2021 Rivian R1T and R1S: New cheaper pricing revealed for Toyota HiLux-hammering EV ute - but there's a catch...

Rivian has cut the price of its R1T, with its all-electric jumbo truck to start from just US$67,500 for its new entry-level model – but there’s a catch.

While the more expensive Launch Edition of the Tesla Cybertruck rival will begin arriving in the USA from June next year, priced at US$75,000, the cheaper Explore model won’t be touching down until January 2022.

Sill, the new US$67,500 price tag ($93,378 AUD) is cheaper than expected, with the brand having previously touted a US$69,000 starting price.

The Explore model will still get Rivian's quad-motor drivetrain (with an electric motor at each wheel), and the brand is promising a range in excess of 300 miles, or 482kms. You’ll also get a black interior treatment with heated (vegan) leather seats.

In the grunt department, we'd expect 300kW and 560Nm for the cheaper model - enough to propel the monster truck to around 97km/h in just 4.9 seconds - a decrease from the more powerful 522kW/1120Nm outputs of the more expensive models.

The range then steps up to the Adventure, which adds an off-road pack that includes an underbody shield, tow hooks and an on-board air compressor, as well as a better stereo, nicer woodgrain interior elements and a ventilation function for the seats. The Adventure is priced at US$75,000, or $106,760 in Australian dollars. Deliveries are expected to begin in January 2022.

Finally, the Launch Edition is the same price as the Adventure, and is similarly equipped, but adds Launch Edition interior badging, a unique green paint option, and a choice of 20-inch All-Terrain or 22-inch sport alloys wheels. It is expected to arrive in June 2021.

The R1S SUV range mirrors that of the truck, but is more expensive, with the Explore yours for US$70,000 ($96,808), and the Adventure and Launch Edition, both US$77,500 ($107,181).

The timings push the brand’s launch date in Australia to at least December 2022, but more likely 2023, with the brand having told CarsGuide a launch Down Under would occur around 18 months after the vehicles’ US debut.

"Yes we will have an Australian launch. And I can’t wait to come back to Australia and show this to all of those beautiful people," the brand’s chief engineer, Brian Gase, told CarsGuide.

Still, Rivian is making some bold promises about its R1T, promising it can “do anything another vehicle can do, and then some.”

"We have really focused on the off-road capability of these vehicles. We have 14-inches of dynamic ground clearance, we have a structural underbody, we have all-time all-wheel drive so we can go up 45-degree inlines, and we can accelerate from zero to 60mph (96km/h) in 3.0 seconds," Gase said.

"I can tow 10,000 pounds (4.5 tonnes). I’ve got a tent that I can throw onto the back of the truck, I’ve got 400 miles (643km) of range, I’ve got all-time all-wheel drive so I can do anything another vehicle can do, and then some."