WHAT IT IS: How does a cross between a Jeep Wrangler, Land Rover Defender, and Porsche Cayenne Turbo sound to you? And what if you mix in a little bit of the Rivian R1T's special sauce? That's exactly what the upcoming Rivian R1X aims to be, and what our artist's rendering above depicts. Our Rivian sources tell us the company is hard at work building a rally-inspired performance SUV designed to be as capable as a Wrangler and Defender off-road and as quick as a Cayenne Turbo on pavement. We expect the R1X to be a slightly shorter two-row SUV than the R1S it's based on, with spy shots of a seating buck indicating it'll likely have a fastback roofline.

WHY IT MATTERS: Versatility is one of the reasons we named the related Rivian R1T our 2022 Truck of the Year. Its impressive hydropneumatic suspension allows it to seamlessly go from heavy off-roading to hauling to carving up a good back road. An R1X, with a more overt performance bias, has the potential to be a revelation when it comes to do-it-all enthusiast SUVs.

PLATFORM AND POWERTRAIN: The R1X will ride on a slightly shortened version of Rivian's familiar R1 platform, but its motors and batteries will be new. Sources tell us the R1X will use four of the new house-built motors that just debuted in the two-motor R1S SUV and R1T truck. These new motors feature carbon-sleeved rotors, which allow them to spin at higher rpm and develop more power. We're told total system output will be 1,200 hp and 1,200 lb-ft of torque. The quad-motor R1X will be backed by its own in-house battery pack.

ESTIMATED PRICE: $115,000

EXPECTED ON-SALE DATE: Q4 2023