Electric 3-Row SUV From Rivian is Fast and Capable

Just like the pickup truck, a quartet of electric motors provide power to each wheel, meaning there is potential for AWD hoonery. Those units are rated at 147kW and can be matched up to a selection of three different battery sizes.

In terms of outright range, a 180-kWh pack will provide an estimated 400 miles of go time. Thanks to a slightly different weighting and a couple of other tweaks, the slightly smaller 135-kWh battery allows for 300 miles of range but is the fastest accelerating rig of the bunch. Down the road, a smaller 105-kWh battery will be offered – presumably to lowly peasants – which is said to provide over 240 miles of range.

The off-road specs read like the R1T as well, which is to say it is quite capable. Approach and departure angles are said to measure 34 and 30 degrees respectively, with the latter equalling the rig’s breakover measure. Like its brother, it has a claimed 3-foot water fording ability and 14.3 inches of ground clearance.

Surprisingly, the R1S SUV will bend weigh scales to the same tune as the pickup at a shade under 6,000 lbs. Given the extra glass and metal, this statement flummoxes your author but there it is. The SUV is said to be slightly shorter than the pickup, so perhaps that’s the difference. All versions of the R1S will top out at 125 mph, which is allegedly a tick under the average speed on most Texas interstate highways.

Its interior looks appropriately futuristic, given its mandate as an all-electric contender in the large SUV market.

Thanks to the absence of a traditional internal combustion engine, the R1S has a frunk capable of swallowing about 12 cubic feet of gear. There’s more storage out back. The company pegs total length at a smidge under 200 inches, meaning it is about the same length as a Ford Explorer. For comparison, a Chevy Tahoe casts a 204-inch shadow.

Rivian says the R1S will go on sale sometime near the beginning of 2021 with a starting price – aided by federal tax credits – of $65,000.

From Off-Road.com

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