Looking for a do-it-all SUV? You might have found it with the 2023 Rivian R1S. This is an all-electric three-row SUV from Rivian, an American startup EV manufacturer, and a sibling to Rivian’s first vehicle, the all-electric R1T pickup. It’s stylish, powerful (more than 800 horsepower!) and spacious, and it offers more off-road prowess than most other SUVs, electric or not. The R1S also has respectable range on a full charge. Go easy on the R1S and it should be able to go more than 300 miles on a full charge with the Large battery pack.
There are more and more electric SUVs competing with the R1S for attention. Some of Edmunds’ favorites include the BMW iX, the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV and the Tesla Model X. The venerable Model X also offers three rows of seating and lots of power, but it lacks the Rivian’s off-road capabilities. The BMW and EQS are both impressive and might be the way to go if you want a more premium European vibe from your luxury electric SUV. Read our Expert Rating below for a more in-depth look at the 2023 R1S.
While we haven’t had an R1S in our long-term fleet, we did purchase the closely related R1T pickup truck. It’s essentially an R1S with a bed instead of a third row of seating, so many of our impressions of the R1T can be applied to the R1S, especially when it comes to tech, build quality and features.
For 2023, the R1S is available in a single trim level: Adventure. The standard powertrain has a motor powering each axle, giving it standard all-wheel drive. Output for this dual-motor setup is around 600 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque. If that’s not quite enough, Rivian offers a quad-motor setup, with an electric motor powering each wheel. Output increases to 835 horsepower and 908 lb-ft of torque. There are also two battery packs currently available to order: a 105-kWh Standard battery and a 135-kWh Large battery. We don’t have an EPA estimate for the Standard pack, though Rivian says it will be over 260 miles. With the Large battery pack, the EPA estimate rises to a maximum of 321 miles. In Edmunds’ real-world EV testing, we saw 330 miles on a single charge. Rivian has also announced that a third battery option, the Max pack, will become available later in 2023 with a promised range of approximately 390 miles. Got all that? OK, keep reading for our rundown of the R1S’ features and options.
Adventure
Comes well equipped with:
Standard advanced driver aids include:
The R1S is also available with a handful of options and accessories such as:
The BMW iX is a very different sort of EV than the R1S, but it’s no less impressive. It lacks the Rivian’s third row of seating and off-road prowess, but in exchange the iX delivers more range and more polished in-car tech and driver aids. Throw in a comfortable, well-appointed cabin and you’ve got a pretty compelling electric SUV. Read Edmunds’ long-term road test of the BMW iX.
The Mercedes EQS SUV is one of the other few three-row EVs around, though space in the rear is tight. Mercedes’ in-car tech and driver aids are a bit better than the Rivian’s, and interior quality is more luxurious. While the EPA estimates are close, the EQS SUV also outperformed the R1S in Edmunds’ real-world range testing. In the R1S’ favor are its more distinctive styling and lower starting price.
One of the earliest all-electric SUVs and one of the few other three rows, the Tesla Model X was the benchmark for this segment for a while. While it’s not as fresh as it once was, range, performance and tech are all still impressive. Access to Tesla’s nationwide Supercharger network is a huge plus, too. The falcon-wing rear doors might not be for everyone, however, and its towing and off-road capabilities can’t match the Rivian’s.
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