Rivian may be relatively new to the EV market, but from what we've seen so far, it's obvious the marquee has come to stay. Founded in 2009, Rivian Automotive, Inc. is a California-based American automobile manufacturing company specializing in electric vehicles and automotive technology. Less than seven years younger than Tesla, this brand looks set to go toe-to-toe with Tesla in the nearest future. Rivian’s latest SUV is poised to give Tesla's Model X a serious run for its money.
Rivian wouldn’t be the first EV startup to serenade the automobile scene, but products like the R1T and now the R1S are clear indications of the direction the company is going – up. The R1S is Rivian’s first mass-produced SUV, a fully-electric top-of-the-line sport utility carefully built to deliver fantastic off-road and on-road capabilities.
We found the 2022 Rivian R1S to have more offroading oohs and aahs compared to Tesla Model X. Another way to view Rivian R1S is as an electric Range Rover – offering premium luxury, comfort, and on-road/off-road high performance.
The 2022 Rivian R1S Is King On-Road And Off-Road
We can almost hear founder and designer, R.J. Scaringe, say to his engineers in John Alfred Hammond’s voice, “No expense spared.” The R1S, like the R1T before it, is built on an all-new "skateboard" modular platform, blazing a trail for other automakers to follow. Ford Motors with a $500 million investment in Rivian, planned to build fully electric vehicles based on Rivian’s skateboard quad motor setup but shelved the idea in 2020.
Cosmetically speaking, the R1S possesses an uncanny resemblance to a Range Rover, such that you might believe it if we told you this is the latest Range Rover. That means Rivian R1S exudes a premium ambiance, enhanced by the front fascia's long horizontal LED strip joining both headlights. That also means you can expect a plush interior to match the Range Rover image.
Inside, you are greeted by a high-tech interior, including a tasteful cabin with two digital display screens; a 15.3-inch digital gauge cluster in lieu of the typical analog instruments, and a large 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen on the dashboard fielding controls for the media, navigation, and temperature adjustment. The interior from the floor mats to the headliners is made of naturally sourced, high quality, and durable materials.
The panoramic roof offers the ultimate stargazing experience, while the Meridian Surround audio system with speakers strategically placed all over the interior provides an immersive audio experience.
The R1S comes in two trims; the Explore Pkg as the base model and the Adventure Pkg as the higher trim. Explore comes with a matte black interior, including headrests made from recycled microfiber, while the Adventure features a premium natural-grained ash wood interior trim.
While we wait for the fully-electric Range Rover slated for release in 2024, Rivian is taking the lead, while also giving the Tata-owned Range Rover more than a couple of things to think about if it has any plans of walking all over Rivian, particularly in the electric 4X4 segment. The 2022 Rivian R1S packs an impressive Rolodex of off-road-specific specs.
Imagine four out of eight driving modes dedicated to various off-road optimizations to adjust key offroading factors like ride height, suspension, stiffness, acceleration, brake response, stability control, etc. These ensure the SUV’s behavior in different off-road terrains like the desert, rocks, and mud. It comes with an adjustable ride height allowing up to 14.9 inches of ground clearance, 36 inches of wading depth, and 6.5 inches of vertical travel.
With an automatic ride height leveling feature, the R1S offers improved handling and headlights aiming in relation to riding height changes based on payload. Speaking of payload, the 2022 Rivian R1S offers ample cargo space, including an 11 cu-ft front trunk (where the bonnet would normally be) and a 7.1 cu-ft rear cargo trunk (with the seats folded down). Get rid of the spare tire in the trunk, and you have yourself an extra 6.4 cu-ft storage capacity.
The R1S is a five- and 7-seater SUV with a maximum tow capacity of 7,700 lbs. The SUV variant with the 7-passenger configuration is currently unavailable. Both R1S trims offer spacious passenger accommodations, especially the first two rows.
The powertrain consists of four electric motors, one for each wheel. This means all Rivian R1S trim gets an AWD as standard. The motors come paired to battery packs of three different capacities, starting from a 105 kWh battery pack delivering 260 miles to a 135 kWh pack of 316 miles, and a 180 kWh pack of 400 miles on a full charge. The batteries are inside the floor, so they don't take up room.
The R1S launch edition has an EPA-rated range of 316 miles, an equivalent of 69 miles on the gallon, which corresponds to 260 – 400 miles of range. The motor can push out 800 horses and 900 lb-ft of torque. Rivian R1S offers a 60 mph acceleration in 3 seconds, an impressive feat for an SUV of its size.
Price And Final Thoughts On The 2022 Rivian R1S
Rivian is sure to keep the electrified motoring market on its toes. Over a billion dollars in investment from Ford, Amazon, and other investors have solidified the company's future. That means we'll be seeing more Rivian products, especially now the company has converted Mitsubishi's old factory in Normal, Illinois, into a Rivian manufacturing plant.
With a $72,000 to $90,000 price range, the 2022 Rivian R1S is an expensive upscale vehicle. However, the SUV is competitively priced compared to other electric SUVs in its class. We'd be remiss to conclude without assuring you that the R1S also comes with Rivian’s signature custom adventure gear, specifically the retractable camp kitchen that goes into the truck’s body.
Additionally, it comes with specialized cargo crossbars that fit multiple ports on the roof as well as compatible with different types of mountain skiing, hiking, and surfing gear. The crossbars are equally used to install Rivian’s roof tent. This SUV offers so much more that we left out due to space.