E-tron, BMW iX, Cadillac Lyriq, and Genesis GV60, offer only 5-passenger seating and two rows.
I recently spent an hour driving a 2022 Rivian R1S on the suburban streets, highways, and unpaved rural two-lane roads around Ann Arbor, Michigan.
As with other vehicle manufacturers, supply-chain disruptions and inflation have made Rivian prices a moving target. Eventually, the automaker's plans for the R1S include three trims, all with all-wheel drive (AWD): Explorer ($70,000), Launch Edition ($77,500), and Adventure ($78,000). The base drivetrain is a dual-motor AWD system with 600+ horsepower, 600+ pound-feet of torque, and a standard-range 105-kWh lithium-ion propulsion battery. For an additional $6,000, buyers can upgrade the R1S to a larger 135-kWh battery, and for another $8,000 to a quad-motor AWD version with the larger battery and an eye-watering 835 hp and 908 pound-feet of torque.
Similar to the Tesla business model, Rivian sells its vehicles directly to the public; there is no dealer network. However, the automaker has established regional service centers.
At the time of this review publication, Rivian is accepting reservations only for the quad-motor, large-battery version. Reservations for the 2023 Rivian R1S are currently open, with delivery estimated to be later in the 2023 calendar year.
I drove a 2022 Rivian R1S Adventure 7-passenger model equipped with:
The test vehicle also included the following options:
Including the $1,500 destination fee, the 2022 Rivian R1S test vehicle's price was an estimated $97,000.

Photo: Ron Sessions
As with the R1T pickup, Rivian's R1S sport utility is a handsome, modern, square-jawed design of its own making, immediately identifiable from a distance. The squared-off shape also pays dividends in interior space, enabling the R1S with second- and third-row passenger room comparable to that of a Ford Explorer but with more third-row headroom than a Tesla Model X.
Aside from a pair of comfy, reasonably supportive, heated, and ventilated front buckets, the 7-passenger version offers a 3-person 40/20/40 split-folding second-row bench seat and a 2-passenger 50/50 split-folding third-row perch. There are five LATCH child-seat anchor locations.
The interior design of the R1S is both sparse in terms of switchgear and luxurious in its simplicity. The dash is uncluttered, relying heavily on the large, 15.6-inch center touchscreen for many driving interactions and convenience functions, such as adjusting the dual-zone automatic climate control, customizable drive modes, vehicle settings, navigation routing, and driver profiles. Rivian limited hard switchgear to the steering column stalks (wipers, lights, and turn signals), gear shifting, and cruise control; power window and door lock buttons on the doors; and a pair of roller switches on the steering wheel spokes for functions such as adjusting the side mirrors or tilt/telescoping steering column position.
Unlike most Tesla models, however, the Rivian R1S features a 12.3-inch driver display directly in line with the steering wheel for information related to the serious business of driving, such as vehicle range and speed. Still, R1S buyers unaccustomed to menu-intensive sequences to accomplish some tasks done previously with multiple single-use hard switches in other vehicles may want to practice accessing functions with the center screen a bit before venturing out on their first test drive.
Sport utility vehicles draw buyers for their cargo and storage versatility. In this regard, the R1S does not disappoint. Although there are not as many cubbies and bins as in a full-size pickup or SUV, the R1S has a modicum of stash space. There's a deep covered bin under the center armrests, a rubber pad for charging two smartphones, a large tray at floor level between the dash and center console for a backpack or purse, slide-out trays for small detritus at the leading edge of the front lower cushions, and front-door pockets. The R1S has a total of six cupholders.
As with the R1T pickup, the front trunk or "frunk" can swallow 11.1 cubic feet of stuff and has a 120-volt power outlet. Rivian says there's 17.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seats, 46.7 with the third-row chairs folded flat, and 88.2 when you lower the second-row seats. Under the cargo floor and above the compact spare tire is another 5 cubic feet of concealed storage, perfect for stashing small valuables such as a camera, laptop computer, or purse.
Similar to the BMW X7, the R1S features a power-operated split liftgate. Rivian says the lower portion can support up to 1,000 pounds.
Also in the cargo bay is a built-in air compressor with a 150-psi capacity. Aside from its primary task of powering the R1S's adjustable-height air suspension, you can use the compressor to inflate tires, sports equipment, and such.
Interior occupants will enjoy the view out of the R1S's standard panoramic roof. However, although the automaker treated the large glass panel with a UV-reducing process, there is no sunshade per se, which in the oppressive desert summer heat can transmit too much warmth into the passenger compartment.

