2026 R2 pricing, range & specs! $57,990 Performance Launch Edition / $53,990 Premium / $48,490 Standard / $45,000 Standard (Smaller Battery)

[DuoRivian]

A little higher than expected for the LE but free autonomy helps with the price being $59.5k including destination

Sponsored

 

[Holler Wanderer]

I'm not aware of manufacturer that uses highway speeds for their estimated range. The EPA test uses it as one of many factors when calculating it's range estimates. As with any SUV, it's safe to assume 15-20% less range at highway speeds of 70+ MPH, but no manufacturer is going to say that up front.

Oh I know. I just meant that 3.75 will probably never be achieved in real world driving unfortunately.

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

Me too. For me, it has little to do with tire availability -- I just don't like huge rims. The 21s look big on the R1 -- they'll look comical on the R2. I like the aesthetic of larger sidewalls.

I'd love it if there was an 18" wheel option with some big honkin sidewalls. Throw some K02s on that sucker and go full-send.

 

[blipit]

3.75 mi/kWh seems high, no? No way it will be able to get that at highway speeds.

Highway speeds...no. EPA is combo of city/highway.

Independent test will be able to validate range and efficiency. 330 seems like some lofty goals to live up to.

 

[MooreND23]

I'm pleased with these options. I'd go for LE. My only gripe with LE is 21" wheels. No thank you.

This! The durability of the stock tires on my R1T was laughable as was the replacement cost without reasonable alternatives. Ended up swapping for 20” better looking wheels and tires and saving money on new tires alone

 

[s0ysauce]

Well here's to hoping BMW stops retrofitting ICE vehicles for electric use. I took 2026 BMW I5 for a drive and the interior is gorgeous and quiet. Spirited driving is fun and the Hans Zimmer iconic sounds was fun to hear. But clearly still not designed from the ground up as EV. The transmission tunnel was still present in the back, and there was no frunk even though the motors are by the axles. It was just an engine shroud that they clearly didn't want you to remove.

2027 BMW iX3 50 xDrive - 188.3" in length, 74.6" in width, and 64.4" in height.
2026 Rivian R2 - 185.9" in length, 78.1" in width, and 66.9" in height.

They are marketing up to 400 miles in range, but not sure if that is for the single or dual motor variant. 800V architecture is nice and wish Rivian got on that. No mention of either having V2X

R2 Launch Edition price, including delivery, will closely match BMW's mid 2026 debut of the new BMW ix3 EV SUV for about $60K. Interesting times!

 

[tivoboy]

Ugh. That pricing means 2026 deliveries will likely be sub 20k, missing expectations.

If they can MAKE them I actually think we’ll get more than 20K in 2026, but it a function of when they can produce.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Well here's to hoping BMW stops retrofitting ICE vehicles for electric use. I took 2026 BMW I5 for a drive and the interior is gorgeous and quiet. Spirited driving is fun and the Hans Zimmer iconic sounds was fun to hear. But clearly still not designed from the ground up as EV. The transmission tunnel was still present in the back, and there was no frunk even though the motors are by the axles. It was just an engine shroud that they clearly didn't want you to remove.

2027 BMW iX3 50 xDrive - 188.3" in length, 74.6" in width, and 64.4" in height.
2026 Rivian R2 - 185.9" in length, 78.1" in width, and 66.9" in height.

They are marketing up to 400 miles in range, but not sure if that is for the single or dual motor variant. 800V architecture is nice and wish Rivian got on that. No mention of either having V2X

And legacy auto will keep doing this until they stop making ICE models... which probably won't happen in my lifetime. 800V architecture is cool, but 5~10 minutes less per DCFC session isn't going to make a whole lot of real-life difference. Only better battery chemistry and charging tech could make a greater dent in charging times. Until then, more charging opportunities, i.e. infrastructure, would make EV life better.

And BMW's fast charging claims on the i3X is possible only with higher spec fast charger, which isn't yet common. And, we don't know what impact that high charge rate has on pack longevity.

 

[SANZC02]

That's great to hear. What's the efficiency drop off like for freeway road trips?

I’ve done several roadtrips in my R1S, 6500, 7500, 7500 miles, all of them ended with a trip average in the 2.2-2.4 miles per kWh. On long highway stretches I use conserve mode, low ride height, and set driver+ at 2 miles over posted speed (except the 80 mph stretches, I use 78 there as 80 seems to be a big hit on range).

 

[soysaucing]

RWD won't have ventilated seats. That's unfortunate.

 

[Ilovejunebugs]

Very interesting, and in line with speculation, I think. If Rivian offers me one early, I will likely get the LE. If not, I don't know which trim I'd go with, if any. Probably wait for R3.

 

[tivoboy]

I’ve done several roadtrips in my R1S, 6500, 7500, 7500 miles, all of them ended with a trip average in the 2.2-2.4 miles per kWh. On long highway stretches I use conserve mode, low ride height, and set driver+ at 2 miles over posted speed (except the 80 mph stretches, I use 78 there as 80 seems to be a big hit on range).

At 65 (who drives that slow) you’d probably get closer to 3 for sure.. and the R2 is 2000 lbs lighter than the R1S.. thats gotta help A LOT. Driving at 80, ends up being ~ 72 mph average, driving at 75 tends to be ~ 68 mph.. unless of course its really hour upon hour on CC, with no deviation at all, including up hills and down, etc..

 

[DuoRivians]

I think the only version that’ll do reasonably well will be the launch edition among enthusiasts.

