Does the R2 have a dedicated satellite radio antenna?

[Big Kidd]

I was wondering if they have added a dedicated satellite antenna so you can get SiriusXM without having to stream thru a cellular based network.
I read that on the R1S & R1T you can only get SiriusXM via a cellular network by streaming it. I've heard you lose connectivity if you're somewhere out in the country where the cellular networks aren't as plentiful. It would be nice if the R2 had a dedicated satellite antenna.

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[godfodder0901]

I was wondering if they have added a dedicated satellite antenna so you can get SiriusXM without having to stream thru a cellular based network.
I read that on the R1S & R1T you can only get SiriusXM via a cellular network by streaming it. I've heard you lose connectivity if you're somewhere out in the country where the cellular networks aren't as plentiful. It would be nice if the R2 had a dedicated satellite antenna.

Highly unlikely. If the flagship R1 doesn't have it, the lower-end R2 us a long shot.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Sat radio is legacy tech. Cloud, or internet, has superseded it as wireless digital data advanced. You will see fewer and fewer new cars with sat radio receivers.

 

[CharonPDX]

Sat radio is legacy tech. Cloud, or internet, has superseded it as wireless digital data advanced. You will see fewer and fewer new cars with sat radio receivers.

While I never subscribed to Sirius or XM (or SiriusXM) I do see the use in places with terrible cell reception. I've done a few road trips in the Western US where I've lost cellular for hours at a time. If that was something I did in those areas regularly, I'd probably pay for satellite if my vehicle(s) had them. On my latest such trip last year, I knew I was going to be going through a cell dead zone, so I downloaded audiobooks to my phone to play over Bluetooth.

 

[VSG]

Rivian has been saying for maybe 5 years now that they're not going to put SiriusXM antenna in the R1. I don't see why the R2 would be different.

 

[Sportstick]

The new BMW iX3 has a satellite antenna to receive Sirius XM without buying a data plan or rely on a cell signal.

 

[R1TCntrlMaIzzy]

How adventurous are our vehicles if they do not have satellite reception? Just thinking aloud.

And yes, I doubt >20% of current or future Riv owners will be in such an isolated place.

 

[Big Kidd]

How adventurous are our vehicles if they do not have satellite reception? Just thinking aloud.

And yes, I doubt >20% of current or future Riv owners will be in such an isolated place.

I totally agree. I sometimes travel thru the mountains in NC and I always lose my cell signal in certain areas.

Thanks to everybody who have left comments for my question. I appreciate it.

 

[JamboF4]

Sat radio is legacy tech. Cloud, or internet, has superseded it as wireless digital data advanced. You will see fewer and fewer new cars with sat radio receivers.

Sadly, must agree. Us old farts still like out XM tho. I think my dynamic range with Bluetooth to the R1T might be a touch better than my XM (jazz in particular)

 

[LivingInKaos]

No XM antenna in the R2. If it's that important, just grab a portable unit with Bluetooth and call it a day.

Most of us that frequently travel in LTE free zones have Starlink to stay connected.

 

[tbinmd]

The new BMW iX3 has a satellite antenna to receive Sirius XM without buying a data plan or rely on a cell signal.

if you subscribe to Sirius XM the data plan is included, you do not need to subscribe to a data plan. I do wish the R1 had a traditional sat antenna, but even that would drop out if I was in certain places. So nothing is perfect.

 

[Sportstick]

Sadly, must agree. Us old farts still like out XM tho. I think my dynamic range with Bluetooth to the R1T might be a touch better than my XM (jazz in particular)

What is the issue with "legacy tech"? Isn't much of the industry now planning to return from all screens to bringing back "legacy tech" of knobs and buttons again for next gen models? Automotive News and other industry papers are reporting such. Newer isn't always better if the prior system was working well. With Sirius selected in my current X3 with a satellite antenna, all that happens is that I start my car and the music plays...nothing to select and thankfully nothing to engage with my phone or any apps to find visually...just muscle memory if/when to change the channel among 8 button pre-selects on the instrument panel center stack. I accept having a screen in my first EV, but it's certainly not a preference.

 

[Sportstick]

if you subscribe to Sirius XM the data plan is included, you do not need to subscribe to a data plan. I do wish the R1 had a traditional sat antenna, but even that would drop out if I was in certain places. So nothing is perfect.

When I asked Rivian how I would connect my pre-paid lifetime Sirius subscription I bought back in the 1990s (and have transferred from car to car since), they said a data plan would functionally work and that convenience is $14/month forever. I would have to pay Rivian to listen to my now no-payment Sirius?? Has something changed?

 

[tbinmd]

When I asked Rivian how I would connect my pre-paid lifetime Sirius subscription I bought back in the 1990s (and have transferred from car to car since), they said a data plan would functionally work and that convenience is $14/month forever. I would have to pay Rivian to listen to my now no-payment Sirius?? Has something changed?

This is from the SiriusXM FAQ for Rivian. I didn't have connect+ and had no issues listening to SiriusXM.

Is my vehicle equipped with SiriusXM?

Rivian model R1S and R1Ts are enabled with SiriusXM. The SiriusXM service utilizes the cellular/wi-fi connectivity in the Rivian vehicle, please ensure that good cellular/wi-fi signal is available. You do not need to separately purchase an in-vehicle data plan to use SiriusXM.

 

[cobras.risers]

When I asked Rivian how I would connect my pre-paid lifetime Sirius subscription I bought back in the 1990s (and have transferred from car to car since), they said a data plan would functionally work and that convenience is $14/month forever. I would have to pay Rivian to listen to my now no-payment Sirius?? Has something changed?

you can transfer your lifetime subscription (if desired) over to the Rivian. It is treated by SiriusXM as though it was a first-class XM radio with an antenna.

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