Welcome to the debut of the long-awaited Rivian R2. The electric SUV specialist has announced the final specifications and production timings for its second core model, following on from the R1 SUV and pick-up launched back in 2021. The Rivian R2 was unveiled in 2024, alongside an even smaller and sportier R3 (yet to make it to production).
Rivian R2
The key takeaway is that the R2 is smaller yet no less stuffed with function, clever packaging and Rivian’s signature looks. In the past 18 months, Rivian has doubled down on its design offering, with everything from the one-off Rivian R1S Quad Miami Edition to the limited series California Dune Edition R1 demonstrating that off-book colours, materials and trim are all very much part of the company’s experience from now onwards.
Rivian R2 in Catalina Blue
The R2 is a mid-size SUV (equating to a large SUV in European parlance). It sits on a new dedicated platform and has been shaped, styled and specified to reduce the overall price without diluting the Rivian experience. A top-line R1S can run to around $120,000, whereas the launch model R2 Performance retails at less than half that. The R2 Standard, when it arrives next year, will start at $45,000.
The new R2 (right) alongside the Rivian R1S
It’s certainly more than half the car. To the unfamiliar, the design language and proportions appear near identical, although the R2 is lower, shorter and lighter than the original R1S. The company’s founder and CEO, RJ Scaringe, says that the new model ‘embodies so many of our learnings that we have accumulated’.
The R2 has an opening tailgate glass
Rivian is pitching hard to the outdoor activity market
Range and performance are competitive, with the base model offering over 275 miles of range and the premium performance model should deliver up to 330miles, according to the company. That same model has 656hp and a 3.6 second sprint time, as well as unbeatable highway acceleration (an important metric in the American market, where the necessity of joining multiple lanes of fast-flowing, unyielding traffic requires punchy mid-range acceleration).
The new Rivian R2
The R2 Performance Launch Package also comes with access to Tesla’s Supercharging network, as well as conventional charge ports, and has semi-active suspension. Inside, the full gamut of Rivian’s renewed emphasis on materials and function are on display.
Rivian R2 rear seats
This includes birch-wood trim accents, four heated seats, a 975W nine-speaker audio system, opening tailgate glass and other neat touches, like the flashlight contained in the driver’s door and integrated tow hooks.
The company’s much-praised HMI showcases the various drive modes (All-Purpose, Conserve, Snow, All-Terrain, Rally, Soft Sand, Sport and Launch), while onboard tech also includes a vehicle lifetime subscription to the Autonomy+ system. This Level 2+ hands-free driving experience is so far tuned to North America (and covers 3.5 million miles of roads across the US and Canada, according to Rivian).
Rivian R2 dashboard
Autonomy+ makes use of the R2’s ‘multi-model perception stack’, no less than 11 HDR cameras and five radar sensors. The system will continue to evolve through OTA updates; future improvements include the arrival of Rivian’s dedicated AI assistant.
Rivian R2 central display screen
Twin digital displays, including a central touchscreen, take charge of the vast majority of control systems, although the R2 also includes a new steering wheel with embedded haptic dials, called Halo Wheels. These bring context-aware controls to the R2 and are meant to bring a more analogue feel to the interface.
The new Rivian R2 in Glacier White
The R2 could just be the first Rivian model to make it over the Atlantic and tackle the European market, although there’s no official word on when and whether that’ll happen just yet. Still a sizeable machine by European standards, it nevertheless brings a fresh approach to design and technology that should mitigate the old school image of the SUV.
Rivian R2
Rivian R2 Performance with Launch Package, from $57,990, Rivian.com, @RivianOfficial