Photo: Ron Sessions
One area where the Rivian R1S takes a different tack than most of the competition is infotainment. The large, 16-inch landscape-format color center infotainment screen is one of the most expansive in the segment. When you select a tile, it features available options that slide out rather than segue into distracting menus. The big screen is the portal for most R1S functions, from the expected audio, media, and cloud-based navigation features to climate control and vehicle drive modes, brake regeneration, and charging.
However, there are some areas for improvement as the Rivian system is not compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, which so many drivers are familiar with and comfortable using. Additionally, the audio system doesn't have an AM radio band and is unavailable with the also-popular SiriusXM satellite radio. The R1S does, however, come with access to a few music-streaming services. And standard Amazon Alexa capability makes voice control of most center screen functions quick and easy.
Also, onboard the R1S are an AT&T 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and wireless inductive phone charger. Keeping all your devices charged is easy with eight USB-C ports plus three 12-volt and two 120-volt outlets.
The standard audio system utilizes 14 speakers. However, the Adventure package on the R1S test vehicle came with the upgrade 23-speaker Elevation by Meridian premium system that filled the otherwise hushed interior with immersive, high-fidelity sound. A bonus is a detachable, rechargeable portable Bluetooth speaker, great for camping.
The Rivian R1S comes standard with an impressive Driver+ suite of safety and driver-assistive tech. In addition to eight airbags, the content includes the following:
In total, the R1S scans its surroundings with nine cameras, five radar sensors, and 12 ultrasonic sensors.

Photo: Ron Sessions
As with EVs such as the Volkswagen ID.4 and Volvo C40 Recharge, there is no start button in the R1S. Your butt in the seat is the start switch. With a foot on the brake, pulling the gear lever into Drive or Reverse wakes up the R1S. The all-independent air suspension, with ride height adjustable in multiple settings between 9.5 and 15 inches, means getting in the cabin isn't necessarily a huge climb up.
The Rivian R1S features skateboard construction with a large lithium-ion battery sandwiched between the frame rails under the passenger compartment, resulting in a low center of gravity. The air suspension, with firmness adjustable in the R1S's nine driver-selectable drive modes, features active damping and load-leveling, so the big SUV always feels like it's composed with good ride quality and vertical wheel control, even over big bumps and dips. A hydraulic roll-control system helps the R1S corner with little or no lean in sharp turns while avoiding the side-to-side head toss often experienced with stiff mechanical anti-roll bars.
Then there's the awesome power, the whisper-quiet yet intensely invigorating electric propulsion from the R1S's four-axle-mounted electric motors. Up to 415 hp and 413 pound-feet of torque is available at the front wheels, and 420 hp and 495 pound-feet of torque at the rear. That's about twice as much horsepower and torque as the twin-turbocharged Lincoln Navigator can muster and is sufficient to take the 7,000-pound Rivian R1S EV SUV from rest to 60 mph in a claimed 3.1 seconds.
Getting that power to the ground, the traction of the standard AWD system and torque-vectoring effect of four axle-mounted electric motors combined with the meaty 275/50R22 Pirelli Scorpion Zero all-season tires on the test vehicle provided plenty of grip. The short sidewalls of the 50-series tires helped with steering response.
Confident braking with the beefy, vented 4-wheel discs in the R1S is another strong point, with driver-selectable regenerative braking allowing one-pedal driving in most instances. However, most buyers would also welcome the choice of a less-aggressive setting for lazier cruising.
Towing capacity with the R1S is an impressive 7,700 pounds.
With the quad-motor Adventure package, the R1S offers an impressive 316 miles of driving range. As estimated by the EPA, the MPGe rating for the R1S is 73 city/65 highway. Rivian says a 180-kWh "Max" battery capable of extending the driving range to around 400 miles and a lower-cost 105-kWh battery with about 260 miles of range will be available in the future.
The Tesla-like Rivian Adventure Network of 3,500 200-kilowatt DC fast chargers now under construction at 600 locations along major highways and select off-road locations across the continental United States and Canada will be able to provide up to 140 miles of range for the R1S in 20 minutes, the automaker says. Also in the works is the Rivian Waypoints network of more than 10,000 Level 2 240-volt AC chargers.
As the depth and breadth of premium, battery-electric SUVs begin to expand, the R1S from Amazon-backed Rivian offers a unique blend of sharp design, zero-emission luxury, capability, utility, and driving dynamics. Legacy luxury brands are also rushing into this space, so it remains to be seen if the dealer-less Rivian direct-sales-to-customer approach so successful at Tesla will give the R1S and the smaller Rivian products in the future production pipeline a leg up on the competition. This will especially be important as Rivian diversifies with less-powerful products and more conventional componentry in the larger $60,000-$70,000 price range.
Ron Sessions is a seasoned vehicle evaluator with more than three decades of experience. He has penned hundreds of road tests for automotive and consumer websites, enthusiast magazines, newsletters, technical journals, and newspapers.