The Rivian R1S has officially landed a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS after the automaker upgraded the vehicle’s performance in moderate overlap front crash testing.
The Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS is the premiere label a vehicle can receive for its performance in crash testing, which requires at least a “Good” rating across each of its testing criteria.
In February 2023, the IIHS added that Top Safety Pick+ winners will also need to perform an “Advanced” or “Superior” performance in the Nighttime Vehicle-to-Pedestrian Front Crash Prevention assessment.
Rivian updated R1S vehicles after January 2023, and the vehicles now meet all criteria for the higher-tier Top Safety Pick+ award. The difference between pre and post-January R1S builds are the ones built after January now come equipped with a standard front crash system that earned a superior rating in the daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluation, as well as an advanced rating in the nighttime test.
All trims of the R1S are fitted with “Good-rated” LED projector headlights.
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Builds from January 2023 and before only had an “Acceptable” rating in the original moderate overlap front test. This was due to a buckling driver-side floor pan, which contributed to high forces on the right lower leg of the dummy, which indicated a likely injury, the IIHS said.
Crash testing performed on post-January R1S builds showed the vehicle was able to protect the drivers and passengers, as well as keep the cabin intact.
The dummy’s position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver’s survival space was maintained very well. (Credit: IIHS)
Action shot taken during the driver-side small overlap frontal crash test (Credit: IIHS)
The dummy’s position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver’s survival space was maintained reasonably well. (Credit: IIHS)
View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment (Credit: IIHS)
With the R1S’s Top Safety Pick+ award, the vehicle joins Rivian’s all-electric pickup, the R1T, which won the same award after testing late last year with its exceptional performance in various IIHS crash tests.
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