Rivian is rolling out its 2027 model year R1S and R1T, and the headline change is one owners have been asking for since day one: second-row captain’s chairs on the R1S.
The automaker calls it the single most-requested feature since the R1S launched. It arrives alongside a simplified trim structure, a new standard wheel for the R1T, a new paint color, and higher starting prices across the board.
Captain’s chairs finally come to the R1S
Until now, the R1S only came with a second-row bench. For MY2027, Rivian is adding a six-seat layout built around a center pass-through, so passengers can walk back to the third row without folding a seat or disturbing a child seat mounted in the second row.
Each captain’s chair gets an individual armrest that stows flush into the seat and a push-to-release cup holder that folds down from the inside edge. Both seats are heated, fold flat, and keep the full car-seat tie-downs from the bench setup. Skis and other long gear can slide down the middle while all six seats stay occupied.
If you’d rather keep three seats in the middle, the seven-seat bench sticks around. It’s standard on R1S Premium and on the Black Mountain Signature interior for Performance and Quad.
The catch is the price. On Premium trim, the captain’s chairs require the Sound + Vision package, so the option runs $4,000 with the Black Mountain interior and $6,000 with Ocean Coast. On Performance and Quad, the chairs start at $1,500 with Black Mountain Signature, and two interiors, Ocean Coast Signature and Slate Sky Signature, are only available if you check the captain’s chairs box, at $4,000 and $4,500 respectively.
| Trim | Seating | Interior & accents | Requirement | Add-on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | Standard bench | Black Mountain / Dark Ash Wood | Included | $0 |
| Premium | Captain’s chairs | Black Mountain / Dark Ash Wood | Requires Sound + Vision | $4,000 |
| Premium | Captain’s chairs | Ocean Coast / Dark Ash Wood | Requires Sound + Vision | $6,000 |
| Performance & Quad | Standard bench | Black Mountain Signature / Brown Ash Wood | Standard | $0 |
| Performance & Quad | Captain’s chairs | Black Mountain Signature / Brown Ash Wood | Available | $1,500 |
| Performance & Quad | Captain’s chairs | Ocean Coast Signature / Driftwood | Captain’s-chairs exclusive | $4,000 |
| Performance & Quad | Captain’s chairs | Slate Sky Signature / Walnut Wood | Captain’s-chairs exclusive | $4,500 |
The Dual/Tri/Quad names are gone
Rivian is also killing the motor-count naming that defined the R1 lineup. Out go Dual, Tri, and Quad as battery-and-motor combos; in come three trim tiers: Premium, Performance, and Quad. It mirrors the structure Rivian rolled out on the R2, so the two families now read the same way.
Premium is the dual-motor tier, with 533 horsepower and 610 lb-ft of torque, and a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds. An optional power upgrade pushes it to 665 hp and a 3.4-second sprint, and a Long Range pack is rated at up to 410 miles on the R1S and 420 miles on the R1T.
Performance is the tri-motor tier at 850 hp and 1,103 lb-ft, good for 2.9 seconds to 60 and up to 371 miles of range. Quad stays the halo of the lineup with 1,025 hp, 1,198 lb-ft, a 2.5-second 0-60 on the R1T, and up to 374 miles.
Interior names change too. Performance and Quad get three Signature interiors: Slate Sky Signature, Black Mountain Signature, and Ocean Coast Signature. Premium offers Black Mountain and Ocean Coast.
A new trail wheel and a new color
The R1T picks up a new standard 20-inch Adventure All-Season wheel and Goodyear tire, meant to add off-road traction without the usual range hit from a more aggressive tire. It’s standard on R1T Premium and a no-cost option on R1T Performance, and Rivian rates it at 300 miles on Premium, 380 miles on Premium Long Range, and 348 miles on Performance.
Both trucks also get Esker Silver, the liquid-metal finish Rivian first showed on the R2. It replaces LA Silver as the included paint on the R1S and R1T.
Prices are up
The MY2027 R1S now starts at $83,990 and the R1T at $79,990. That’s a jump from the 2026 model year, where the R1S opened at $76,990 and the R1T at $70,990. The cheapest way into an R1 went up $7,000 on the SUV and $9,000 on the truck.
Electrek’s Take
The captain’s chairs are significant, and overdue, add-on that might bring some demand back to the R1S amid a focus on R2. A three-row family SUV without a walk-through middle row was always an odd gap in the R1S, especially at $80,000-plus, and Rivian is right to call it the most-requested feature. Building it around a center pass-through that doesn’t force you to disturb a car seat is exactly the kind of detail Rivian tends to get right.
The trim simplification is smart too. “How many motors do you want?” was never a great way to sell a car to a normal buyer, and lining the R1 up with the R2 gives the whole brand one language. I like it.
But the price is the part buyers will actually feel. A $7,000-to-$9,000 bump on the entry point, plus captain’s chairs that can cost $4,500 once you’re forced into the Sound + Vision package on Premium, adds up fast. Rivian is leaning harder into premium positioning right as the more affordable R2 gets close to launch. That’s probably the plan: push R1 up-market and let R2 catch the volume. The question is how many R1S shoppers were waiting on captain’s chairs at the old price, not this one.
If you’re buying an EV like the R1S, powering it with home solar can cut your charging costs to nearly zero. With electricity rates up almost 10% last year and expected to keep climbing, going solar is one of the best ways to protect yourself against rising costs. And with lease and PPA options, you can do it with zero upfront cost and start saving immediately. If you want to find the best deal, check out EnergySage. It’s a free service with hundreds of pre-vetted installers competing for your business, so you save 20 to 30% compared to going it alone. No sales calls until you pick an installer. Get your free quotes here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
