Rivian has introduced its 2027 R1S, and with it, it’s introduced an option buyers have wanted for years — captain’s chairs. The 2027 model can now be optionally ordered with two captain chairs in the middle row, replacing the bench seat.
Price
The new option is exclusive to the 2027 R1S, which just went live this morning. The captain’s chairs come in as a $1,500 option. However, Rivian is only offering its new seating layout with Rivian Premium Audio and the Dynamic Glass Roof. The Premium trim is the only one that doesn’t include those features, so if you’re looking to add captain’s chairs to the Premium model, it’ll actually run you $4,500 with premium audio and the dynamic glass roof included.
While the captain’s chairs are optional on some trims and interior colors, others include them as standard, making the previous 7-seater vehicle only available in the Premium trim, or in the Black Mountain interior on other trim levels.
Features
The biggest appeal of the captain’s chairs is how they open up access to the third row, while also giving third-row passengers some additional leg room by allowing them to stretch into the aisle. To keep the aisle accessible, the captain’s chairs feature a stowable armrest and a cup holder that can be tucked away. Rivian chose to optimize comfortable for second row passengers as the width of the captain’s chairs are fairly wide, however, with the armrests and cup holders out, the third room becomes almost inaccessible without having to step over the With the armrests and cup holders out, the third-row becomes almost
The new seats are heated, much like Rivian’s second-row bench seating; however, they do not include ventilation like the front passenger seats.
Much like Tesla’s Model Y L, Rivian’s captain’s chairs fold flat so that they don’t compromise the cargo room when all seats are folded flat.
Retrofit
While the captain’s chairs appear like a simple change to the model, Rivian has already confirmed that, unfortunately, the captain’s chairs can not be retrofitted in previous models.
A lot of owners have wanted Rivian to add captain’s chairs, and Rivian has finally come through. Unless you need the 7-seat version or don’t normally use the third row, captain’s chairs are likely the way to go, as they don’t sacrifice cargo room and make daily use of the third row much easier.
