If at first you don't succeed …
The Rivian R1S has been crash tested for the second time since in launched last year.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) had to test its own equipment to make sure it could handle the 7,000-pound weight of the electric SUV.
The R1S and the Rivian R1T pickup are the heaviest vehicles the organization has evaluated to date, due largely to the weight of their battery packs.
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The Rivian R1S failed to earn a top score on its original crash test. (IIHS)
When the R1S was first put through the battery of tests, it received a Good overall rating, but failed to earn an IIHS Top Safety Pick designation, due to its Acceptable score on the "moderate front overlap" test, which simulates a car being hit in the front corner of the driver's side.
The updated Rivian R1S is rated a Top Safety Pick+. (IIHS)
The vehicle's driver-side floor pan buckled, which made a leg injury likely, based on data collected from the crash test dummy onboard. The R1S was quickly re-engineered to address the issue, with vehicles built after 2023 receiving the update, and was rated Good on the retest.
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The updated R1S also comes standard with Good headlights across all trims and an automatic emergency braking system that received a top score in nighttime performance.
Changes to the R1S design better protect the driver. (IIHS)
The result of all of this is that the latest 2023 R1S now has a Top Safety Pick+ rating, which is the highest offered by IIHS.
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The R1T is also a Top Safety Pick+, having achieved the rating on its first try in 2022.