Rivian's R1S SUV looks like an all-electric Land Rover

One day after unveiling its first vehicle at the Los Angeles Auto Show – an electric van called R1T -, Michigan automotive start-up, Rivian, is already following it for a second. Built on the same platform as the van, Rivian's second vehicle will be a seven-passenger SUV in a style that lies somewhere between a Land Rover and the more robust Jeep vehicles.

Due to the end of 2020, the R1S will be slightly more expensive than the Rivian van when it goes on sale, with the base model starting at $ 72,500. Pre-orders begin this week with a $ 1,000 refundable deposit required.

Other than its form, the R1S (as the SUV is called) usually fits the shot for the R1T pickup. It will be available in three different battery configurations, with a 105 kWh version that can cover approximately 240 km, a 135 kWh variant that can last approximately 310 km and a high-end option of 180 kWh the 410-mile range. These range estimates are each slightly higher than what Rivian expects his truck to be able to get out of the same batteries. (Also note that the 180 kWh version will only accommodate five people.)

Rivian's SUV will be just as fast as his pickup truck brother, with the base model reaching 100 km / h in 4.9 seconds and the two latest-generation models reaching that speed in just three seconds. This is because the SUV will have the same configuration of four engines as the van, ie an electric motor will power each wheel for accurate all-wheel drive performance. While the base model will have 400 horsepower, the 135 kWh version will have 750 horsepower. This number drops to 700 horsepower in the 180 kWh version of the R1S.

Inside the SUV, a 15.6-inch touchscreen occupies much of the dashboard, while a second 12.3-inch screen sits behind the wheel. A third touch screen, measuring 6.8 inches, is located at the rear of the center console, within reach of rear passengers. The R1S will also be equipped with sensors capable of allowing the SUV to behave in certain situations, according to Rivian.

The R1S also has the same trunk front as the R1T, with 330 liters (11.7 cubic feet) of storage space, as well as a similar size-of-a-spare wheel in the floor, near the back of the car. It does not have the "gear tunnel" in the Rivian van and has less under-seat storage space than the R1T.

That said, the R1S has the same kind of sturdy and luxurious style as the Rivian pickup. The interior has many wooden elements mixed with a sturdy fabric. Rivian Chief Executive RJ Scaringe said The edge Before the launch, he wants the company's vehicles to have a "Patagonian-like adventure", which is reflected in the R1S. He also said that the SUV and light truck versions presented at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week are "extremely close" to what will be delivered in a few years.

Rivian's van is focused on utilities, which places it in a niche that is a bit more specific than the startup's SUV. The SUV will also face a lot more competition. Tesla is in a few months before unveiling the Model Y, a less important successor to its luxury SUV, the Model X. Jaguar has started production of its first all-electric SUV, the I-Pace, just like Audi with l & # 39; e-tron. Mercedes-Benz introduced the all-electric EQC this year, which will also come into effect in 2020. Meanwhile, a number of Chinese companies, large and small (like NIO or SF Motors), are also manufacturing electric SUVs intended for many markets around the world. . Others, like Byton, follow the same path.

But that does not mean that there is no room for something like the R1S on the market, especially as SUV sales have exploded in recent years. In addition, the world's Jeeps and Land Rovers have progressed much more slowly to electrify their fleets.