Blistering acceleration, a towing capacity of 7,700 pounds, and off-road capability that exceeds every Jeep not named Wrangler defines the 2025 R1S as a performance SUV unlike any other. Yet it has refined on-road manners for long family road trips. It’s a 9.
Yes. At least one motor powers each axle for more balanced torque delivery to put the power down where grip is greatest. Unless it’s in Drift mode. The Dual Motor models can be upgraded to a more performance-driven Tri-Motor R1S that adds another motor unit to the rear axle or the forthcoming Quad-Motor R1S that employs a 2-motor unit on each axle, essentially using a motor to control each wheel.
An air suspension comes standard and provides a delta of 5.5 inches based on one of nine available drive modes: ground clearance rises to 14.7 inches in Rock Crawl mode to articulate other the gnarliest terrain, or settles down to 9.5 inches in Sport mode (there’s one more lower setting for getting in and out). A double wishbone front suspension and multi-link independent rear conspire with a hydraulic anti-roll system to stiffen up the body for less roll when pushed. In All-Terrain or Soft Sand modes it loosens up so this 6,671-pound beast (6,824 pounds in Quad Max form) can articulate over rocks and logs and up to three feet of water fording.
Even on large wheels, the R1S rides relatively smoothly for its size, but the shorter wheelbase than the R1T results in a bit more jumpiness, vertically and laterally. Sport mode’s stiffer settings settle it more.
How fast is the Rivian R1S?
The Quad Max goes from 0-60 mph in 2.6 seconds. We haven’t tested that one yet, but launch control in the R1S Tri Max induces roller-coaster type thrills. It generates 850 hp and 1,103 lb-ft of torque that launches this brick to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds. That amount of torque at an instant is breathtaking. If that and the nine drive modes, including Rally and Drift modes, are too much, Rivian offers a $5,000 performance upgrade on all but the base mode.
It boosts output from 533 hp and 610 lb-ft to 665 hp and 829 lb-ft, dropping the 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds to 3.4 seconds. That’s quick in either form, but it’s stunning with the Performance pack, which adds Sport and Soft Sand modes to the standard All-Purpose, All-Terrain, and Snow modes.
It’s no hyperbole to say there are no other three-row SUVs that combine this level of handling and acceleration with this kind of off-road capability at little sacrifice to on-road comfort. Believe it or not, we tracked the Tri Max and only faulted its braking, which makes tons of sense, 3.5 tons of it. It has three levels of regen braking, and can come to a stop without using the friction brakes.
