Electric vehicle (EV) darling Rivian has just announced pricing for its R2 SUV that it unveiled to great fanfare back in 2024. The company is indeed making a US$45,000 variant as promised – but that'll arrive only toward the end of 2027.
If you want an R2 sooner, you'll have to pick from a bunch of more expensive configurations, which will roll out in descending order of price and performance over the next two years.
Before we get into the details, here's a quick rundown of the R2. It's a compact electric two-row SUV with plenty of power and Rivian's signature utilitarian styling. The top-end trim gets 656 hp – nearly twice that of a Porsche Macan – and pulls off a speedy 0-60 mph time (0-100 km/h) of just 3.5 seconds. All but one of the variants will get over 300 miles of range.
There are all kinds of niceties to look forward to, including an expansive glass roof, a drop-down rear window, two glove boxes, spacious heated rear seating, lots of storage in the rear and the frunk, and high ground clearance for off-roading. The NACS port lets you use Tesla's Supercharger network to get the battery from 10%-80% in just half an hour.
It's of course less performant than the flagship R1, and Rivian's swapped out the active air suspension for passive springs and semi-active dampers to bring down costs. Reviewer Marques Brownlee notes it's still pretty good, for what it's worth. Plus, you'll get an impressive 8-year, 120,000-mile warranty.
Onto pricing. Starting this US spring, you can get the top-of-the-line R2 Performance with the Launch Package that starts at $57,990. This dual-motor AWD variant dishes out the aforementioned 656 horses along with 609 lb.ft (825 Nm) of torque, for an EPA-estimated range of 330 miles (530 km).
The Launch Package nets you lifetime access to Rivian's hands-free assisted driving features (which normally costs $49.99/month or $2,500 one-time) and a 4,400-lb (1,995-kg) capacity towing package.
Later in 2026 comes the R2 Premium, which starts at $53,990. Its powertrain is stepped down to 450 hp and 537 lb.ft (728 Nm) of torque, with the same 330-mile range as the top-tier Performance.
The Standard trim will arrive in the first half of 2027 at $48,490 with a rear-wheel drive Long Range configuration that delivers 350 hp, 355 lb.ft (481 Nm) of torque, for an estimated 345 miles (555 km) on a full charge.
The one we're all waiting for is the Standard with 275-mile (442.5-km) range: this one will start at a competitive $45,000. Too bad it won't roll out until late 2027.
With that, the R2 is poised to go up against Tesla's Model Y SUV, which starts $40,000 and does serious sales numbers for the brand. Initial driving impressions from the likes of Carwow and Doug DeMuro suggest the R2 offers a comfortable ride and commendable off-road performance, so it could well be one to consider if you're in the market for a sensibly sized electric SUV.
Check out the R2 on Rivian's site, where you can reserve one with a $100 deposit.
Source: Rivian
