The Rivian R1S is a fantastic electric luxury SUV , with the interior amenities and ‘froading chops to fill the hole left by the Toyota Land Cruiser’s exit from American shores . Early reservation holders will soon be able to get their hands on their very own R1Ses, but the rest of us will merely admire Rivian’s design as an R1S silently glides by. Luckily, it’s a beautiful SUV to behold.
When I got the opportunity to drive an R1S the other week in the Catskills , I took more than my share of photos of the SUV in its natural habitat — 906 photos, to be exact. Here are some of the best.
The R1S shares the R1T’s distinctive oval-eyed face, making it stand out from the other boxy three-row SUVs on the market. The drivetrain certainly doesn’t hurt either.
Rivian’s engineers didn’t leave any stone unturned when developing the R1S. Nothing on the SUV feels parts-bin, or done out of tradition or lack of care. Everything is high-effort, and it shows.
Yeah, fine, I take this photo with every car I drive. Sue me. It’s a fun little shot, and shows off that Rivian’s badge letters actually bow out in the middle. Another thing to stand out, another thing that had to be thought through.
The “S” takes up more of the badge than the “R1,” presumably to try and avoid people just calling the SUV “the Rivian SUV” (as opposed to “the Rivian truck ”). Will it work? Only time will tell.
Of course the electric off-roader has a built in air compressor. Why wouldn’t it? There’s space for it, and there’s enough power to run it. This is the kind of thoughtfulness you notice in every single detail of the R1S.
It cannot be overstated just how big the interior of the R1S is. A six-foot-tall person usually can’t fit in the third row of a luxury SUV with any degree of comfort, and yet I did. In fact, I even told the person in the second row to slide their seat back.
Rivians, both S and T, come in great colors. Why would you ever buy one in grayscale?
Most modern EVs adopt the same basic egg-shaped silhouette to maximize airflow and eke out extra miles of range. Not so with the R1S, yet it still goes further on a charge than you’ll probably want to drive.
For my on-road testing, I drove a Launch Edition R1S with the Launch Green exterior color and all the yellow accents. More cars should have yellow accents. This is me coming out as pro-Hellcat chin guards.
Both the R1S and R1T pictured here have the optional tow hook package. Those tow hooks barely extend past the bumper, but the area surrounding them is rubber that folds away, making it easier to slip a tow strap onto the hook. Always thinking things through, those Rivian engineers.
This badge, however, put the company in a difficult place. Since the SUV’s body color extends on to the door, Rivian had to choose whether the badge would be centered with the door shut, or centered on the pillar itself. The answer? Neither, it’s placed where the panel needed a bit of relief to remove from the press in production.
No pavement in sight, surrounded by green leaves, a river with a picnic table sitting nearby. This is what the R1S was meant for, even if you have to climb a mountain to get there.
There’s a very specific angle to the front wheels that makes a car look perfect in photos. I do not know this angle, but luckily my co-driver for the Rivian event did — one Andrew P. Collins, recovering Jalop.
Look at the A pillar here, how the shine of the light cuts a hard angle down between the windshield and passenger window. The R1S has the hard lines that other EVs swear are an efficiency nightmare. It doesn’t seem to mind, though.
Okay, the road was in sight, it just wasn’t in frame. Still, the back woods of rural New York are as good a place for the R1S as any. This particular SUV had an on-road tire and wheel package to boot, so smooth-ish roads were its bread and butter.
Where to next? A mud bog, a rocky pass, the Rubicon trail? Or just to your local REI, attached to the mall?
I absolutely filled my Stan Smiths with mud getting this shot. I’m unconvinced that they will ever look clean again.
You’ll notice the mud here isn’t shallow. This was the third or fourth time I lapped the off-road course at Monticello that day, with rain beating down for every outing. Conditions got continually worse as the day wore on, but the Rivian never stumbled.
Gotta clean those wheels off somehow, right? Why not take a little splash through a river to get the mud out from between your tire treads?
It’s funny to take low-angle shots like this of the Rivian. Normally, this angle makes an SUV look big, imposing, and mean. But the Rivian has these big, soft eyes that completely transform how the image feels.
I’m not saying that you have to use this image as your lock screen if you’ve preordered an R1S. I’m just saying I would appreciate you considering it.
Nothing gold can stay, and no freshly river-washed Rivian will remain clean forever. There’s always more mud to be found.
I’m going to start knocking cars for not having split tailgates, the ideal form of tailgate. Ram TRX? Needs a split gate. Subaru Crosstrek? It would fit. Toyota Supra? Honestly, yeah, give it one too.
The R1S’s cabin feels fresh, open, and inviting. The windows are big, the dash is low, and you can really see out into the world. Add in the great seats and the comfortable steering wheel, and you’ve got a stew going.