Rivian R2 launch: Here’s what you get for $57,990

Two years after revealing what the next-generation affordable EV will look like, Rivian has shared all the pricing, colors, and performance details for its upcoming R2 SUV. And like most new car releases, it’s complicated.

Bottom line: Rivian’s bid to sell an affordable EV accessible to the wider market will cost between $45,000 and $57,990 — price points that vary based on performance and other interior and exterior touches.

Rivian will eventually offer buyers several versions of its R2 mid-size SUV. But the first one that will be available to consumers this spring will be more expensive. The R2 Performance with Launch Package trim, an all-wheel-drive EV with an engine that gets up to 330 miles of EPA-estimated range, will start at $57,990. Rivian will eventually drop the launchpad label and just sell the performance trim, though it hasn’t shared pricing details yet.

Rivian said it will begin production and delivery of a premium version of the R2 — also a dual-motor AWD SUV with less horsepower, but the same 330-mile range — in late 2026 starting at $53,990.

The automaker will then offer two different standard versions of the R2 — battery capacity being the main difference here. The standard “long-range” R2 is expected to go into production in early 2027 with a range of 345 miles and a starting price of $48,490. A cheaper $45,000 standard version with 275 miles of limited range will be produced by the end of 2027, Rivian said.

Whether Rivian eventually makes that $45,000 version is unclear, and will likely depend on how the first releases of its more expensive versions go.

Standard fare

Notably, the Rivian is equally balanced across all fixtures when it comes to the basics. All R2 masters are built on Rivian’s new mid-range engine that uses advanced and in-house manufactured motors. All come with an 87.9 kilowatt-hour battery pack and a traditional North American charging port — you know, the one that came from Tesla. Even the battery configurations are very close between the R2 trims, except for the cheaper regular R2 version.

The specs change, however, when you look at horsepower and torque. The implementation program is very fast and very efficient. The dual-motor all-wheel drive variant delivers 656 horsepower and 609 pound-feet of torque and can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds. (Not that anyone who drives a mid-size SUV needs to launch a lineup like that.)

Rivian steps it down with a premium trim that still has dual-motor AWD, but this one only produces 450 horsepower and 537 lb-ft of torque. And that translates to a scant 4.6 seconds to go from zero to 60 mph.

Finally, the standard long-distance version is rear-wheel drive that produces 350 horsepower and 355 lb-ft of torque. This version gets that improved range to 345 miles. It’s slow off the line though with a 5.9 second time from standstill to 60 mph. (Rivian hasn’t shared details of the cheaper R2 yet.)

The Rivian R2 SUV is arguably the automaker’s flagship vehicle – and one that the company has set very high sales targets for this year. It must be compelling enough to attract buyers, without locking them out with a high price. And it should be cheaper to build than its flagship model, if it hopes to one day be profitable.

For Rivian, that sweet spot hovers around a bit, but it’s over $50,000. Whether it’s a consumer sweet spot is another matter. The average new buyer paid $49,191 in January, according to Kelly Blue Book. This puts the R2 above that standard price – and especially before buyers add bells and whistles to the car they’re modifying.

And there will be many opportunities to add improvements.

Development for everyone

Potential R2 buyers will be offered a number of options to make the EV their own. And each increases the price. For example, every version of the EV comes standard with a new color called Esker Silver.

If the buyer wants a different paint color, like the special “green” for the launch, it will cost them. Rivian is introducing three new colors in total, silver, a metallic blue called Catalina Cove, and a metallic gray called Half Moon Grey. It will also allow buyers to choose some of its existing colors.

Buyers who chose the most expensive performance launch and premium models will get a lot of “extras”, including a 9-speaker, 2-midwoofers audio system, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel, with 12 adjustable seats. Both pieces will come standard with a new interior and what Rivian describes as birch wood accents. And both will have a flashlight on the driver’s door, a nod to one of the first fun surprises on its R1 truck and SUV.

While the all-new R2 will come with standard driver assistance features, there are options to upgrade. Rivian Autonomy+, which offers hands-free driving on certain highways, is a one-time fee of $2,500 or $49.99 per month. This is included for those who splurge on the implementation plan.

A final note on this is the company’s privacy package. There is a small gap in the hardware. Let me explain. By the end of 2026, Rivian will begin shipping R2 vehicles equipped with the right hardware to support large levels of autonomous driving that the company has previously described as “personal L4,” a nod to the standard set by the Society of Automotive Engineers that means a car can operate in a certain environment without human intervention.

But this personal L4 cannot happen without the right computer and sensors. Rivian unveiled last December its third-generation “autonomous computer,” or ACM3, which can process 5 billion pixels per second. That computer and lidar sensor will appear on the Rivian R2 in late 2026.

That means, it won’t be in the version of the operating system coming out in the spring. Barclays analyst Dan Levy noted in a research note this week, that many tech-centric buyers would prefer to wait for the greater ADAS capabilities of the Gen 3 hardware R2 rather than buy the first R2 independently of Gen 2.

Of course, the more it knows (in terms of automatic driving) the R2 will likely cost more, which may push buyers to the cheaper versions.