Rivian R1S captain’s chairs are coming for the 2027 model year, giving buyers of the three-row electric SUV a two-seat second row and a walk-through route to the third. The catch is familiar premium-configurator math: the seating layout cannot be ordered on its own, and the lowest combined cost is $4,000, according to The Verge’s report on Rivian’s announcement.
The option applies to the R1S, not the R1T pickup. It is part of a broader 2027 refresh for Rivian’s R1 lineup, The Verge reported. Rivian will keep the conventional second-row bench available for customers who need seven seats.
How much do Rivian R1S captain’s chairs cost?
Buyers must first select Rivian’s $2,500 Sound and Vision package, which includes a glass roof and audio system. The captain’s chairs then add $1,500 with the Black Mountain interior or $2,000 with the Ocean interior.
- Black Mountain: $4,000 combined cost for the required package and chairs.
- Ocean: $4,500 combined cost for the required package and chairs.
That means a buyer choosing the seats is also buying the roof-and-audio package, whether or not those were the point of the exercise. Rivian has not, in the reported announcement, provided a more specific delivery date than the 2027 model year.
What changes with the new R1S seating layout?
Captain’s chairs replace the three-person second-row bench with two individual seats, leaving an opening between them. That should make reaching the third row less cumbersome than moving or climbing past a bench seat, though the practical benefit will depend on how a family uses car seats and cargo.
The Verge reported that each chair has stowaway armrests, push-to-release cupholders, heating, fold-flat capability and full car-seat tie-downs. Rivian says the center pass-through can also help carry longer equipment, naming surfboards and skis as examples. The company’s claim is plausible as a packaging benefit, but it is still a claim about use rather than a published cargo measurement.
The choice is therefore straightforward: two second-row seats and easier passage to row three, or the retained bench and capacity for seven occupants. Neither configuration turns the R1S into a different vehicle, but the former addresses a recurring complaint from owners who wanted a less awkward path to the rear seats.
Is Rivian adding Apple CarPlay or Android Auto?
No such change was announced. Motor1 reported that Rivian still does not plan to support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Rivian Chief Software Officer Wassym Bensaid has instead described the company’s plan to develop an AI-powered in-car assistant, arguing that more integrated vehicle software could eventually make the phone-projection debate obsolete. That is Rivian’s stated direction, not evidence that drivers who want CarPlay will consider the matter settled.
Rivian is also changing its 2027 R1 naming convention, The Verge reported, moving away from motor-count labels such as Dual, Tri and Quad in favor of Premium, Performance and a flagship Quad tier.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.
