2022 Riviera 465 SUV launched

Priced from around $1.6 million, the new Riviera 465 SUV slips into the range between the smaller entry-level 445 SUV and the recently introduced 505 SUV.

The SUV range is very special to Riviera. A decade ago, the brand was struggling to keep its head above water. It was up to new owner Rodney Longhurst and Riviera’s former chief executive, Wes Moxey, to turn its fortunes around.

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The boat that Riviera pinned its hopes on was the 445 SUV, launched just six months after Longhurst’s takeover.

Moxey said after having a think about it, Riviera’s strong-selling 43-foot motor yacht was the “right size, right thing” on which to base a new model.

“Single-level boats is where it was at, so we came out with the 445 SUV at the Sydney boat show in August 2012.

Before launching the new model, the pair travelled around Australia and New Zealand to talk with every dealer about what Riviera was doing and where it was going, and to test the idea of calling the new model an SUV. 

“We got a unanimous ‘Hey, great idea’,” Moxey said. “That boat’s proven to be a great success over the last 10 years and we've built multiples of them.”

Moxey said the idea behind the Riviera 645 SUV was to fill an important gap in the SUV line-up as owners grow into the motor yachts.

“It's quite a step from a 445 financially to a 50,” he said. “Some people can't make that step. 

“So we wanted to fill the gap and make the step easier for those people to transition up. 

“The 465 fits the bill – three cabins, two bathrooms, alfresco dining behind the saloon galley and helm, and then a fishing sports cockpit. 

“Open the twin doors, put your rails around [the swim platform] and you've got the same size cockpit [as the 50-foot 505 SUV]. 

“So it's an adventure boat that it's got all of the nuances of the 50 that we've been able to package it into 46 feet and bring the price down and fill the gap halfway between the 445 and 50.”

The Riviera 465 SUV is a collaboration between the Gold Coast-based motor yacht maker’s in-house design team and 4D Designs. It joins existing models including the 395, 445, 505, 545, 575 and 645.

“Luxuriously appointed with premium fabrics, designer lounges and plush carpet underfoot in the staterooms, she features high-gloss timber cabinetry throughout,” Riviera said.

“Twin transom doors fold out parallel to the transom to allow the generous boarding platform to become part of the cockpit, creating one large watersports or entertaining platform.

“In a dual-purpose watersports and entertainer's cockpit, a wet bar is forward on the port side, including an electric barbecue, a sink with hot and cold water and storage.”

Upstairs from the cockpit is an alfresco deck framed in lounges, with the port side lounge featuring a folding timber dining table and the starboard one converting to a daybed. Two sliding sunroofs open the space up to the elements when the conditions suit.

A large hatch in the floor provides good access to the engine room.

A sliding glass door beside a large awning window opens to the aft galley space and a forward saloon fitted with one-way privacy glass.

The saloon space provides all-around views and airflow via deep side-opening windows and the large, curved windscreen.

The starboard U-shaped galley includes a twin-element electric cooktop, a combination microwave oven, and a solid surface benchtop with a stainless steel sink and mixer tap.

Appliances include a twin-door 150-litre refrigerator and a 50-litre freezer.

A large folding timber dining table, forward to port, has lounge seating for up to six people.

Walkaround decks provide easy forward access to a large twin-sized bow sun pad with headrests, while deck hatches provide natural light to the spaces below.

Riviera says the 465 SUV’s accommodation deck includes three staterooms as well as a combination clothes washer and dryer recessed into the stairwell.

A master stateroom in the bow is fitted with a queen-size bed with inbuilt storage and comes with a full-height cedar-lined hanging locker. Natural light comes via hull windows and deck hatches.

Two guest staterooms with large hull windows lie amidships. The port stateroom includes a queen-size bed, while the starboard stateroom provides side-by-side single beds. 

The port-side bathroom, which also has a companionway door, can be used as an ensuite for the stateroom on that side, or as a day head.

Driving the Riviera 465 SUV is a pair of 600hp Volvo Penta D8-IPS800s, with joystick control available at the helm and via a second one located in the mezzanine area.

Giving owners peace of mind both on and off the water is a Siren Marine remote monitoring system that can alert the owner of any issues, even if it is unoccupied and tied up safely in the marina.