Rivian R1S receives top safety award in IIHS tests, joining R1T and Tesla Model Y

Rivian's R1S electric SUV recently ran the IIHS safety test gauntlet and came out sitting pretty, receiving the Top Safety Pick+. The IIHS awards the Top Safety Pick+ award to vehicles that achieve a "Good rating" in the driver- and passenger-side small overlap and moderate overlap front crash tests as well as the updated side impact test. Headlight design and passenger protection are also key to securing the Top Safety Pick+ award.

Aside from the Top Safety Pick+ award, the Rivian R1S rated highly throughout the IIHS's battery of tests, despite it being an imperfect result. The R1S scored a "Marginal" rating in the moderate front overlap test as a result of rear passenger chest injuries, and two "Poor" ratings, for slipping rear passenger restraints and inadequate seatbelt reminders. The Rivian R1S scored a "Good" result in every other regard, but it is also important to note that it's much easier for a larger vehicle to do well in safety tests.

The technology in electric vehicles seems to give them a leg up, since vehicle-to-passenger collision protection is an important factor in earning the Top Safety Pick+ award. Despite the IIHS's increasingly stringent tests, five out of the 31 vehicles that received the Top Safety Pick+ award were electric. Interestingly, all of the electric vehicles that won the award were SUVs or pickup trucks of some description, with the 2023 winners thus far being the Rivian R1T, Tesla Model Y, Subaru Solterra, Volkswagen ID.4, and now the Rivian R1S.

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