Riviera 515 SUV

OVERVIEW
- SUVs prove a big hit in the ‘sedan’ market
This latest member the crossover SUV range was released at the Riviera Festival at the Coomera yard in May 2014. The 515 SUV underwent a protracted design process much like its sister ship, the 50 Enclosed Flybridge, which in our opinion is the best new-generation Riviera since Rodney Longhurst bought the business back in 2012.

The hull, engineering, pod-drive setup and accommodation plan are the identical — both boats share the same hull platform — only the SUV’s is slanted towards a multipurpose role — that of entertainer and raft-up craft, as much as cruiser and active watersports boat — using a single-level saloon and helm layout.

Evidently, more owners are coveting single-level cruisers like the SUVs these days. The rationale goes that after years of driving flybridge boats, the cruising clique no longer fancies ladders or stairs, the separation that the upper station inevitably creates, and the serious offshore cruising purpose of an enclosed flybridge boat.

Instead, the majority of the time spent aboard Rivieras is down at saloon level and out into the cockpit, either while rafted up with likeminded boaters or running amuck with family. So why not design the boat that way and keep everyone on the one level?

That’s the SUV philosophy and it makes dollars and sense for boatbuilders. And at the time of writing, SUV sales numbered 54 boats across the 445, 515 and 565 models in just two years!

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- Not a big saving on the 50 EB but less is more
Using the same twin Volvo Penta 626hp D11 engines with IPS2 drives, the base price for this 515 SUV is $1,449,000 compared with $1,499,800 for the 50 EB sister ship. To this you will have to add the cost of a few more electronics in your flybridge, which might be another $20,000, and a davit and tender on the bow.

But both boats come standard with cockpit joysticks and for, say, a $70,000-$100,000 premium the loaded flybridge offers a whole extra room and realm. But here’s the deal. It’s not so much about money, as the way you use your boat that is attracting buyers to the SUVs. It’s all about ease of handling and slipping away more often.

The 515 SUV #6 from 19 orders ticked a lot of boxes. Offered as a loaded boat in standard guise, our test boat had the customary owner’s tweaks. These included teak cockpit floor, inviting sunpad of foredeck, hydraulic swim platform, convertible saloon lounge/table with ottoman, dishwasher, washer/dryer, Raymarine electronics suite, upgraded AV system down to the cabins, and underwater lights, plus more. Oh, and the big-ticket coloured hull and watermaker and blaster to help keep it clean.

With the standard IPS 800s and twin joysticks, the 515 SUV we drove was nicely set-up and had an as-tested price of $1,595,516. That’s around the same money as the beamer Maritimo S50 with full-beam stateroom and shaftdrives. If not Riviera's 50 EB, there’s the competition in this uniquely Australian-built SUV/sedan market.

LAYOUT AND ACCOMMODATION
- Geared for entertaining, family, offshore fishing and diving
The 8.50sqm cockpit on the 515 SUV is big by any measure. Riviera can fit an in-transom live-bait well, outriggers, there are moulded cockpit toe kicks, you could even add a half tower to this boat. But these style of boats are used more as an entertaining platforms nowadays and a loose table and chairs are more likely additions.

Certainly, it’s hard to argue with the maxi barbecue built into the transom of the test boat. We’d also consider a stainless U-bar off the swim platform for mounting a cutting board and rod holders for fishing. With simple snap davits you could tote a small tender back here and save on the hydraulic platform, a $52K option with teak!

Either way, the outward opening transom doors integrate the swim platform to the cockpit and add to the waterfront real estate. The big amenities centre becomes the focal point and centrepiece around which traffic can move freely. As with the 50 EB, there’s an impressive amount of cockpit floor space… and storage for a pod-driven boat, including in a lazerette area.

We like the mezzanine level seating with views back over your anchorage or lines and within reach of the aft galley. The nice wide walkaround decks are just as welcome and, without the flying bridge and weight up top, this is an exceptionally surefooted boat.

Rocking around between Sydney Heads, we could immediately cast our minds to the role of offshore fisher and adventure island cruiser as much as that raft-up boat. The functional cockpit and inherent stability are certainly among the 515 SUV’s greatest strengths.

Indoors, the 515 SUV gains greater ventilation than the 50 EB thanks to twin electrically operated Webasto sunroofs in the new lid and the side- and aft-opening windows. The galley cabinetry has a new high-gloss apartment-like finish, while the deletion of the staircase to the flybridge allows for a redesign of the wetbar and inbuilt drawer fridges. The lack of stairs adds to the open-boat feel, too.

Seating forward includes an L-shaped lounge to port instead of the U-shaped number, as there’s the lower helm to accommodate. The upgraded settee opposite that converts to a table with ottoman is a neat trick and breakfast nook. Together, the opposing seating encourages conversation when not gazing at the views or pop-up TV.

With the aft galley feeding fore and aft, and the casual and formal seating options for up to eight — including on the twin swivelling helm seats and the cockpit mezzanine lounge — this is a very social boat. Meanwhile, the boat driver and crew remain in the hub of the action, making this a particularly social platform for shared pleasure cruising.

The three-cabin/twin-bathroom layout is rather egalitarian, as each cabin offers equal billing for two adults. There isn’t a full-beam stateroom, but most certainly a first-class portside master cabin with en suite and inviting lodgings for guests in the VIP in the bow with island bed and en suite or twin singles in the third cabin.

With great attention to detail and abundant head and shoulder room, this is a model layout for an extended family to spend time aboard. The lifted finish is evident in the bathrooms, too, where there’s less of the Gold Coast glitz and more of the worldly boatbuilder that Riviera is these days.

Read our previous test of the 50 EB for a blow-by-blow rundown of the stunning interior, which is identical layout-wise.

