You can now get a Rivian without spending more than $70,000. After months of rumors and leaks, Rivian has finally taken the wraps off of the Rivian R2, its newest SUV and the first to be built on the new Rivian R2 platform. The R2 is built to be Rivian’s “Model 3 moment,” or its attempt to build a car that’s more accessible to the general public, and thus could be sold at a much higher volume than the R1S or R1T ever were.
The R2 certainly cuts some corners to achieve the lower price point, but it actually still has a lot going for it — especially as an electric SUV in this price range. It goes up against the likes of the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Mustang Mach-E, and Kia EV6, but it’s much more of an SUV than a crossover-sized car, and should appeal to those who want something larger and with Rivian’s design sensibility.
It’s not quite as large as the R1S though. The car only has room for five seats, instead of seven, like on the R1S — so larger families still might want to consider shelling out for the larger SUV, or going for an alternative like the Kia EV9.
As an electric car, the R2 is highly competitive. There are three drivetrain configurations, including a single-motor rear-wheel drive model, a dual-motor all-wheel-drive configuration, and a tri-motor all-wheel drive configuration. All of the models can deliver over 300 miles of range, so you won’t necessarily suffer too much by buying a lower-end model.
As you might expect from a Rivian, the car has some neat touches that aren’t all that common. Notably, the car’s rear window can fold down for a more open-air experience — and to more easily load things into the trunk without opening the trunk. And not only can the second-row seats fold down, but the first row seats can fold down too — meaning that the car can be used more easily for camping situations, with something like an air mattress.
The car is packed with cameras and sensors too. There are 11 cameras and five radars dotted around the car, and Rivian says that this allows the car to self-drive on the highway — including allowing the driver to take their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road.
The starting price of the Rivian R2 is even lower than leaks suggested. The car starts at $45,000, and is on for reservations now. Deliveries on the car will begin in the first half of 2026, as expected.
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