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skyote

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Brief but interesting article. Love to hear about the focus on quality & the brands that Rivian is benchmarking.

https://www.wardsauto.com/interiors/rivian-exec-vows-its-vehicle-interiors-will-wow-buyers

Rivian Exec Vows Its Vehicle Interiors Will Wow Buyers
Startup EV maker plans to introduce an EV pickup truck and SUV next year.

Startup electric-vehicle maker Rivian, which plans to introduce its first models next year, is taking interior quality cues from luxury and ultra-luxury brands.

“We’re benchmarking the greatest,” Richard Vaughan, Rivian’s director-crafted quality, says, citing Lamborghini, Bentley, Lincoln and Audi.


Early EV interiors were more utilitarian than luxurious. Rivian plans to wow customers with the latter, Vaughan says at an online session during Informa Tech Automotive Group’s Summer Festival of Automotive, held last week.

“We want to ensure our new vehicles are truly world-class,” he says, adding Rivian’s goal is to become “a world leader in quality.”

Consumers may fail to express what exactly makes up a crafted interior, but they know one when they see it, he says. “Quality planning goes further than understanding what customers want, because sometimes they don’t know what they want.”

He speaks of the visual allure of rich textures, the tactile appeal of solid-feeling haptics and the auditory draw of “sounds from moving parts and sounds generated by user interface.”

Vaughan is responsible for leading all aspects of craftsmanship for Rivian vehicles. His duties include “the careful management of sensory cues that consciously and unconsciously communicate a sense of quality.”

Prior to joining Rivian, he was creative director for CGT, a major supplier of automotive interior surface materials.

Rivian plans to introduce its first vehicle, the R1T pickup truck, next June, followed two months later by the R1S SUV, Vaughan says.
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R1Simon

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That article is a tease. But what isn’t at this point?
 
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OldEVGuy

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Brief but interesting article. Love to hear about the focus on quality & the brands that Rivian is benchmarking.

https://www.wardsauto.com/interiors/rivian-exec-vows-its-vehicle-interiors-will-wow-buyers
”We’re benchmarking the greatest,” Richard Vaughan, Rivian’s director-crafted quality, says, citing Lamborghini, Bentley, Lincoln and Audi.

I agree! It’s great to see they’re benchmarking the quality of these brands, and that Mr. Vaughan seems so focused on attention to details.
 
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ja_kub_sz

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My Model S was decent, I felt it was luxurious, but again not on par with the classic German big three. But Tesla did a good enough job making it different enough so that you were less inclined to compare it directly to any other vehicle.

It felt special... Luxury, well that's a big and old contest that Bentley, Rolls Royce and Aston Martin do better then most. Tesla did a great job presenting the Model S as something different, which it was. Now even Porsche with the Taycan takes some design cues from Tesla as do other auto manufacturers.

As far as the R1T goes I feel it being a truck does wonders for its distinction and presence in the market. Rivian can really make a luxurious product, because it's direct comparisons and rivals aren't really that luxurious. But I do feel Rivian needs to approach its design and interiors not solely focused on benchmarking, but also branding (which they are).

I'm curious to hear peoples thoughts on the interior of the new Ram TRX?

It's 96k loaded, it's a fast truck that says it can wade 3', and has a 4 second 0-60 time with 700+hp.

Again, I am exclusively in the EV truck market and would not want the poor fuel economy, maintenance hassles and the now anemic performance of the TRX when compared to the R1T, but I do like the interior of that truck. So far it's my favorite yet.
 
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skyote

skyote

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I'm curious to hear peoples thoughts on the interior of the new Ram TRX?

It's 96k loaded, it's a fast truck that says it can wade 3', and has a 4 second 0-60 time with 700+hp.
TRX looks fantastic, inside and out. No doubt it will be a beast and a lot of fun to drive.

With that said, I don't need a vehicle that will jump or baja, and Rivian should outperform it in all other on & off road scenarios. I will be getting the R1S, but I would opt for a $75K R1S/T and a $20K+ performance UTV if I wanted the best of both worlds.
 

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I don't care about luxuriousness, honestly. I've been plenty satisfied with the interior on my Model S and X, as far as appearances go. What I do care about is the quote "become a world leader in quality." Yes, please. I'll pay for craftsmanship and quality of material and assembly.

If I'm going to get to choose, I would prefer an interior that is rugged and easy to clean. The Ultrafabrics Ultraleather that Tesla uses (and my Airstream uses) is a really good material with those qualities, at least in my experience. Something along those lines would be great.
 

sevengroove

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I'm curious to hear peoples thoughts on the interior of the new Ram TRX?
I'm pasting an interior shot from both vehicles to compare. I do agree that the TRX does a good job in a more traditional sense. It satisfies the traditionalist in me when I see all those buttons because I get the sense that any option under the sun (or roof? sunroof? I digress) can be physically controlled.

The Rivian, meanwhile, is just cleaner and less cluttered. There are buttons for some of the important stuff like windows and navigating the OS, but it's clear that they are heavily invested in using software to effectively manage the in-cabin user experience. The materials Rivian uses also scream "thoughtful" as opposed to "opulence"; every material is there for a reason, nothing is superfluous. Rivian's strategy is one where the sum of the whole is greater than the parts, and the interior design and UX is an obvious example of this.

Rivian R1T R1S Rivian Exec Says Interior will "Wow" Buyers 1598311815715


Rivian R1T R1S Rivian Exec Says Interior will "Wow" Buyers 1598311852091
 

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I second Ohmman's post #8 above.

I'm not a luxury-car person, and never would have imagined myself spending as much money on a car as a Rivian R1S will cost. I'm going for the Rivian because of the great potential of an EV that takes my family on fantastic outdoor adventures.

If I am going to spend this much money on a vehicle, I want the whole experience -- interior included -- to be quality and stand up to use that is central to Rivian's marketing ("Electric Adventure Vehicles").

I recognize that we all are buying Rivian's for our own reasons, and the luxury aesthetic is a welcome component to some.

So I hope there are some options for the interior beyond color themes.
 

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Based in this thread, has anyone ever wondered if there would be screens for back seat passengers where kids spend their time in the vehicle and those screens are the best time killers for kids
 

bajadahl

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Based in this thread, has anyone ever wondered if there would be screens for back seat passengers where kids spend their time in the vehicle and those screens are the best time killers for kids
Very doubtful... with most kids having iPads/Tablets these days I think rear screens are considered a bit redundant.... Specifically, the Rivian's "had" a USB port in the headrests with a hook for hanging a tablet behind each of the front seats for this exact purpose.... however, notice I quoted "had".... I think they decided having a hook/protruding object at face level might not be the best idea in an accident..... so it remains to be seen exactly what makes it into the final revision of the interior... I've heard the USB ports are staying in the headrest.... but the hooks are being removed..... of course I don't think anyone knows for sure exactly what the config will look like.... I do believe it was pretty clear they were taking a BYoD (Bring your own device) approach to the entertainment options in the rear seats.... for entertaining the really little ones that can't hold an iPad and may just for comfort of old kids not having to hold it while watching a show there are bound to be other options for hanging them off the headrests without the hook....
 

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Based in this thread, has anyone ever wondered if there would be screens for back seat passengers where kids spend their time in the vehicle and those screens are the best time killers for kids
If screens exist for backseat passengers, I hope they are an option and we can choose not to have them installed. We are a bit old school about screens. We want our kids to know how to use technology to navigate the modern world, but we discourage the use of screens as a way to pass time . . . yes, even on long road trips.
 
 




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