R1T Truck

Make
Rivian
Segment
Sports Car

Rivian's first batch of customers has regularly been kept up to date regarding the pre-production status of their all-electric vehicles. The Rivian R1T pickup truck and the R1S SUV were originally slated to begin production around the end of this year, but the coronavirus pandemic has pushed back that date to next summer. More new Rivian models are expected as well. While the delay can be a source of frustration, it does come with some potential benefits, such as additional time refinement time.

In any case, Rivian's Director of Crafted Quality has pledged in a recent interview with Ward's Auto the vehicles' interiors will rival or exceed the very best in the business. "We're benchmarking the greatest," said Richard Vaughan, specifically pointing out Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, and even Lincoln. "We wanted to ensure our new vehicles are truly world-class."

Vaughan also reiterated Rivian's desire to become a global leader in overall quality. "Quality planning goes further than understanding what customers want because sometimes they don't know what they want." Building extremely high-quality interiors with fantastic attention to the finest of details has long been one of Audi's trademarks. Even its rival German domestic luxury brands have not always been to beat Audi in this department. While having good exterior design is always important, interior design and material choices are equally important if not more so. Why?

Because owners spend the vast majority of their time inside vehicles, sometimes for extended periods of time. Cars and trucks are great to look at from the outside, but it's the interior that matters most.

Vaughan promises plenty of rich textures throughout and the alluring "sounds from moving parts and sounds generated by user interface." For years, several mainstream automakers didn't prioritize interior quality, believing high-quality build materials didn't matter much to customers. But foreign brands like Audi and most Japanese automakers have always considered interiors to be of the utmost importance.

It's good to see Rivian following suit. Perhaps it could set a new bar of interior excellence.