Rivian finally has given us the numbers we’ve been waiting for. It’s new, more mainstream EV comes in at a markedly lower price than the original R1 family. But at a base price of $45,000 – plus delivery fees, the R2 is not quite the “affordable” EV many potential customers have been hoping for. Still, for the money, even the base Rivian R2 delivers serious performance and features, reports Headlight.News.
It’s nearly five years since the original Rivian R1T pickup went on sales, soon followed by the R1S sport-utility vehicle. There’ve been plenty of folks keeping an eye on the all-electric brand, hoping for something a bit more budget-friendly.
Come spring, the long-awaited Rivian R2 will begin rolling out of the automaker’s plant in Normal, Illinois. And it’s substantially cheaper than the original R1 family. That said, it’s far from falling into the “affordable category.” The R2 base model starts at $45,000 – before factoring in $1,495 in destination fees. At the top end, the R2 Performance package will push towards $60,000, all in.
Those buyers looking for something even more affordable will have to hang tight. It plans to debut the smaller R3 package in 2028.
What’s an R2
Following the Tesla business model, Rivian first rolled out a pair of relatively high-end product offerings, the R1T is currently $72,900 plus those destination fees, with the R1S going for $76,990. (To its credit, the Rivian website makes a point of noting that you’ll have additional costs before you can roll off the dealer lot.)
The R2 will only be available in SUV trim, reflecting market realities. The 5-seater doesn’t stray far from the design language of the R1S, among other things picking up the brand’s distinctive rectangular ring headlamps. At the back end, R2 becomes one of the rare SUVs now available with rear glass that can retract into the tailgate for more of an open feel.
Compared to the brand’s original SUV, R2 is notably downsized. At 185.9 inches, it’s about 15 inches shorter. The wheelbase is 5.5 inches shorter, at 115.6, The R2 is actually slightly wider, however, at 84.7 inches. The new EV stands nearly a foot lower, at 66.9 inches. Ground clearance with a semi-active suspension maxes at 9.6 inches. The R1S is available with an air suspension capable of rising to 14 inches, depending upon the package.
Powertrain options
All versions of the Rivian R2 are battery-electric, but there are several different powertrain options:
- The R2 Performance model, starting price $57,990, will be first out of the box. Its all-wheel-drive system will deliver 656 hp and 609 lb-ft of torque, enough to hit 60 in 3.6 seconds. Range from its 87.9 kWh lithium-ion battery is an EPA-estimated 330 miles;
- The R2 Premium packages is also AWD and musters 450 hp and 537 lb-ft., with a 0-60 time of 4.6 seconds. Priced at $53,990, it has the same 330-miles range;
- The R2 base, or Standard, package is rear-wheel-drive, a single electric motor delivering 345 miles per charge. Output is 355 hp and 345 lb-ft, with launch times of 5.9 seconds. It’s priced at $45,000.
Add $1,495 to all the above prices for destination fees.
More Rivian News
- Rivian CEO Upbeat Despite Loss of EV Tax Credits
- A Week With the 2025 Rivian R1S
- Rivian Announces 3 New Models: R2, R3, R3X
A critical entry
Rivian plans to build the smaller R3 at the Georgia plant it’s currently setting up.
The R2 is a critical entry for Rivian, expected to significantly boost volumes by targeting a more mainstream segment of the market. The automaker clearly needs to build momentum, taking a big hit – like the rest of the industry – from the expiration of federal EV tax credits last September. Rivian sales fell 18% in 2025, to 42,207.
The Rivian Rs takes aim at a number of competing EVs, including the Audi Q4 e-tron, BMW i3, Cadillac Optiq, Chevrolet Equinox and Blazer EVs, Mercedes-Benz GLC and Toyota bZ Woodland.
Though adding an SUV in this price segment expands Rivian’s potential reach, industry analyst caution that demand is likely to be significantly lower than when Rivian began development of the R2 during the pro-EV Biden administration. The big question is what will happen by the time the R2 launches, sometime in 2028. Most forecasts call for EV sales to bottom out in 2026 and begin to rebound, in part, due to the arrival of more products targeting entry segments that could reach below $30,000.
0 Comments