Riviera 585 SUV looks to live up to its name at FLIBS 2023

The new Riviera 585 SUV, debuting next week at the 2023 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, offers sport with a whole lot of utility...

America’s passionate love affair with big, honking SUVs should bode well for the new Riviera 585 SUV, the latest addition to Aussie-based Riviera Yachts‘ five-model “Sport Utility Vessel” line-up.

The badge is a bit confusing in that bow-to-stern, this sleek-looking hardtop coupe measures in at 65 feet. Add to that the SUV’s 18ft 7in beam and it means a whole lot of space inside and out.

Take the dual-level cockpit at the back. At swim platform level, there’s a huge, teak-floored deck with barbecue grille, sink and ice-maker. Three steps up takes you into what’s arguably the 585’s best feature; it’s cosy, well-protected upper cockpit.

Fort Lauderdale Boat Show 2023

Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (commonly known as FLIBS) is, quite simply, the world’s biggest boat show, with more than 1,000 boats from 52 different countries attracting more than 100,000 visitors. Held every year in late October/early November, this is the place for manufacturers to show off their latest models. It’s not just US brands either, with yards from all across the globe flocking to Florida to win over the discerning boaters. When is the 2023 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show? This year’s event will take place from Wednesday October 25 to Sunday October 29. The show opens each day at 10am and closes in the evening at 7pm, however the parties go on long into the small hours. The exception to this is Wednesday, which opens late (12pm) and Sunday, when the show ends early (6pm).

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Here, shielded by the hardtop and side windows, there’s an L-shaped sofa and hi-lo table. On the opposite side is a huge lounging pad for curling up with a good book. And it’s all on the same level as the saloon; slide open the big tinted glass door, and raise-up the tinted half-window by the galley, and everything is wide open.

Below decks it’s like a Tardis with much more space than you’d imagine. The full-beam, amidships owner’s cabin is huge, with a big, centerline bed and breakfast table for two at the side, all brightened up by oversized hull glass. Heck, there’s even a walk-in closet and a separate laundry room.

Tucked in the bow, there’s a guest double, with a roomy twin-bed cabin close by that transforms into a double. And the quality and craftsmanship through the entire boat is first rate.

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And the best part, this new Riviera 585 SUV is a great-looking boat, with an old-school raked bow and swooping profile that gives it the appearance of some offshore fishing boat. But it looks modern, courtesy of that big-windowed hardtop and generous hull-side windows. This thing will turn heads.

Standard power is a pair of 900hp Volvo D13 diesels mated to IPS pod drives, with the option of 1,000hp versions. Top speed with the bigger engines is 35 knots, with a 400 nautical-mile range at 21 knots.