The other versions price/features don’t seem to be that compelling or a no-brainer. If everything were $5-7K cheaper across the board, that’d be different, which IMO, shows how important the $7500 tax credit was to Rivian.

If the question is: will this car enable Rivian to survive? I’m not so sure.

 

[dleepnw]

It's no longer on the Arstechnica site but I had it cached in my RSS reader.

R2 Performance / Launch Edition
$57,990 excluding $1,495 delivery
87.9 kWh battery
330-mile range
29 mins (10 to 80 percent)
656 hp / 609 lb-ft
Matrix LED headlights
21" inch wheels
Heated/ventilated front seats, heated rear
185.9 inches long, 78.1 inches wide, 66.9 inches tall, 115.6-inch wheelbase
9.6 inches ground clearance
4,400 pounds towing

R2 Premium (late 2026)
$53,990
87.9 kWh battery pack
330-mile range
450 hp / 537 lb-ft
No semi-active suspension
20" inch wheels
Fewer drive modes than Performance model (no Rally, Soft Sand or Launch Mode)

R2 Single Motor RWD (next year)
$48,490
87.9 kWh battery pack
345 miles
350 hp / 355 lb-ft
19" inch wheels
All-black interior
Only heated front seats
Five speakers (instead of nine),
No all-terrain drive mode,
No drop-down rear glass window

R2 Standard (late 2027)
$45,000
Smaller than 87.9 kWh battery pack
265 miles


The article in full:
Between a certain car company's antics and the industrial chaos set off by COVID (and then compounded by Russia's invasion of Ukraine), it's easy to be cynical about production timelines. Yet when Rivian showed off a midsize electric vehicle in 2024 and said it would be available in the first half of this year, it meant it. Deliveries of the first R2 SUVs will begin this spring.

As a new automaker, Rivian often does things its own way, but with the R2 launch, it's following industry practice and starting with the superlative version first. That's the R2 Performance, which starts at $57,990 with the launch package (excluding a $1,495 delivery charge). You get quite a lot of electric SUV for that, however: up to 330 miles (531 km) from a single charge of the 87.9 kWh battery pack, with 656 hp (489 kW) and 609 lb-ft (825 Nm) from the dual motor powertrain. Fast charging takes 29 minutes from 10 to 80 percent.

AWD first
The Performance features semi-active suspension, a rear window that drops into the tailgate, an interior with birch accents, heating for the front and rear seats and ventilation for the former, a nine-speaker sound system, matrix LED headlights, and some other neat touches like the flashlight that lives in the side of the door, similar to how some cars hide an umbrella there.

You can add Autonomy+ (the automaker's partially automated driver assist), the tow package (4,400 lbs/1,995 kg), and some other colors as optional extras to the Performance trim (they're silver by default). The launch package includes a lifetime subscription to Autonomy+, the tow package, and another optional body color.

The R2 Premium will go on sale in late 2o26 for $53,990. It has the same 330-mile range and 87.9 kWh battery pack, but it generates just 450 hp (355 kW) and 537 lb-ft (728 Nm) from its dual-motor powertrain. The R2 Premium does without the semi-active suspension, arrives on 20-inch instead of 21-inch wheels, and features fewer drive modes, doing without rally, soft sand, and launch modes. Otherwise, it shares its specs with the faster, more expensive R2 Performance.

RWD in 2027
The single-motor R2s arrive next year, with the $48,490 R2 Standard that uses the same 87.9 kWh battery pack as the AWD R2s. Without a motor for the front axle, the RWD R2 goes a little further: 345 miles (555 km) on a single charge. The motor sends 350 hp ( kW) and 355 lb-ft to the rear axle. Standard R2s come with an all-black interior and only heat the front seats. The sound system has five speakers instead of nine, there's no all-terrain drive mode, it rides on 19-inch wheels, and the glass in the rear window doesn't drop down, so you'll want a roof rack for your surfboard.

In late 2027, an R2 Standard with a smaller battery enabling around 265 miles (426 km) will be available for $45,000. For now, we don't know much about that one other than its price.

The R2 SUV is attractive, sharing a lot of its looks with the larger three-row R1S, both inside and out. And it's a rather clever one, too; Volkswagen Group invested $5 billion in Rivian specifically to gain access to its software-defined vehicle technology and expertise.

An AI assistant will come to Rivian's in-house infotainment system in a future update, running locally via edge computing. (The company actually said the "R2 is outfitted with 200 sparse TOPS of edge AI compute dedicated to the in-cabin experience," but I don't like "compute" as a noun.) That processing power will also enable Rivian's Autonomy+. And since this is now Rivian's fourth product, we can be confident in its ability to deliver its regularly praised cadence of software updates.

Prices are great. Adding Autonomy+ for life makes sense, they had to incentivize customers to convert, especially as many are waiting for the Lidar enabled versions. Although... I notice the photo of the teal R2 has the Lidar "bump". Are we going to be surprised and its going to come with Lidar now? That would be a shock.

I'm probably most disappointed by the charging speed. 10-80% in 29 min? Daily driving will be fine. Will not be a great road tripping vehicle. I know that's similar to Tesla MY but slow overall compared to other vehicles like BMW iX, Porsche Macan, Hyundai Ioniq 5.

 

[PJS3]

Lookin' at $63K out the door in Maryland (6% sales tax) and that's before choosing exterior and interior colors and wheels.

Knocking on $70K otd.

Sponsored