3 minute read
The Rivian R1S has always been the one that got away for me. The specs, the stance, the whole outdoor-ready attitude — I love it. The price tag, less so. So when Rivian officially pulled the curtain on the R2 earlier this month at SXSW, I paid close attention.
This is the one that makes sense for most people.
Smaller Footprint, Same Rivian DNA
The R2 is a mid-size five-seat SUV that’s meaningfully more compact than the R1S, but it doesn’t feel like a compromise vehicle. At 185.9 inches long, it actually slots in close to a four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited in terms of size, which tells you a lot about who Rivian is targeting here. It’s built for people who want to get out and go, not just look the part in a Whole Foods parking lot.
Ground clearance is 9.6 inches, approach and departure angles are rated at 25 and 26 degrees respectively, and there’s up to 4,400 pounds of towing capacity. For weekend trips hauling a trailer or just pushing down rougher roads to a trailhead, that’s more than adequate.
Performance Trim Does the Heavy Lifting First
The R2 launches this spring in Performance trim at $57,990, and honestly, for what you’re getting, that price surprised me in a good way. The dual-motor AWD setup puts out 656 horsepower and 609 lb-ft of torque, which translates to a 3.6-second 0-60. Estimated range sits at 330 miles on an 87.9 kWh battery, and it charges from 10 to 80 percent in about 29 minutes.
Inside, Performance buyers get birch wood trim, semi-active suspension that adapts between road and trail, a premium audio system, and that retractable rear window that drops into the tailgate. That last detail might sound minor, but it’s one of those touches that makes the whole vehicle feel considered rather than assembled.
Charging Is No Longer a Guessing Game
One of the things that used to hold me back from fully committing to an EV for road trips was range anxiety, specifically the charging network anxiety that came with it. Rivian solved that for R2 buyers by including a NACS port, which means access to over 21,000 Tesla Superchargers across North America. That’s a genuinely useful advantage, and it’s easy to underestimate until you’re actually planning a long-distance drive.
The Lineup Has More to Come
If the Performance price point is still a stretch, Rivian has a mid-grade Premium trim coming later this year at $53,990 with 500 horsepower and a 4.9-second 0-60. A more stripped-down single-motor RWD version arrives in 2027 at $48,490, with the long-promised $45,000 base model also expected in late 2027.
First deliveries of Launch Edition models are scheduled to start by June 2026, going to R1 owners first.
I’ve been watching Rivian since before the R1T shipped. The R2 is what the brand needed: a vehicle that makes the whole platform accessible without watering down what makes Rivian interesting. I’m not ruling out putting down a deposit.
