The 2027 Rivian R1S Gets Its Most Requested Missing Feature: Captain’s Chairs

What Car Shoppers Need to Know:

• Rivian is changing the names — but not the specs — of the R1S and R1T trim levels for 2027.
• Dual-Motor is now the Premium and Tri-Motor is now Performance; Quad remains Quad.
• Second-row captain’s chairs are now available for the R1S Performance and Quad.

Is it responding to customer feedback, or is it juicing demand while simultaneously expanding your pool of used vehicles? Rivian might be doing both with its flagship SUV. The electric-vehicle maker says its buyers have been clamoring for second-row captain’s chairs, and with the 2027 R1S, they’re getting them. Now, we’ll see how many R1S owners want them bad enough to offload their current vehicle and get a new one.

The seats are a $1,500 option on the Premium trim level, but only if you’ve already specified the Sound + Vision Package, a $2,500 upgrade with the standard black interior and $4,500 with white. On the Performance and Quad trims, the seats are $1,500 with the black interior, $4,000 with white and $6,000 with gray. If only two of those trim levels are familiar, that’s because of the other change Rivian is making for 2027, this one to both the R1S and its pickup sibling, the R1T.

Related: 2025 Rivian R1S Review: Invisible Changes, Still a Champ

Appellation Trail

To align its original lineup with the all-new R2, Rivian is renaming the trim levels for the R1S and R1T. Instead of each being christened with its number of motors (Dual, Tri and Quad), the R1 trims are now Premium, Performance and, well, Quad.

Little else changes. The Premium still has two motors producing 553 horsepower and 610 pounds-feet of torque, with an optional performance upgrade increasing output to 665 hp and 829 pounds-feet. Regardless of name or body style, the entry-level R1 models are the only ones available with a smaller battery. The optional pack, now dubbed Long Range (instead of Max), stretches range from 329 miles to 410 miles in the R1S and 420 miles in the R1T.

As it was before, the Long Range battery is standard on the higher trim levels. Formerly known as the Tri, the three-motor R1 is now called the Performance. With one motor driving the front wheels and the rear wheels each powered by dedicated motors, the Performance generates 850 hp and 1,103 pounds-feet. Range for both the R1S and R1T Performance is an EPA-rated 371 miles.

If 850 hp is Performance, what’s 1,025 hp? Quad, naturally. The range-topping Rivian R1 series retains its trim-level designation, presumably because of the marketing cachet of having four motors in an EV. With a motor powering each wheel individually, the R1 Quad produces 1,025 hp and 1,198 pounds-feet of torque. With that power comes even more range than the Performance enjoys: 374 miles.

Release Date and Pricing

The 2027 Rivian R1S and R1T are available to order now. Full pricing (including the $1,495 delivery charge) is as follows:

Read More About the Rivian R1S and R1T From Cars.com:

• Rivian Rolls Out Second-Generation Quad-Motor With Four-Digit Horsepower and Torque
• Rivian Debuts California Dune Edition R1S, R1T
• Electric Cars With the Longest Range
• Which SUVs Can Tow at Least 5,000 Pounds?
• Research the Rivian R1S

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