The Rivian R1S is an electric luxury SUV with excellent power, range, and overall capability, as well as unique design that helps it stand out from others in the class. Rival three-row electric SUVs include the Kia EV9 and the Lucid Gravity.
2025 Rivian R1S Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2025 Rivian R1S
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2025 Rivian R1S
Like its sibling, the Rivian R1T pickup truck, the Rivian R1S three-row SUV has been refreshed for the 2025 model year. It’s not a full redesign, though Rivian considers it the beginning of the SUV’s second generation. It features an overhauled trim lineup, new powertrains that improve on both performance and efficiency compared to the previous generation, and a new version of Rivian’s infotainment system, which, like before, relies on the brand’s exclusive, ground-up interface. There’s a new, limited-edition California Dune package that comes with an exclusive exterior and interior color palette, blacked-out trim, new wheels, an all-terrain package, and off-road accessories.
Design
Most shoppers probably won't be able to tell the difference between the updated 2025 Rivian R1S and the previous version. Changes are subtle, with the new adaptive headlights as the most substantial change to exterior design and features, and even then, it’s not especially apparent. The R1S carries over its boxy, upright profile, accented with crisp yet minimal lines and unique LED lighting that features a front light bar pierced by two oblong headlights. Wheel designs tend to err toward the rugged side to complement the R1S’ impressive off-road capability.
Powertrain
Here’s where things get interesting. Rivian had already offered some of the most powerful and capable electric vehicles on the market, but the second generation raises the stakes. The R1S is available with four powertrains, starting with the base, self-explanatory Dual-Motor. That version’s twin motors are combined with a 92.5kWh battery pack, for 533 horsepower and 610 pound-feet of torque. The Performance Dual-Motor version upgrades to 665hp and 829 lb-ft, thanks to the choice of a 135-kWh or a 149kWh battery pack. The Tri-Motor version uses a 135-kWh battery pack and makes 850hp and 1,103 lb-ft. Finally, the Quad-Motor uses the same 135kWh battery and is rated for a substantial 1,025hp and 1,198 lb-ft, and can go from 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds. All versions feature standard all-wheel drive (AWD) and a single-speed automatic transmission. Depending on the configuration, range varies from 270 to 410 miles.
Interior
Sharp-eyed shoppers will notice that, while the R1S carries over a similar exterior design, the cabin benefits from more upgrades. Not much changes in terms of layout, but Rivian has upgraded many of the surfaces to smarter finishes that better reflect this SUV’s luxurious vibe. The R1S seats up to seven, yet there’s still plenty of storage; the cargo area holds 17.6 cubic feet, and the cabin’s total cargo capacity maxes out at 88.2 cubic feet. There’s also an 11-cubic-foot frunk and a five-cubic-foot cargo area built into the floor.
Technology
Like several other luxury EV brands, Rivian’s infotainment system is exclusive to the automaker and does not include Android Auto or Apple CarPlay capability. However, the 15.6-inch touchscreen display features Rivian’s own smartphone integration. Other standard features include a 12.3-inch digital instrument display, a 6.8-inch rear entertainment display, and wireless charging. Rivian’s infotainment is reasonably intuitive, though vehicle functions rely heavily on touchscreen menus rather than physical controls.
Safety
Rivian equips the R1S with a ton of safety features. The list includes a rearview camera, a surround-view camera system, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alerts, lane-departure alerts, lane-keep assist, driver-attention monitoring, parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, and a semi-autonomous highway driving system. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded the 2025 Rivian R1S the Top Safety Pick+ designation, its highest rating, as well as top Good scores in all completed tests. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hadn’t crash-tested the 2025 R1S at the time of writing.
Pricing and Release Date
The 2025 Rivian R1S is available now. As of this writing, Rivian lists pricing as starting at $76,990 for the base Dual-Motor and $83,990 for the large-battery Dual-Motor. The California Dune edition of the R1S is based on the Tri-Motor trim and starts at $105,900, while the Tri-Motor trim starts at $106,990. Finally, the Launch Edition of the Quad-Motor model starts at $125,990. These prices do not include Rivian’s destination fee of $1,895.
