2022 Rivian R1T Review, Ratings, Specs, Prices, and Photos

With a huge one hundred thirty five-kwh battery pack powering four independent motors for each individual wheel, an independent air suspension with six.5 inches of vacation, and 5 travel modes with virtually 50 diverse travel settings, the Rivian R1T is the most flexible vehicle we’ve ever driven. It twists by way of hairpin turns with agility and composure, clambers up deeply rutted rock trails, accelerates quicker than most sporting activities cars and trucks, and does it all in close to silence. It’s a 9 for its great powertrain, composed handling, and exceptional off-street ability and towing potential. 

How fast is the R1T?

Rivian claims a -sixty mph time in 3. seconds and we have each reason to believe that it. Nevertheless, it doesn’t feel like it is cornering on rails or slamming you into the seat again. The reason, extra so than the multitude of suspension and trip top quality settings, is that its massive battery pack of 7,776 modest 2170-format Samsung SDI cells contributes to a whopping suppress weight of virtually 7,000 lb, which is as much as most hefty obligation pickup vehicles. But no pickup, from the Ford F-a hundred and fifty Raptor to the Ram TRX to nearly anything by Hennessey, has this sort of decide up.  

Is the R1T 4wd?

Yes, the R1T’s quad-motor travel technique has two travel models on each individual axle, with two motors per travel device controlling both half shaft. The motors get the job done independently to make 415 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque to the entrance axle, and 420 hp and 495 lb-ft to the rear axle alongside one another, the output exceeds 800 hp and 900 lb-ft. The quad motor set up permits torque vectoring at each individual corner of the truck to both of those optimize grip on pavement and climb over hurdles off-street at lower speeds. 

5 travel settings with 5 diverse suspension heights give the R1T a variability unmatched by other autos. The air suspension can drop to 7.9 inches when parked and tops out at 14.four inches in Offroad mode. Higher than 50 mph, the suspension instantly lowers to 10.one inches for far better aero and effectiveness, and that is also the conventional trip height for Sport mode. Depending on the mode, the technique sets the adaptive damping, regenerative braking, and traction control amongst a few settings each individual that can be overridden by the driver. For occasion, Sport mode utilizes extra entrance axle torque and switches the dampers from Gentle to Stiffer that, alongside with the lowered trip height, lets it hug the street extra. 

One particular of the few travel units to keep on being preset is the electronically assisted steering. The suspension improvements may possibly make it look like it provides steering heft, but the ratio stays the exact same. On-centre feel is fantastic, and the steering response is in no way as well unfastened nor as well agency, nevertheless motorists used to general performance cars and trucks may possibly want extra resistance and street feel.  

With a vehicle this weight and height, Rivian used a hydraulic roll control technique in its place of anti-roll bars to continue to keep the large SUV from leaning into turns. 

Off-street

If you program to go off-roading in any terrain, from aged fireplace and mining streets to slickrock in Moab, get the Off-Highway package. As an alternative of 21- or 22-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli tires, it will come with 20-inch wheels wrapped in 34-inch Pirelli Scorpion 275/65/R20 all-terrain tires. The underbody defend that shields the battery pack will get strengthened with a layer of steel, carbon fiber, and a layer of aluminum honeycomb for vitality absorption. 

The geometry can help, with an tactic angle of 34. degrees, a departure angle of 29.3 degrees, and a breakover of twenty five.7 degrees. People break up the change amongst Rivian’s off-street benchmarks, with the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon four-doorway possessing 44/37/22.six-diploma tactic/departure/breakover angles and the Ford F-a hundred and fifty Raptor’s 33.one/24.9/24.four degrees with 37-inch tires. Neither of the benchmarks can match the floor clearance supplied by the R1T’s air suspension, but that is not the only competitive advantage. 

There’s no pumpkin, no huge rear differential to scrape, no fuel lines or transmission cases to include, so in its place of aiming a wheel for a rock to crawl over, you can straddle hurdles and quickly obvious them with the 14.9-inch clearance (it is larger owing to the larger tires with the off-street package). Cameras on the facet mirrors projecting again and forth, as nicely as entrance and rear cameras, give further eyes in which essential. The most amazing point is how silent it is, with the classic grinding and cranking of lockers and revving of the engine replaced by the crush of rock and the burbling of a creek. 

Descending down a slope or pausing whilst climbing in Rock Crawl is diverse than in classic off-roaders. There’s no “Hold” so two-foot driving is crucial to keep the brake on a slope and carefully speed up so you do not roll again into the R1T guiding you, say. For now, there’s no hill descent control, but the Max regen braking placing fills that void, other than when the wheels slip and shuttle you in advance. 

The change amongst Max, High, and Typical regen is not that pronounced, and mastering how to modulate the accelerator for a single-pedal driving for easy stops into stoplights will come reasonably effortless. 

Towing potential maxes out at 11,000 lb, but we did not test Tow mode. The air suspension instantly concentrations the trip height when towing, and the a variety of travel settings instantly change to accommodate the load.

Review proceeds beneath