The 2022 Rivian R1S Is What the Subaru Solterra Wants to Be When It Grows Up
The Rivian R1S is the first electric adventure SUV available to consumers. It boasts amazing off-roading prowess. Here’s why the Rivian R1S is what Subaru hoped to create with the Solterra.
The 2022 Rivian R1S is an electric off-road SUV
The Rivian R1S is what the Subaru Solterra hopes to be. It is an electric SUV with amazing off-roading prowess. The R1S has similar qualities to the Rivian R1T.
The R1T electric pickup has proven its ability off-road by achieving amazing feats like conquering the Hell’s Gate hill in Moab, Utah. The R1S should be capable of the same feats thanks to its high ground clearance.
Rivian’s electric SUV has a whopping 14.5 inches of max ground clearance, thanks to Rivian air suspension. Average capable off-road vehicles have about 8.5 inches of ground clearance. Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe claims that the electric SUV was “designed to take families, friends, dogs, and all your gear on road trips to the places you love.”
Rivian’s electric SUV, like its electric truck, will be capable of taking drivers and passengers where few other vehicles can go. It even has a wading depth of over three feet for crossing shallow bodies of water. The R1S is the ideal off-road SUV, and in many ways, it’s what Subaru hopes the Solterra will become.
The Subaru Solterra stays true to its heritage
Japanese automaker Subaru has yet to release many details about its new electric SUV, but one thing is certain: the 2023 Subaru Solterra is made for the road less traveled. All promotional videos produced by Subaru have marketed the Solterra as an off-road electric vehicle.
The 2023 Subaru Solterra may share a platform with the Toyota bZ4X, but it has its own unique capabilities. It has 8.3 inches of ground clearance. The Solterra also features dual-function X-Mode, a feature that allows drivers to adapt to different types of terrain like snow and mud.
The Subaru Solterra should be a capable off-road compact SUV model, but it can’t hold a candle to the R1S’ massive ground clearance and horsepower. The R1S is capable of 835 horsepower. Even the most powerful Solterra model won’t be able to touch that amount of power.
The 2022 Rivian R1S is the most capable electric off-road SUV
The 2022 Rivian R1S is indisputably the best electric off-road SUV. That being said, most consumers won’t be able to afford Rivian’s SUV. According to Car and Driver, the most affordable R1S starts at about $70,000.
The 2023 Subaru Solterra will be more popular on roads because it will undoubtedly be more affordable. No matter how impressive the Solterra is, it just won’t ever be as capable as Rivian’s electric SUV.
