Photo: Rivian
Luxury cars offer something pretty neat: an easier way to get in and out. All it takes is pulling the seat back a little bit and retreating the steering column. When the driver sits and is ready to drive, everything gets back in the positions previously selected. Rivian is now offering the same convenience, thanks to an over-the-air (OTA) update.
Called “Roomy entry and exit,” this new feature is even better than what was offered by luxury vehicles years ago in the sense that it allows the driver to select the more comfortable position for the seats and steering column. The process starts on the central screen, where the driver has to go to the menu, select Vehicle, and then Access. It is there that the Rivian owner will find the new feature, which comes with this message:
“Roomy entry and exit
Driver’s seat and steering wheel move automatically at the beginning and end of a drive for easier access.”
Below that message is a button called “Set Position.” After clicking it, the Rivian owner goes to a screen that warns about measures to take before finding the most comfortable position for entering and exiting the driver’s seat. The EV maker asks you to check if there are no objects or people in the way, and it also states that clicking any button will “stop the seat from moving.”
The next screen shows how the person behind the steering wheel has to adjust the best exit and entry position. The steering column is controlled by the two buttons on the steering wheel. The left one adjusts the reach, and the right one sets the height. In the seat, everything is on the buttons placed on the left side of the seat. They change the seat distance and reclination of the backrest. We are not sure it is possible to adjust the seat base's height, but it must be: that’s the industry standard.
When the driver is happy with how the seat and the steering column allow them to get in and out of the Rivian, they just have to press the button “Remember Position” on the screen. It then goes back to the Access screen, where the message “Saved to profile” confirms “Roomy entry and exit” is set.
That said, the R1T and R1S will automatically move the driver’s seat, and steering column to the position previously chosen whenever the driver parks them and unbuckles the seatbelt. They will remain in such positions until the driver re-enters the vehicle, taps the brakes, and shifts into gear. It is not clear if opening the door is mandatory. If it is, people just parking to wait for someone will see their seat move even if the driver is not leaving the car.
Recently, a Rivian R1T presented a strange issue with the Edmunds team. The car stopped in the middle of a freeway after being accidentally shifted into neutral (N) without warning the driver about that. As the electric pickup truck does not have a start/stop button, they had to open and close the door to try to get the vehicle back to work (without knowing it was in N). That was what got it going. It will be interesting to see if the new feature will present similar awkward situations.
“Roomy entry and exit
Driver’s seat and steering wheel move automatically at the beginning and end of a drive for easier access.”
Below that message is a button called “Set Position.” After clicking it, the Rivian owner goes to a screen that warns about measures to take before finding the most comfortable position for entering and exiting the driver’s seat. The EV maker asks you to check if there are no objects or people in the way, and it also states that clicking any button will “stop the seat from moving.”
The next screen shows how the person behind the steering wheel has to adjust the best exit and entry position. The steering column is controlled by the two buttons on the steering wheel. The left one adjusts the reach, and the right one sets the height. In the seat, everything is on the buttons placed on the left side of the seat. They change the seat distance and reclination of the backrest. We are not sure it is possible to adjust the seat base's height, but it must be: that’s the industry standard.
When the driver is happy with how the seat and the steering column allow them to get in and out of the Rivian, they just have to press the button “Remember Position” on the screen. It then goes back to the Access screen, where the message “Saved to profile” confirms “Roomy entry and exit” is set.
That said, the R1T and R1S will automatically move the driver’s seat, and steering column to the position previously chosen whenever the driver parks them and unbuckles the seatbelt. They will remain in such positions until the driver re-enters the vehicle, taps the brakes, and shifts into gear. It is not clear if opening the door is mandatory. If it is, people just parking to wait for someone will see their seat move even if the driver is not leaving the car.
Recently, a Rivian R1T presented a strange issue with the Edmunds team. The car stopped in the middle of a freeway after being accidentally shifted into neutral (N) without warning the driver about that. As the electric pickup truck does not have a start/stop button, they had to open and close the door to try to get the vehicle back to work (without knowing it was in N). That was what got it going. It will be interesting to see if the new feature will present similar awkward situations.
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