Inside the Rivian R2: What the $57,990 Electric SUV Offers

Two years after first unveiling what its more affordable next-generation EV would look like, Rivian has now released the full pricing, colour options, and performance specifications for its upcoming R2 SUV. And like many new vehicle launches, the details are a bit layered.

The key takeaway is this: Rivian’s effort to bring a more affordable electric vehicle to a broader audience will come with prices ranging from $45,000 to $57,990, depending on performance levels and various interior and exterior features.

Rivian will eventually sell multiple versions of its mid-sized R2 SUV. However, the first version set to reach customers this spring — though the company has not confirmed an exact month, it appears likely to be June 2026 — will also be the most expensive. The R2 Performance with the Launch Package trim, a dual-motor all-wheel-drive EV offering up to 330 miles of EPA-estimated range, will start at $57,990. Rivian has said it will later drop the “launch edition” name and continue offering a performance trim, though it has not yet revealed what that version will cost.

The company said production and deliveries of a premium R2 variant — also a dual-motor AWD SUV, but with lower horsepower and the same 330-mile range — will begin in late 2026 at a starting price of $53,990.

After that, Rivian plans to introduce two standard versions of the R2, with battery range serving as the main point of distinction. The standard “long range” R2 is expected to enter production in early 2027, offering 345 miles of range and a starting price of $48,490. A more affordable standard version, priced at $45,000 and estimated at 275 miles of range, is scheduled to begin production sometime in late 2027, according to Rivian.

Whether that $45,000 version actually reaches production remains uncertain and will likely depend on how demand shapes up for the higher-priced trims in the initial rollout.

Standard fare

One notable point is that Rivian is keeping the baseline fairly consistent across all trims. Every R2 variant is built on Rivian’s new mid-sized platform and uses motors designed and manufactured in-house. All versions will come with an 87.9-kilowatt-hour battery pack and a built-in North American Charging Standard port, the EV charging format originally introduced by Tesla. Range figures also remain relatively close across the lineup, with the main exception being the lowest-priced standard model.

The differences become more apparent when looking at horsepower and torque. The Performance Launch Edition is the quickest and most capable model in the lineup. This dual-motor all-wheel-drive variant produces 656 horsepower and 609 pound-feet of torque, allowing it to accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds. Not that a mid-sized SUV necessarily needs that kind of off-the-line urgency.

The premium trim tones things down somewhat. It still uses a dual-motor AWD setup, but generates 450 horsepower and 537 pound-feet of torque. As a result, it takes a slower 4.6 seconds to go from zero to 60 mph.

The standard long-range version is rear-wheel drive and produces 350 horsepower and 355 pound-feet of torque. This trim benefits from the highest range in the lineup at 345 miles, but it is also slower, requiring 5.9 seconds to accelerate from zero to 60 mph. Rivian has not yet shared performance specifications for the least expensive R2 version.

The Rivian R2 is arguably a make-or-break vehicle for the automaker, and one tied to ambitious sales expectations. It needs to be compelling enough to attract buyers without pricing them out, and it also needs to cost less to build than Rivian’s flagship models if the company wants to move toward profitability.

For Rivian, that pricing sweet spot drifted somewhat, but it is mostly above $50,000. Whether that same range works for consumers is another question. According to Kelley Blue Book, the average new car buyer paid $49,191 in January. That puts the R2 just above the average transaction price — and that is before buyers begin adding optional upgrades.

And there will be no shortage of opportunities to add extras.

Upgrades for everyone

Prospective R2 customers will have a wide range of customisation options, and nearly all of them increase the final price. Every version of the SUV will come standard in a new colour called Esker Silver.

If a buyer wants a different paint option, such as the special “launch green” colour available for the launch edition, they will need to pay more. Rivian is introducing three new colours: Esker Silver, a metallic blue called Catalina Cove, and a metallic grey called Half Moon Grey. Buyers will also be able to choose from Rivian’s previously available colour options.

Customers selecting the more expensive Performance Launch Edition and premium trims will receive the most extra features, including a nine-speaker, two-midwoofer audio system, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear outboard seats, a heated steering wheel, and 12-way adjustable front seats. Both trims will also include a new interior design featuring what Rivian describes as birch wood accents. In addition, both will include a torch flashlight in the driver-side door, echoing one of the original signature surprises offered in Rivian’s R1 truck and SUV.

Every R2 will include standard advanced driver-assistance features, but buyers will also have the option to upgrade. Rivian Autonomy+, which adds hands-free driving on select highways, will cost a one-time fee of $2,500 or $49.99 per month. This package is included at no additional cost for buyers who choose the Performance Launch Edition.

There is one more notable point regarding Rivian’s autonomy package: a hardware gap.

By the end of 2026, Rivian says it will start shipping R2 vehicles equipped with the hardware necessary to support more advanced levels of automated driving — capabilities the company has previously described as “personal L4,” referring to the Society of Automotive Engineers’ Level 4 classification, in which a vehicle can operate in certain environments without human intervention.

But that level of capability depends on the right computing system and sensors. Last December, Rivian introduced its third-generation autonomy computer, known as ACM3, which can process 5 billion pixels per second. That computer, along with a lidar sensor, will begin appearing in the R2 in late 2026.

That means the Performance Launch Edition arriving in the spring will not include that hardware. Barclays analyst Dan Levy noted in a research note this week that many tech-focused buyers may choose to wait for the Gen 3 hardware version of the R2, with its more advanced ADAS capabilities, rather than purchasing the first R2 models equipped with Gen 2 autonomy.

Of course, the more capable R2 — at least in terms of future automated-driving potential — will likely carry a higher price, which could steer some buyers back toward the more affordable versions.