The Rivian R1S went on sale in late 2022, and it was significantly re-engineered for the 2025 model year. Notably, it was the first all-electric, three-row SUV to hit the U.S. consumer market, but now it sees competition from the GMC Hummer EV SUV, Lucid Gravity, Kia EV9, Volvo EX90, and Hyundai Ioniq 9. The 2026 Rivian R1S has four trims: R1S Dual Standard, R1S Dual, R1S Tri, and R1S Quad.
2026 Rivian R1S Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2026 Rivian R1S
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2026 Rivian R1S
The Rivian R1S entered its second generation in 2025 and received significant mechanical and architectural updates. However, the 2026 R1S isn’t quite a carryover model as it does have some significant changes. Perhaps the biggest change: It now comes standard with the North American Charging Standard (NACS) port, which allows owners to use Tesla Superchargers without an adapter. Additionally, the quad-motor version reappears with major upgrades. Other new things for 2026 include interior material upgrades, a dedicated Apple Watch app, a revamped “Kneel Mode”, and “Launch Mode” for high-performance models.
Design
The exterior design of the Rivian R1S has remained consistent with its upright stance and boxy design. Standout exterior features include a floating roofline and a split clamshell tailgate. Standard wheels are 20 inches, but 22-inch wheels are available. The All-Terrain Package also includes 20-inch wheels and all-terrain tires, along with a reinforced underbody shield, Rally mode, a compact spare tire, and Soft Sand mode. Bright trim and badging is standard or buyers can opt for the Darkout Package on upper trims, which includes black exterior trim and badging. There are also more exterior paint options as buyers level up in trims, but every paint except LA Silver is a premium cost option.
Powertrain
The 2026 Rivian R1S is standard with all-wheel drive (AWD) and has four power outputs, each tied to a trim and battery pack. The Dual-Motor model with Standard, Large, and Max batteries delivers 533 horsepower and 610 pound-feet of torque. The Performance Dual with the Max battery delivers 665 hp and 829 lb-ft of torque. The Tri-Motor and Quad-Motor are only available with the Max battery pack and feature a significant increase in power output. The former delivers 850 hp and 1,103 lb-ft of torque, whereas the latter delivers 1,025 hp and 1,198 lb-ft. Both the Dual-Motor and Performance Dual with the Max battery deliver an estimated 410 miles of range. The Tri and Quad models get 371 and 374 miles, respectively. The Dual-Motor with the Large battery delivers 329 miles, and the Dual-Motor with the Standard battery delivers 270 miles. Max towing capacity, regardless of motor or battery configuration, is 7,700 pounds. However, it’s worth noting that towing will reduce range by an estimated 40 to 50 percent.
Interior
The interior of the 2026 Rivian R1S has a clean, modern vibe, with a large center screen that houses most of the vehicle’s controls, including steering wheel and side mirror adjustments. The R1S has a 2-3-2 seating configuration for up to seven passengers. Base upholstery is synthetic vegan leather. Heated-and-ventilated front seats and a heavily tinted panoramic glass roof are standard, and an electrochromatic Dynamic Glass roof is available starting with the R1S Dual trim. The R1S has up to 18 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, with a max cargo volume of 105.8 cubic feet. As an EV, it also offers a frunk (front trunk) with 11.1 cubic feet of space, which is enough to fit two carry-on suitcases.
Technology
The 2026 Rivian R1S features a 12.3-inch digital cluster, a 15.6-inch infotainment screen, eight USB-C charging ports across all three rows, dual wireless phone chargers in the front, and the ability to use your phone as a key. It also has a native digital interface with apps such as Google Maps, Spotify, Tidal, and Apple Music, but it lacks Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Standard audio is a Rivian-developed 10-speaker system, and an 18-speaker Rivian premium audio system with Dolby Atmos is available. The R1S also offers two subscription packages: the first is the Connect+ package, which includes things like a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to eight devices, native data streaming, Google Cast, satellite imagery for the maps, remote access to the vehicle’s cameras, and Alexa Connected; the second is the Autonomy+ package, which includes hands-free driving and automatic lane changes.
Safety
The 2026 Rivian R1S is packed with standard safety features, including adaptive cruise control, steering assist, automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, dynamic brake support, blind-spot monitor, lane-departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high beams, and a 360-degree camera. All of this is supported by 11 high-resolution cameras, five radars, and 12 ultrasonic sensors. Autonomy+ is available on all models and, in addition to hands-free driving and automatic lane-change capability, includes “Enhanced Awareness” to help the vehicle better detect objects in inclement weather. Though the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not crash-tested the R1S, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has recognized the 2026 R1S with its Top Safety Pick+ award, based on mostly Good crash-test and avoidance ratings.
Pricing and Release Date
The 2026 Rivian R1S went on sale in mid-2025. At the time of writing, the base price for the R1S Dual Standard model is $76,990, not including a $1,895 destination charge. The R1S Dual starts at $83,990. Opting for the Max battery will add $7,000, and the Performance Upgrade will add $5,000. The R1S Tri and Quad models will start at $106,990 and $121,990, respectively. Premium paint will cost between $1,950 and $3,000, depending on the color. There are two interior color options at $2,500 and $3,000.
