Rivian’s 2027 R1S and R1T updates are not a wholesale redesign, and that is largely the point. The electric SUV and pickup already received substantial hardware and software work recently, so this year Rivian is concentrating on the details that make a premium EV easier to shop for, more comfortable to live with, and a bit better suited to the outdoor-minded buyers the brand has always chased.

The headline changes are simple enough: a cleaner trim structure, second-row captain’s chairs for the R1S, a more trail-friendly standard wheel-and-tire setup for the R1T, and a new silver paint color shared with the R2. But taken together, they say something more important about where Rivian is heading. The company is trying to turn its high-end R1 vehicles from impressive engineering statements into clearer, more usable products for real families and adventure-focused owners.

The first noticeable change is not mechanical at all. Rivian is moving away from naming most versions after their motor count – Dual, Tri, and Quad – and instead organizing the range into Premium, Performance, and Quad trims. It is a familiar approach for mainstream luxury buyers: choose the experience and equipment level first, rather than needing to decode the propulsion hardware before getting to the features.

Premium is the new entry point, though “entry level” remains a relative term in a vehicle that starts at $83,990 for the R1S and $79,990 for the R1T in the US. It uses dual-motor all-wheel drive with 533 horsepower and 610 lb-ft of torque, enough for a claimed 0-60 mph time as quick as 4.5 seconds. A power upgrade raises that to 665 hp and 829 lb-ft, bringing the claimed sprint down to 3.4 seconds.

Performance takes over the role previously associated with Rivian’s tri-motor configuration. Here, buyers get 850 hp, 1,103 lb-ft of torque, and a claimed 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds. Then there is Quad, still the halo model and still plainly named for its four-motor setup. Rivian quotes 1,025 hp and 1,198 lb-ft of torque, with the R1T capable of reaching 60 mph in as little as 2.5 seconds in Launch Mode. These are truly wild numbers for vehicles designed to carry people, camping equipment, bicycles, kayaks, and, in the truck’s case, a useful bed full of gear.

The new naming may sound cosmetic, but it should make the online configurator much less intimidating. Rivian is effectively asking customers to decide whether they want a well-equipped long-range EV, a high-performance version, or the maximum-capability flagship – a choice most buyers can understand without first turning into drivetrain experts. It also aligns the flagship R1 models more closely with Rivian’s lower-priced R2, creating a more consistent language across the lineup.

Range remains a central part of the R1 pitch, particularly because these vehicles are designed around road trips as much as off-road weekends. A Premium model with the Long Range option is rated for up to 410 miles in the R1S and up to 420 miles in the R1T, according to Rivian’s EPA estimates. The Performance versions are rated for up to 371 miles in either body style, while the Quad reaches up to 374 miles. As always, those figures depend heavily on configuration, wheel choice, driving speed, weather, cargo, and HVAC use, but they remain meaningful numbers in the luxury electric SUV and truck market.

The biggest practical addition is reserved for the R1S. For the first time, the three-row SUV can be ordered with second-row captain’s chairs, replacing the standard bench with two individual seats and reducing capacity from seven people to six. That may sound like a niche feature, but anyone who has climbed into a third-row SUV with children’s seats installed will immediately understand the appeal.

Instead of requiring occupants to fold or slide a second-row seat forward, the new layout creates a walk-through space between the seats. Rivian says that lets passengers reach the third row without disturbing a child seat, which is exactly the kind of seemingly minor real-world detail that can determine whether a family finds a vehicle genuinely practical. The chairs are heated, fold flat, retain car-seat anchors, and include stowable armrests and folding cup holders.

There is another advantage that fits Rivian’s identity nicely. The central pass-through can accommodate long gear such as skis or surfboards while all six passengers remain seated. That is not a use case for every household, obviously, but it reflects Rivian’s broader effort to make the R1S feel less like a conventional luxury SUV with an electric powertrain and more like a purpose-built vehicle for people who actually bring equipment along.

Buyers who need maximum seating will not be forced into the new arrangement. The seven-seat bench continues on R1S Premium models, as well as Black Mountain Signature versions of the R1S Performance and Quad.

The R1T’s update is more modest, but it addresses a familiar compromise for electric pickups. Rivian has added a 20-inch Adventure All-Season wheel-and-tire package as standard on the R1T Premium and as a no-cost option on the R1T Performance. The goal is to offer more confidence on dirt, gravel, and uneven terrain without the severe range penalty often associated with aggressive all-terrain tires.

Rivian says the Goodyear tire setup delivers an EPA-estimated range of 300 miles on the standard R1T Premium, 380 miles on the R1T Premium Long Range, and 348 miles on the R1T Performance. Those numbers are lower than the maximum range ratings associated with more road-oriented wheel choices, but they are a sensible trade for truck owners who want their vehicle to look and act the part beyond paved roads.

The other visible change is Esker Silver, a metallic finish first introduced for the R2 and now replacing LA Silver as the included paint option across the R1S and R1T lineups. It is a small revision, but sharing paint and trim terminology across the R1 and R2 matters strategically. Rivian is building a product family rather than treating each model as a separate project.

That context is especially relevant now. Rivian reported $1.658 billion in second-quarter 2026 revenue, up 27% year over year, while vehicle deliveries rose to 12,194 for the quarter. The company also reaffirmed its full-year delivery outlook of 65,000 to 70,000 vehicles, a reminder that it needs the established R1 lineup to remain attractive while the more affordable R2 becomes increasingly important to its future scale.

The 2027 R1S and R1T are therefore less about chasing a dramatic headline than refining the formula. The R1S gets a feature that acknowledges the messy logistics of family life. The R1T becomes a little more ready for trail use out of the box. And the entire range becomes simpler to understand, despite retaining the kind of performance figures that can make many sports cars look underpowered.

For Rivian, that may be the smartest kind of product update. The company is not abandoning the bold, overbuilt personality that made the R1 vehicles stand out in the first place. It is making the case that an electric adventure vehicle should be easier to configure, easier to share with a family, and easier to take somewhere interesting on a Friday afternoon.