Living with a Rivian R1S: I spent a week driving a family SUV with Bugatti performance

This is the Rivian R1S, and I’ve been driving this massive electric SUV around the United States for a week. It’s totally bonkers, and Rivian will soon be bringing cars to our shores.

While the 2026 Rivian R1S Quad Motor isn’t officially coming to the UK, or even Europe, Rivian is bringing its smaller Tesla Model Y-rivalling R2 across The Pond.

When? That’s not been confirmed, and I don’t think Rivian even knows just yet. But the initial order book for the R2 in the US is fit to burst, so the signs are very good. Maybe 2027…

In fact, we travelled to the US back in February this year so that Mat Watson could try the new R2 – and he loved it…

The good news is that so much of what is great about the pre-existing R1S has transferred across to the R2.

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Let’s start with the R1’s looks. The headlight design isn’t for everybody, but it’s refreshing to see an EV treading its own path in the design department. It’s huge, the R1S, but purposeful and instantly recognisable on the road.

Inside, Rivian has done a fantastic job on the design and build quality of the interiors. Mine was wearing a light interior colour which really lifted things, helped by numerous fantastic design details on the dash, doors, seats and even the floor – I’m partial to a tartan mat.

Rivian’s infotainment is another area that excels the efforts of so many other manufacturers. For starters the main screen and driver’s digital dials are bright with superb resolution, while the main screen is super responsive with logical menus.

True, there’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but apps like Google Maps and Spotify are integrated and the overall design and menu structure is like using a large smartphone regardless. There’s a playful cartoon-like design to many of the graphics, too, which keeps things light-hearted. You get the sense that Rivian doesn’t take itself too seriously, which I really admire.

And because it’s so huge, the R1S offers a superb amount of space for the front passengers, three adults across the middle row and another two in the back – all with great access in and out. We’ve also tried the pick-up truck version of the R1, the five-seat R1T, and found the R1S less cramped in the back.

It’s not surprising that this gigantic SUV also has plenty of space for luggage. Even with all seven seats in place there’s enough room for three or four large bags, but with them down you’ll simply struggle to fill it. Another huge tick is the R1’s split tailgate, which is useful, but also, lets face it, just cool.

Its size, however, does mean weight. Electric cars are typically heavier than their petrol equivalents, but the Rivian R1S is – wait for it – 3.1 tonnes. It’s part of the reason we can’t have it in the UK, and it was also the reason I had to pressure wash its tyre marks off the light-coloured driveway where I was staying.

Despite its heft, you really can’t tell when driving – especially in the range-topping Quad Motor version we had. The stats are staggering; four electric motors, 1,025hp, 1624Nm of torque and 0-60mph in 2.6 seconds. We found its humongous 130kWh battery is good for around 320 miles of range if you take it easy, too.

I confirmed that 0-60 time for myself, which means this seven-seat, three-tonne, tank-turning SUV is as quick as a Bugatti Veyron. Doing 2.6 seconds sitting inside three tonnes is hilarious – once or twice. Beyond that it becomes quite unpleasant. Impressive, but unpleasant.

Oh sorry, yes, I should have mentioned it can also do a tank turn, thanks to its four individual motors being able to send its opposing wheels in opposite directions. Y’know, in case you encounter an old flame and require a quick getaway. Or, officially, for minor adjustments during off-road driving. Whichever.

Stationary spinning and straight-line speed isn’t an issue, then, but cornering the R1S is if you get carried away. It has precise steering and is pleasant to thread through slower bends, but even in its sportiest driving mode with its standard air suspension stiffened it doesn’t feel particularly comfortable cornering tightly at high speed.

That won’t worry most owners because the R1S is first and foremost a family SUV. Naturally, it’s wonderfully quiet at low speeds, but that also translates to higher speed on the motorway. Its suspension sponges away most lumps and bumps well, too, although plenty of similarly sized and priced electric SUVs from Europe are even more comfortable.

And talking of price, the R1S Quad Motor starts at £90,000 in the US. For a comfortable, quiet, spacious, very well-equipped, high quality large SUV that can keep up with a hypercar. Believe it or not, that is decent value amongst its peers in today’s world.

By comparison, a BMW iX M70 costs £114,300, and a Porsche Cayenne S Electric will set you back almost £100,000. Both of those cars are smaller than the Rivian, only have five seats and are over a second slower from 0-60mph.

But for us here in Blightly, all that matters is the R2. That car is smaller, much lighter and usefully cheaper – it could start at around £55,000 here in the UK when it finally arrives.

Rivian is making brilliant EVs and people are buying them. All we can do is make a brew wait patiently for our turn.

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