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

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

The bottom line: Rivian’s bid to sell a more affordable EV that is accessible to a broader 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 consumers several versions of its R2 midsized SUV. But the first one that will be available to consumers this spring (we don’t have an exact month yet, but it looks like June 2026) will be its most expensive. The R2 Performance with the Launch Package trim, an all-wheel-drive dual-motor EV with up to 330 miles of EPA estimated range, will start at $57,990. Rivian will eventually drop the launch edition label and simply sell a performance trim, though it has not yet shared pricing details. 

Rivian said it will begin production and deliveries 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 that starts at $53,990. 

The automaker will then offer two different standard versions of the R2 — the battery range being the primary difference here. The “long range” standard 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 estimated range will go into production sometime in late 2027, Rivian said. 

Whether Rivian ultimately makes that $45,000 version is unclear and will likely depend on how the initial rollout of its more expensive versions goes. 

Standard fare

Notably, Rivian is fairly equitable across all the trims when it comes to the basics. All of the R2 trims are built off Rivian’s new midsized platform that uses motors developed and manufactured in-house. They all come with an 87.9 kilowatt-hour battery pack and a native North American Charging Standard port — the charging standard that originated from Tesla. Even the battery ranges are fairly close within the R2 trims, with the exception of the cheapest R2 standard version.

The specs change once you look at horsepower and torque. The performance launch edition is the fastest and most capable. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive variant delivers 656 horsepower and 609 pound-feet of torque and is capable of accelerating from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds. (Not that anyone driving a midsized SUV needs to launch off the line like that.) 

Rivian takes it down a notch with the premium trim, which is still a dual-motor AWD, but this one produces only 450 horsepower and 537 pound-feet of torque. And that translates to a slower 4.6 seconds to travel from zero to 60 mph. 

Finally, the standard long-range version is a rear-wheel drive that produces 350 horsepower and 355 pound-feet of torque. This version does get that boost in range at 345 miles. It is slower off the line, though, with a 5.9-second time to travel from zero to 60 mph. (Rivian isn’t sharing specs for the cheapest R2 yet.)  

The Rivian R2 SUV is arguably an existential vehicle for the automaker — and one that the automaker has set considerably high sales goals for this year. It has to be compelling enough to hook consumers, without shutting them out with a high price tag. And it has to be cheaper to build than its flagship model, if it hopes to someday be profitable. 

For Rivian, that sweet spot wanders a bit but is mostly above $50,000. Whether it’s the sweet spot of consumers is another matter. The average new car buyer paid $49,191 in January, according to Kelly Blue Book. This puts the R2 just above that average price — and notably before the buyers add any bells and whistles to the vehicle they configure. 

And there will be plenty of opportunities to add upgrades. 

Upgrades for everyone

Prospective R2 buyers will be offered lots of choices to make the EV their own. And each one ratchets up the price tag. For instance, every version of the EV comes standard in a new color it calls Esker Silver. 

If the buyer wants a different paint color, like the special “launch green” for the launch edition, it will cost them. Rivian is introducing three new colors in all: the silver, a metallic blue called Catalina Cove, and a metallic gray called Half Moon Grey. It will also let buyers opt for its other existing colors.

Buyers who opt for the more expensive performance launch edition and premium models will get the most “extra items,” including a nine-speaker, two-midwoofer audio system, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear outboard seats, heated steering wheel, and 12-way adjustable front seats. Both of these trims will also come standard with a new interior with what Rivian describes as birch wood accents. And both will have a torch flashlight in the driver door, a nod to one of the original fun surprises in its luxury R1 truck and SUV. 

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

One final note on the company’s autonomy package. There is a bit of a gap in hardware. Let me explain. At the end of 2026, Rivian will begin shipping R2 vehicles equipped with the right hardware to support greater levels of automated driving that the company has previously described as “personal L4,” a nod to the level set by the Society of Automotive Engineers that means a vehicle can operate in certain environments with no human intervention.

But this personal L4 can’t happen without the right computer and sensors. Rivian revealed last December a third-generation “autonomy computer,” or ACM3, that can process 5 billion pixels per second. That computer as well as a lidar sensor will show up in the Rivian R2 in late 2026.

That means it will not be in the performance launch edition version coming out in spring. Barclays analyst Dan Levy noted in a research note this week that many tech-centric buyers may choose to wait for the greater ADAS capabilities of the Gen 3 hardware R2 rather than buy the initial R2 with Gen 2 autonomy.

Of course, this more capable (in terms of automated driving) R2 will likely cost more, which could push consumers toward the cheaper versions.