This Gamechanging Pickup Is the 2022 MotorTrend Truck of the Year
A remarkably original take on the pickup truck redefines the genre and comes out on top.
Rivian R1T 2022 Motortrend Truck of the year!
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I'm not the least bit surprised since a lot of reviewers said it's one of the best.
Value is a big one for me and I think Rivian hit it on the nail. How about everyone else?
"Value
No matter how you compare it, the R1T's value stands up. Put it against the only other electric truck out there, the GMC Hummer EV pickup, and the Rivian hauls more, tows more, has a nicer interior, has more storage space, drives better, rides and handles better, is only slightly slower in a straight line, and costs tens of thousands of dollars less.
Stand it next to legacy pickup trucks at the same price point, and it's equally competitive. We'll belabor the point one more time: The quality of design, engineering, materials, and technology on offer are as good as or better than any other high-buck pickup truck you can buy today, not to mention the driving experience and the breadth of capability."
I think the design is missing something but they got a lot of it right.
"Advancement In Design
Proper proportions play a key role in balancing the R1T's innovative design with traditional sensibilities. Take away the de rigueur EV light bars front and rear, and the R1T looks like a pickup truck, not a science fiction movie prop. But with those bars and particularly its "stadium" headlights, it's immediately identifiable as both an EV and as a Rivian.
Rather than scream in your face, though, Rivian's designers chose simple elements—those lights—to telegraph everything you need to know about the truck. The result also skillfully demonstrates that enormous grilles aren't a necessary element of good truck design.
Inside, Rivian delicately balances the modern, minimalist EV aesthetic with the quality of materials its price demands and the functional requirements of a "true" pickup truck. Although we disagree on principle with the abdication of nearly all essential functions to a touchscreen interface, we recognize it's a popular trend. Rivian executed it well.
Entirely integrating the trailer brake controller into the screens and steering wheel buttons is a particularly clever bit of new thinking that doesn't impede functionality. Likewise for packaging a portable Bluetooth speaker and lantern without sacrificing essential interior cargo space and for providing access to the innovative gear tunnel via the cab.
Above it all is a thoroughly modern and measured use of color and texture on the dash, doors, and seats, which reveals refreshing attention to detail. Sitting inside an R1T feels like being in a $70,000 vehicle regardless of what powers it, who builds it, or what body style it has."
Here's the video that goes with this article:
Through our exhausting testing and judged against our meticulous criteria, we’ve chosen the Rivian R1T as our Truck of the Year. Hear from the MotorTrend team as they describe how Rivian impressed the judges and beat the competition on their first outing on the field.
Value is a big one for me and I think Rivian hit it on the nail. How about everyone else?
"Value
No matter how you compare it, the R1T's value stands up. Put it against the only other electric truck out there, the GMC Hummer EV pickup, and the Rivian hauls more, tows more, has a nicer interior, has more storage space, drives better, rides and handles better, is only slightly slower in a straight line, and costs tens of thousands of dollars less.
Stand it next to legacy pickup trucks at the same price point, and it's equally competitive. We'll belabor the point one more time: The quality of design, engineering, materials, and technology on offer are as good as or better than any other high-buck pickup truck you can buy today, not to mention the driving experience and the breadth of capability."
I think the design is missing something but they got a lot of it right.
"Advancement In Design
Proper proportions play a key role in balancing the R1T's innovative design with traditional sensibilities. Take away the de rigueur EV light bars front and rear, and the R1T looks like a pickup truck, not a science fiction movie prop. But with those bars and particularly its "stadium" headlights, it's immediately identifiable as both an EV and as a Rivian.
Rather than scream in your face, though, Rivian's designers chose simple elements—those lights—to telegraph everything you need to know about the truck. The result also skillfully demonstrates that enormous grilles aren't a necessary element of good truck design.
Inside, Rivian delicately balances the modern, minimalist EV aesthetic with the quality of materials its price demands and the functional requirements of a "true" pickup truck. Although we disagree on principle with the abdication of nearly all essential functions to a touchscreen interface, we recognize it's a popular trend. Rivian executed it well.
Entirely integrating the trailer brake controller into the screens and steering wheel buttons is a particularly clever bit of new thinking that doesn't impede functionality. Likewise for packaging a portable Bluetooth speaker and lantern without sacrificing essential interior cargo space and for providing access to the innovative gear tunnel via the cab.
Above it all is a thoroughly modern and measured use of color and texture on the dash, doors, and seats, which reveals refreshing attention to detail. Sitting inside an R1T feels like being in a $70,000 vehicle regardless of what powers it, who builds it, or what body style it has."
Here's the video that goes with this article:
As an engineer, i like they mentioned it was well engineered and delivered engineering excellence. I also like that motor trend said the R1T is "really annoyingly good"
Hahahahaha. The battle continues.
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Best of all, every step of the way they considered if it fit the definition of a "pickup truck"
"Each of these new use cases challenged us to reconsider the definition of "pickup truck," but mostly in ways that broadened our understanding, not ones that fundamentally challenged it"
That's massive! To make your first product a hit in a market dominated by a few brands that continue to turn over insane volume, is not easy.
They also went on to say...
"By rethinking how a pickup truck can be built, how it can be propelled, how it can drive, how its spaces might be used, how we could interact with it, and how to expand its target demographic, Rivian has forced both the industry and the market to reassess expectations. The R1T, however, is not just an intellectual exercise; it is at its core a good truck by traditional definitions, too. Being both is what makes it our 2022 Truck of the Year."
BUT I wonder what segments of the traditional truck crowd will think after all of this.
"Each of these new use cases challenged us to reconsider the definition of "pickup truck," but mostly in ways that broadened our understanding, not ones that fundamentally challenged it"
That's massive! To make your first product a hit in a market dominated by a few brands that continue to turn over insane volume, is not easy.
They also went on to say...
"By rethinking how a pickup truck can be built, how it can be propelled, how it can drive, how its spaces might be used, how we could interact with it, and how to expand its target demographic, Rivian has forced both the industry and the market to reassess expectations. The R1T, however, is not just an intellectual exercise; it is at its core a good truck by traditional definitions, too. Being both is what makes it our 2022 Truck of the Year."
BUT I wonder what segments of the traditional truck crowd will think after all of this.
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I can't wait for guys like Sandy Munro and Engineering Explained dig into these.
On another note, the guy who has tested a wider variety of cars than most of us have ever looked at also says it's the best...
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We've talked about Doug's review in other threads, but let me note he gave the Rivian a "9" for "Acceleration". Um, 0-60 in 3 seconds, how does that not score a "10" when compared to other vehicles in its category (or indeed, other vehicles in general)? He gave the second-place Ram TRX an "8", and it takes 4.5 seconds.
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His scoring is a bit questionable at times but overall the results are in the right direction.
Context along with other data is important when using his stuff to draw our own conclusions, likewise with many other sources, hence why I'm even on this forum to begin with.
Most will dismiss the RT1 as a fad or simply just to small for a real truck.
No way it’s better than a Raptor. The new 2022 Raptor R is well… gonna be Awesome. I wonder which one will make it to the market first?
Is anyone else concerned about the R1T weight or efficiency vs the competition? 7,148 pounds?
R1S is 5842 lb?
R1S is 5842 lb?
According to EPA filing, R1T is 6,949 lbs. curb weight, R1S is 6,916 lbs.
It's a heavy truck resulting it being less efficient, however, the efficiency is known (314 range / 135 kWh battery = 430 watts/mile). That is almost double I can achieve on my Model 3 but I also don't expect a Ford F-150 to get the same gas mileage as a BMW 3-series. The good news is that "real world" tests have been close to EPA range.
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