Rivian said it will disclose full pricing, options and final specifications for its upcoming R2 electric sport utility vehicle on March 12, as early prototype reviews begin to surface ahead of the model’s planned launch.
In a post on social media platform X, the electric vehicle maker confirmed that the first version to reach customers will be a dual-motor all-wheel-drive variant. Rivian has previously indicated a starting price of about $45,000, positioning the vehicle below its larger R1 models and in direct competition with high-volume electric SUVs such as Tesla’s Model Y, Ford Motor’s Mustang Mach-E and Hyundai’s Ioniq 5.
The timing of the announcement alongside independent test drives suggests the company is seeking to build momentum for what could become its most commercially important vehicle to date and its first entry into the mass market.
Early reviewers said the R2 appears to retain key characteristics of Rivian’s flagship models in a smaller, more affordable format. Technology reviewer Marques Brownlee, known as MKBHD, said the vehicle could represent a turning point for the company’s growth. “If the base $45,000 version of the R2 with 300 plus miles of range and decent performance and all the same character and the same great setup and packaging is still a good product — which I think it will be — this I think can be their Model Y, for lack of a better comparison,” he said.
Brownlee also compared the driving feel of the prototype to Rivian’s larger R1S SUV. “It really feels just like R1S on the road. If you put me in this and didn’t tell me that it was an R2, I would probably just believe I was in an R1S,” he said, adding that the ride quality appeared smoother than expected for a smaller vehicle.
Rivian has not yet confirmed final range figures, trim levels or delivery timelines, but the R2 is widely seen as central to the company’s strategy to expand sales volume beyond the premium segment dominated by its R1T pickup and R1S SUV.