Rivian, after four years selling its R1S, a hulking three-row electric S.U.V. that easily reaches six-figure prices, is making the leap into the mainstream.
Nipping at Tesla’s heels, Rivian recently introduced a highly anticipated smaller (and more affordable) S.U.V. aimed at the upscale masses.
It’s called the R2, but a more appropriate name would have been the R2.0.
That’s because this new sport utility (which is shorter by 15 inches, and 2,000 pounds lighter) incorporates many of the things R1S owners said they missed. (Rivian also makes a truck, the R1T.) The R2 still features advanced software, off-road capabilities, a whisper-quiet cabin, decent range and probably the most comfortable seats of any vehicle I’ve ever driven.
Not only are the price and dimensions of this new version closer to what most American buyers want, but the R2 addresses many of the R1S’s shortfalls.
Once even less-expensive variants become available next year, the two-row R2 looks to become an American hit for those looking for a high-tech electric S.U.V. that’s capable both on the road and off.
Kevin Duffin, a former Tesla owner, was looking forward to being one of the first to buy an R2. After driving a Model 3 for four years, he was ready for an E.V. with more creature comforts.
The sparse Tesla interior turned Mr. Duffin off. “It was like a Scandinavian living room,” he said. A travel industry executive in Los Angeles, Mr. Duffin put himself on the waiting list for an R2. But when he saw the R1S at a pop-up event, he decided he couldn’t wait and bought one of those instead. Now he has had second thoughts.
“If I had to do it again, I’d lean toward the R2,” he said. “I don’t need three rows of seats. And the R2 is better value for money.”
The R2 adds many features expected in a full-size S.U.V. but are missing in the R1S. Where the larger R1S has no glove box, the R2 has two. Unlike the R1S’s fixed rear glass, the R2’s retracts, allowing large loads to be carried with the rear hatch closed. Put a mobile phone down on the R1S’s charging pad and it’ll slip and slide and disconnect as you drive; the R2 adds a magnet for grip.
Storage abounds, with multiple nooks and crannies to hold stuff; there’s even a pullout shelf for a long box of tissues. Stanley fans don’t fret; your mega thermoses will fit in a molded corner of both front doors.
Unlike the R1S, the R2 is small enough for Rivian to have made plans to sell it in Europe, with manufacturing done in a plant outside Atlanta that will open in 2028.
The top-of-the-line Launch Edition is available now and priced close to $58,000, and Rivian expects to sell lower-featured versions starting at $45,000 next year. Contrast that with the R1S, which starts at around $80,000 and tops out at $122,000, before taxes.
Its federal mileage on a full charge ranges from 275 to 345, depending on whether it’s a long-range trim and an all-wheel or rear-wheel drive model.
A number of factors helped bring down costs, Rivian’s founder, R.J. Scaringe, said in a recent interview. The company, now more fully established, has improved supplier relationships and is able to get lower component prices.
“With the R1, I would go and meet with suppliers and they would be like, ‘I don’t want to work with you. Who are you?’ ” Mr. Scaringe said. Now things are different. “With the same supplier who I had to fly to meet, we now have in some cases the C.E.O.s flying to meet us.”
By consolidating and eliminating items, Rivian has cut the number of parts and the assembly cost to half those for the R1S, Mr. Scaringe said.
Yet this is no bare-bones vehicle. Unlike the Tesla, the R2 has a driver-facing screen as well as a center display, meaning the driver does not need to look away from the road to check speed or direction.
Seat heating, cooling and a Tesla-like “dog mode” keeps the cabin comfortable for both pets and people. Regenerative braking and drive modes can be customized for each driver.
Acceleration is quick, stability around corners solid. And the Rivian is the first vehicle in the U.S. to offer Matrix adaptive headlights, which can control individual sections of the beam and reduce glare for other drivers. (Some Teslas have them and Audi now also offers adaptive headlights on its upcoming Q9 S.U.V.)
Most of the vehicle functions are software-based. For the R2, Rivian has added two physical haptic wheels to either side of the steering wheel that control multiple functions such as changing the steering wheel position, adjusting the side mirrors, audio volume and more.
Unfortunately the wheels don’t always respond correctly; a push may do nothing, or register as a scroll, displaying information you didn’t want. Some functions that are elementary with physical controls become more complex when almost everything is on a screen.
While the cabin doesn’t want for storage space, it does for overhead grab handles, often found in the area above each seat; this could make it difficult for those with movement issues to get in and out. (It was partly a cost consideration, said Rivian’s head of design, Jeff Hammoud.)
With vehicles that use traditional knobs and buttons, turning on air recirculation is easy: just push a button. In the Rivian, one has to first push the temperature control on the center screen and then the air recirculation icon, taking your eyes off the road for a longer period.
Similarly, to adjust the exterior mirrors you touch your driver profile, then the left or right mirror adjustment icon, then actually adjust them by turning one of the two physical haptic knobs in the steering wheel.
As with the Tesla, neither Apple CarPlay nor Android Auto are offered. Instead, owners use a few built-in apps to navigate and listen to music, podcasts and books. Those include Apple Music, Audible, TuneIn and Spotify. Mr. Scaringe said others such as WhatsApp and Zoom would also be available eventually.
Also, you’ll need to pay for what you get free with CarPlay and Android Auto. Use of the built-in apps costs $150 a year for the Connect+ subscription, which also includes a Wi-Fi hot spot, voice assistant, Google satellite imagery, remote camera livestreaming and video app streaming. Without it, drivers must send the audio signal from a smartphone into the vehicle’s sound system via Bluetooth.
Software glitches are evident. On my test vehicle, screen icons did not always respond when pressed, and the rear lid didn’t always open when the button was touched. Strangely, to turn on the rear vents, one counterintuitively touches an icon in the front air control panel, not the panel for the rear.
Looking to learn how to open the rear hatch? You won’t find out by reading the owner’s manual. That’s because the hatch is called a “liftgate” in Rivian parlance. There’s no cross-reference to alternative common words.
The good news: All of these small issues are fixable with software updates. Rivian will be adding voice control (not noted in the manual) and with its Autonomy+ package, the ability to have the vehicle not just drive and change lanes on its own, but also to automatically traverse a freeway route, point to point. The Autonomy+ package costs $50 a month or $2,500 outright. (It’s included in the $58,000 Launch edition.)
Glitches and limitations aside, the R2 is an impressive vehicle in fit and finish, quality of materials, drive capabilities and comfort. As a software-defined vehicle, constant upgrades are possible as the company refines the experience and responds to consumer input. And it hits a price point aimed at the masses.
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