One automotive enthusiast site, Jalopnik, is calling it the rightful heir to the Toyota Land Cruiser.

Electric vehicle startup Rivian’s quick follow-up to the R1T pickup is launching this summer: the R1S, which takes the same basic formula and running gear from the truck and packages it in a five- or seven-seat SUV.

The two models feature the same front end, dash, cabin and front seating. But one novelty in the R1T, the “gear tunnel” that stretches horizontally between the rear doors and the pickup bed, creating a decent amount of cargo space, has been scrapped on the R1S to move the rear wheels forward and make room for passengers in back.

Both the truck and SUV weigh around a hefty 7,000 pounds and rely on a 128.9-kilowatt-hour battery pack; four electric motors, one in each corner, to produce 835 hp — yes, 835 — and 908 pound-feet of torque.

It has 316 miles of range, according to EPA estimates, and fast-charging capability that can add up to 140 miles of range in 20 minutes under ideal conditions.

The R1S SUV is more than 16 inches shorter than the truck and rides on a wheelbase that is 14 inches shorter. It is also an inch shorter in height.

For off-roading, maximum ground clearance on the R1S is nearly 15 inches.

R1S pricing begins at $85,575 and Rivian plans a less expensive model slated to ship by 2024.

We’ve rounded up some early reviews.

“Like a lot of SUVs, the R1S has a variety of driving modes for different situations and road surfaces, or lack thereof. They can be selected through a touch-screen that controls — annoyingly — just about everything on the vehicle. The default All-Purpose mode provided a satisfying combination of comfort and controlled handling even on winding pavement. Sport mode lowered the SUV’s body closer to the ground, stiffened the suspension, and made the accelerator respond more quickly, making the SUV feel even faster and much lighter than its actual weight of more than two tons. There are also Rally and Drift modes that allow for high-speed driving and sliding fun on dirt roads.

“A lot of power from four electric motors — one driving each wheel — also helps with that. With a total of 835 horsepower, the R1S accelerates outrageously quickly. The company claims it can go from a stop to 60 miles an hour in three seconds, which, based on my driving experience, seems believable if largely unnecessary. Certainly, it will accelerate as quickly as you might ever need it to. While it’s certainly more power than most other SUVs, the advent of big electric vehicles that can pack in lots of batteries has made these sorts of ridiculous horsepower figures less interesting. At some point, there’s just not much real benefit to another 200 horsepower.

“After arriving at the private off-road driving course, I switched over to an R1S that had 20-inch wheels and more off-road capable tires. I headed onto a muddy trail that went through steep climbs, deep ruts, sudden descents and involved driving across slick, partly submerged rocks. The R1S can lift itself up on its wheels to get up to 15 inches of ground clearance — and, with no need for an engine to breathe air, it can drive through as much as three feet of water, according to the company. (I drove through water, but can’t confirm three feet.)

“The R1S handled the rough terrain easily, as did an R1T I drove on the same trail. This is where having one motor for each wheel helps the most, Rivian engineers say, allowing the vehicles to precisely apply power where there is the most traction available. As with a Range Rover, Lexus LX 600 or Jeep Grand Wagoneer, all this off-road capability in a nearly $100,000 SUV is almost certainly overkill. It’s hard to imagine any owner putting that sort of investment through the kind of hazards I braved but, if you care, be assured that it can do stuff you will probably never want to attempt.”

— Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN Business

“The quad-motor Rivian falls into the ‘Jesus Christ that’s fast’ acceleration category, close to the border of ‘Is this really necessary?’ Yes, it’s a big vehicle carrying lots of weight, but a brake-torqued launch makes those pounds disappear in an instant. You become one with the seatback, spine mashed into to the contours of the leather.

“If getting going is a blast in the R1S, so is coming to a stop. The Rivian has two levels of regenerative braking, the stronger of which offers the most aggressive regen I’ve ever experienced in an EV. Charles Sanderson, chief engineer on both R1 models, went so far as to warn me about the regen, saying that the stronger setting offers more braking than some people like. I loved it. Across two days of driving the R1S, I touched the brake pedal twice: Once when a yellow light turned red in front of me, and once to disable cruise control on the highway. The rest of the time, regen handled everything.

“As for the steering and suspension tuning, it was exactly what you’d expect of a vehicle this size and price. Do you feel every single rut in the pavement through the steering wheel, allowing you to perfectly place your inside tires on an apex? No, because that’s not what the R1S is for. But the steering is nicely weighted, rather numb but reasonably direct. In Sport mode, the suspension rivals the stiffness of a BMW M SUV, without the harshness of those over-damped crossovers. Clicked into Standard mode, the R1S glided over New York’s torn-up mountain roads in total comfort.

“Despite its size, the Rivian SUV drives like a smaller machine on highways or backcountry two-lanes. In the confines of the city, however, you quickly realize how big this three-row hauler actually is — as wide as a Suburban and slightly taller.

“Off-road, the R1S is a joy. I’m in the unique position of having only driven EVs off-road, and I’m grateful that my introduction to this world came without having to worry about the right gear, the right transfer case range, or whether the differentials were locked. On challenging, unforgiving terrain, an EV lets you focus on the fundamentals, plotting the proper line and focusing on maintaining traction. Off-roading an EV is taking the stairs into the pool, rather than doing a cannonball — it’s a gentler way to get acclimated.”

