Road Test: The New 1,025 HP Rivian R1 Is a Rock-Crawling Speed Demon
The first production car Rivian ever made was the R1T , an all-electric pickup truck, which rolled off the assembly line in September 2021, followed by the R1S , an all-electric SUV, which was produced in December 2021. Almost four years on, the cars are due for what is traditionally known as a mid-cycle refresh: the R1T and R1S aren't changing how they look, but, underneath, the Quad-Motor now offers 1,025 hp and can zip to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds.
Rivian, in fact, calls the new R1T and R1S the second generation, or Gen 2, version of its flagship products, a sign of how meaty it thinks the update is. Beyond the raw speed and power, there are significant software, hardware, and efficiency updates, and new features, like the Kick Turn, which can make low-degree turns on tight trails and do 360s on a flat surface.
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The R1S Quad-Motor will start at $121,990 when it goes on sale later this year, while the R1T Quad-Motor will start at $115,990, prices that are somewhat expensive compared to its competitors (the Tesla Cyberbeast, for example, starts at $103,490) but, like the Gen 2 name, signal that with these new EVs, Rivian isn't holding back.
"A lot of customers just want the best that we can do," said founder and CEO RJ Scaringe during a launch event in June in Tahoe. "The vehicle is on-road and off-road. It can do both of those things, and it allows us to push some of the technical boundaries of what's possible."
Rivian has the smaller R2 up next , which is targeted to be a $45,000 car, with ambitions that, in a decade, it will be selling millions of vehicles a year to customers around the globe, according to Scaringe. If that happens, it will all have started with the R1.
Rivian Gen 2 Quad-Motor R1S's interior, steering wheel, and display.
What's New for 2025
The 1,025 hp that the Gen 2 Quad-Motor R1T and R1S delivers is the obvious headline, along with that head-snapping zero-to-60 mph time, though at the launch event, Rivian was more eager to show off its off-road prowess.
In that department, there is the new Kick Turn feature, which Rivian insists is not a party trick like the GMC Hummer's Crab Walk , though Kick Turn is certainly a trick that can be performed at parties. The trick is turning the car as one would turn a tank. The effect, as an observer, is impressive and dramatic, especially if there is a lot of dust to be kicked up; as a driver it takes some learning, though the feature can only be activated below 15 mph and, after some experimentation, new drivers will get the hang of it pretty quickly. On the trail, it allows the new R1 to take sharp turns that would otherwise require going in reverse.
The Rivian Adventure Department Tuner Mode (RAD Tuner Mode)—or "nerd mode" as one Rivian engineer called it—allows drivers to fine-tune throttle response, ride height, torque balance, damping, stability controls, and other settings. On the road, a Launch Mode and Launch Cam helps drivers go quick fast and record themselves while doing it, with some statistics presented, perhaps for social media.
Design
Not much has changed in the exterior of the R1T and R1S, which still look like Rivian R1Ts and R1Ss. On the inside, there are updates, including lots of plaid in the premium Ascend interior, along with quilted seats and other more elevated touches. There are new wheel options, including 20-inch and 22-inch choices. Tire choices include an all-season, an ultrahigh-performance road tire, and a 34-inch all-terrain tire.
Rivian's mascot Gear Guard , an animated, friendly figure, has an expanded role in the car's infotainment system, intended to communicate fun and playfulness in a way similar to, for example, Bibendum, also known as the Michelin Man.
The Rivian Gen 2 Quad-Motor R1T crawling rocks, where it is happy.
Power Train and Other Hardware
The R1 has an electric motor for each wheel making a combined 1,025 hp, though each motor can produce different levels of torque for each wheel, allowing the car to adapt to drive conditions as they are presented, including wet and dry pavement, ice, snow, mud, dirt, and rocks. Rivian says that the new motors are also oil-cooled, which improves efficiency and also keeps temperatures stable in low-speed, high-torque environments, such as rock-crawling.
The EPA-estimated range is 374 miles, while Rivian says the Gen 2 Quad can go up to 400 miles in Conserve mode, which mostly shuts off the rear-wheel motors to save battery power and go further.
Performance
The four electric motors are able to provide frighteningly quick acceleration for a vehicle that weighs around 7,000 pounds. That acceleration is confusing at first, because quickness that snaps your head back is usually only found in supercars or hypercars, but it quickly becomes familiar.
The R1s performed well in the rock-crawling tests provided by the company, set up to be challenging enough to show the Gen 2 R1's dexterity on stone, but not overly so, such that a group of automotive journalists, including myself, successfully completed them without incident. The RAD Tuner Mode is well-executed, and driving dynamics change quickly in response to user inputs. Kick Turn is also similarly well-executed beyond the initial learning curve.
Rivian Gen 2 Quad-Motor R1S charging.
Is It Worth It?
There was some grumbling among the wave of journalists at the press event that I attended in Tahoe that it is impractical to be selling a $120,000 car that is intended to go off-road. They argued that it's better to simply buy a Jeep Wrangler, perhaps, for a third of that price and not spend your time on dirt worrying about damage. But that misses the point, a little, of what Rivian is trying to do, which is make a truck/SUV that is merely capable of doing serious off-road things, as it is capable of a righteous zero-to-60 mph time, as it is capable of mostly driving itself on many highways, as it is capable of winning the Rebelle Rally .
This is a truck/SUV that does many disparate things quite well, in an overall package that tries not to compromise on any of them. It's the very best of what Rivian can do right now in a consumer-focused vehicle, which might justify a price that is high for a car that doesn't pretend to be luxury. For many—surfers, skiers, hikers, overlanders, weekend trippers, Tesla haters, EV disciples, adventurists of all stripes—the second-generation R1 Quad-Motor will be ideal. For everyone else, a more specialized vehicle, or simply a less capable one, might do just fine, and for less money, too.
Specifications
Vehicle Type
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Midsize SUV/Pickup
In Production Since
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2021
Power Train
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Four electric motors, 1,025 hp and 1,198 ft lbs of torque
Performance
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Zero to 60 mph: 2.5 seconds
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Top Speed: 130 mph
Price
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$125,990, R1S Launch Edition
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$119,990, R1T Launch Edition
Click here for more photos of the Rivian Gen 2 R1S and R1T Quad-Motor.
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