HULL AND ENGINEERING
- Tried and tested for trying and testing conditions
Built in Australia for our way of boating foremost, the 515 has solid glass below the waterline and cored decks and superstructure. There’s a small solid GRP keel to assist directional stability and docking that also reduces the drift rate and skating at anchor.

The hull is a derivation of the Belize (designed by Wes Moxey) that Riviera now owns. It carries its beam well aft at the chines and therefore has an innate ability to tote a good payload.

Engine vents are inboard and there’s a Marine Air Flow system, with positive (24V fan) forced-air supply, passive extraction and two-stage mist eliminators. Such things are a point of difference from, say, the old Riviera 47s. Think long engine and engineering life.

Engine room access is via a conventional cockpit hatch and the layout is logical, serviceable, owner-friendly, with virtual standing room forward. The fuel tank has sight gauges and remote shut-offs, twin fillers and stainless-steel fuel lines. There are two bilge pumps and a high-water alarm, plus a fire-suppression system.

On the electrical front, the 515 SUV has digital AC/DC switching and systems monitoring, a 13.5 kW Onan generator, 2.5kW inverter (for the AV system, icemaker and a GPO), and twin battery chargers for quick-response charging.

In short, the engineering and electrical systems are top shelf and approaching anything you will find on big-name overseas marques.

ON THE WATER
- Best riding SUV in the range
The internal helm platform to port affords surprisingly good views and, with an almost elevated position, you seem somewhere off the water between a flybridge and a lower sportsyacht steering station. As such, driving the 515 SUV is commanding and confidence inspiring.

The great vision will be welcome while ranging along the coast and dodging small fishing boats, fish-trap floats, ships and whales. We’re told the owner is a Queenslander bound for Hamilton Island, which further underscored the offshore pedigree of the 515 SUV and its purpose.

Offshore, we felt this boat had a very pleasant motion and predictable ride, while running in fine fettle and trim without great need for driver input. The IPS 2 drives have plenty of grip and the addition of a small keel helps the newer Riviera pod boats track straight down sea.

The 515 SUV was also remarkably dry compared with some Rivieras of yore and, together, these attributes made for a great cruising experience in this new class of boat.

Compared with the 50 EB, the 515 SUV has bridge clearance of 3.80m versus 5.53m, meaning considerably less windage, and there are weight savings of some 3500kg.

According to the official figures, this translates to a 353 nautical mile (nm) range at 23.9 knots compared with 305nm at 23.5 knots with the same engines on the 50 EB. Something to think about, as the 15 per cent litre/nm performance gains aren’t to be sneezed at.

On the drive day, we noted 22 knots smooth cruise at 2000rpm and 26 knots at 2200rpm fast cruise, with Riviera claiming a top speed of 31.4 knots at 2450rpm wide-open throttle with three crew and full fuel and water.

These are very good figures and the supplied sea-trial data reveals efficient cruising anywhere from 22-26 knots for around 7.60 litres per nautical mile.  With a wide efficiency range from 1700-2200rpm for 330-350nm, your speed will be ruled by conditions and comfort more than any outstanding gains at certain rev settings.

The Dynamic Positioning System from Volvo bundled standard lets you hold station with a virtual anchor at the press of a button, and the autopilot system with cruise control is similarly user-friendly. The standard second cockpit joystick will assist docking and our 515 SUV proved a low-stress, intuitive and enjoyable drive.

VERDICT
- An SUV for today’s cruiser whether old salts or new blood
From its clean auto-like dash to the pod drives and joystick, the digital switching and new multifunction Raymarine electronics, the 515 SUV is the latest-generation Riviera, with a five-star fit and finish including some unique features that help define the genre

As Mike Joyce from R Marine Sydney says, the 515 SUV is "absolutely in the sweet spot in the market." The sports utility vessel has three equally accommodating cabins, good living space, great functionality, crossover application, user- and driver-friendliness, and Riviera integrity at its core.

Noise levels are down, vision is up, and the whole experience has stepped up a notch. The other big thing is competition or, rather, lack thereof. While the keenly priced used-boat market is brimming with flybridge cruisers there’s really not a lot in the single-level bluewater cruising category that competes with this 515 and standout SUV.

LIKES
>> Exceptional stability and a surefooted motion
>> Functional, Australian-sized cockpit for all pursuits and pleasure boating 
>> Excellent sight lines, vision and ventilation from internal helm station
>> We like the three generous cabins on this SUV and its 50 EB sistership
>> Pitched in the sweet spot that is today’s pleasure-cruiser market

NOT SO MUCH
>> Competing 50 footers boast full-beam staterooms, but Riviera has three big cabins instead.
>> The modest extra outlay for the flying bridge 50 EB sistership seems to buy a lot of extra boat

Specifications:
Price as tested: About $1,595,516 with twin Volvo Penta IPS 800s and upgrades including teak cockpit floor, foredeck sunpad, hydraulic swim platform, convertible saloon lounge/table with ottoman, dishwasher, washer/dryer, Raymarine electronics suite, upgraded AV system down to the cabins, underwater lights and more.

Priced from: $1,449,000
LOA: 17.26m
Hull Length ISO8666: 16.15m
Beam: 5.01m
Draft: 1.18m (max)
Weight: Around 22,690kg (dry w/standard engines)
Sleeping: 6+1
Fuel Capacity: 3000 litres
Water Capacity: 750 litres
Holding tanks: 400 litres
Engines: Twin 626hp D11 Volvo Penta IPS 800s, turbo-charged, fully electronic, six-cylinder common rail diesel engines with IPS2 pod drives

Supplied by:
The Riviera Group,
50 Waterway Drive
Coomera, Qld, 4209
Phone (07) 5502 5555
See www.riviera.com.au.