— Steve DaSilva, Jalopnik

“Size-wise, Rivian’s SUV aligns closely with the Tesla Model X and Lincoln Aviator outside. Inside, the front, middle, and rear seats offer 59.7, 52.1, and 36.1 cubic feet with passenger and cargo dimensions very close to those of a Subaru Ascent in and behind all rows. A rectangular form factor vastly improves third-row headroom relative to the Tesla Model X, but a flat bottom cushion minimizes thigh support for taller riders in the way back. A button atop the second-row seat backs tilts the backrest and allows the seat to slide for third-row access, while electric releases in the cargo area fold the backrests flat for carrying cargo. The middle 20 percent can fold independently to fit skis or fishing rods. The third-row seats fold manually via levers at the outboard shoulder level. Aluminum rails in the cargo area accept sliding tie-downs or other attachments. There is provision for an accessory roller shade, and a tray in the underfloor bin holds a first-aid kit and the air hose for the standard compressor.

“What’s the R1S like off-road?

“It’s a slightly nimbler rock crawler with all the same off-road drive modes, camera views, and precision four-wheel control of its prodigious 908 lb-ft of torque that so easily make amateurs appear professional — especially when outfitted with the 275/65R20 Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tires. It’s just ever so slightly less likely to drag its underbelly or tail on the toughest trails. We appreciated a notable system update made pursuant to our previous Trans-America Trail adventure feedback: Hill hold is now suspended in rock-crawl mode, giving the driver complete control of the pedals. But Rivian has yet to act on our recommendation to add a speed-adjustable ‘off-road cruise control’ function like many others offer. We’ll watch our long-term R1T test truck for that OTA update. Oh, and if you plan on exercising Drift mode (which disables stability control and grossly overdrives the rear wheels to facilitate tail-out antics), the longer pickup carries slightly less weight on the rear axle (48 vs. 52 percent) and thus breaks traction and swings the rear fractionally easier than the SUV.”

— Frank Markus, Motor Trend

“The R1S’ total cargo capacity is 104.7 cubic feet, with a generous 11-cubic-foot frunk at your disposal. However, you do lose the ingenious gear tunnel that bisects the R1T. That’s a bummer, but you gotta put those passengers and their feet somewhere.

“On the road, the R1S still has a truck-like feel. You’re sitting way up tall, no surprise there, but the ride and resistance of the steering definitely have a lot more in common with a typical half-ton machine than your average car-based crossover. That’s not a bad thing, mind, and if anything it ties into the seemingly infinitely capable nature of the R1S.

“Want to drop the R1S for maximum aerodynamics on the highway and disable the rear motors for maximum range? No problem. Want to jack it up for a ridiculous 15 inches of ground clearance and a 3-foot wading depth? Easy peasy. Just a few taps on the generous central touchscreen and the car repositions itself appropriately, rising or dropping with enough rapidity to seriously disorient your passengers if done without warning.

“In fact, there’s plenty of opportunity for inducing nausea in the R1S, a warning that adventure-seeking parents should heed. Between the outrageous acceleration and aggressive regeneration, with a ride that’s either bumpy on stiff or floaty on soft, it’ll take a smooth driver to ensure that kids in the way-back can happily stay glued to their iPads. Don’t forget the ginger ale and Dramamine on your first road trip.”

— Tim Stevens, CNET

“If you are here for the third-row seats, I have some pretty good news for you. They are not only relatively easy to get into and out of, but they are also quite comfortable to sit in, even for adults. I wouldn’t want to go on a roadtrip back there, but a 30-minute ride to an airport would be doable. For kids, these are great seats they could spend hours in.

“The third row even has convenient storage boxes in the outside arm rests including a USB-C port for device charging. There’s no center arm rest however, which would have been nice. “The seat release is on top of the second-row seat back for easy exit and entry.

“The second row splits into a 40/20/40, and you can technically fit three baby seats there, but the center one will be tight.

“And I can only imagine how nice this would be if Rivian built this vehicle with the extra foot of wheel base, and therefore legroom, of the R1T frame. I spoke with a few of Rivian’s designers and didn’t really come away with a firm understanding of why they cut the size of the R1S short. It does add the turning radius and off-roading advantages, but in reality, that extra room would have been really appreciated inside the R1S, especially in the third row.

“There’s really not a bad seat in the car. The second row is roomy, even the middle seat. A family of seven could happily manage hours of travel in this thing.

“Even with the third row up, there is significant storage in the back. You can see above that there’s a nice amount of space for strollers and suitcases, and there are also two false floors where a small spare could also be hidden. Put the third row down and you’ve got enough room for bikes or golf clubs.

“Don’t forget that huge frunk in your storage calculations. The frunk also has a drain for ice when tailgating and a false floor for storing cables neatly. There’s also enough room for about eight brown paper grocery bags. I’ve submitted my proposal to Rivian for them to refrigerate the front trunk for groceries and camping, but I’m not sure if the company thinks it is worth the battery hit.”

— Seth Weintraub, Electrek

“Ride quality is firm, and the R1S has a planted feel on the road. The steering is heavily weighted, and body roll is far more subdued than you’d expect from a vehicle this big, tall, and heavy — claimed curb weight for the R1S is 7000 pounds (the R1T we tested tipped the scales at 7173 pounds). There’s a fair amount of squat if you give it the beans, and the rush of torque is enough to shove you back into your seat. We measured the pickup’s sprint to 60 mph at 3.3 seconds and think that the SUV will achieve a similar result.

“Owing to its shorter wheelbase and better departure angle compared with the pickup, Rivian sees the R1S as the stronger off-roader of the two. The air suspension can be raised to provide up to 15.0 inches of ground clearance, and Rivian claims it can ford water up to 39 inches deep. We bounded over boulders, navigated rutted trails, and crossed a few creeks on an off-road course Rivian had set up, where we found the R1S to be capable and easy to wheel, although the ride quality in these taller suspension settings, predictably, does get noticeably less compliant.”

— Joey Capparella, Car and Driver