American electric car maker Rivian has revealed two crucial new products overnight: the R2 medium SUV – which will go up against the top-selling Tesla Model Y – and the R3 small SUV, which will compete against the Volvo EX40, though both are distinctively more off-road flavoured. Both the R2 and R3 sit on a new medium-sized platform and will be offered with more than 550km of range. Australian sales are yet to be confirmed, but the company has confirmed UK sales for 2027, which at least confirms that its products will eventually be made in right-hand drive.
Rivian R3X
“I have never been more excited to launch new products – R2 and R3 are distinctly Rivian in terms of performance, capability, and usability, yet with pricing that makes them accessible to a lot of people,” said Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe.
“Our design and engineering teams are extremely focused on driving innovation into not only the product features but also our approach to manufacturing to achieve dramatically lower costs. R2 provides buyers starting in the US$45,000 price range with a much-needed choice with a thoroughly developed technology platform that is bursting with personality. I can’t wait to get these to customers.”
Priced from an estimated US$45,000 (AU$69,000), the mid-sized R2 looks much like the company’s R1S and R1T products that launched in 2021. At 4,715mm long, 1,905mm wide, 1,700mm tall and with a 2,935mm long wheelbase, the R2 is 35mm shorter, 73mm narrower and 76mm lower – but with a 45mm longer wheelbase – than the top-selling Model Y.
According to the company, the R2 debuts a new ‘mid-size’ platform and will be available with two battery options with up to 550km of range on the WLTP cycle. For performance, single-motor rear-wheel drive or dual- or even tri-motor all-wheel drivetrains will be available, with an estimated 0-100km/h sprint time of just 3.2 seconds in the most potent model available.
Inside the Rivian R2 is a dashboard layout quite similar to the larger R1 models, with a huge central touchscreen dominating the interior layout, haptic touch dials on the steering wheel for audio and safety functions, rear seats that fold completely flat and a rear window that can lower electrically.
For the smaller R3 and its higher-performance R3X sibling, the company is yet to reveal its dimensions aside from that 135mm has been cut from the wheelbase. The R3 sits on the same platform as the R2, while its more powerful R3X sibling is wider with wheel arch flares, orange accents and a rear spoiler.
Like the R2, the R3 will offer two battery sizes, with a single-motor rear-wheel drive layout or optional dual-motor all-wheel drive layout in the R2, and the tri-motor all-wheel drive layout featured as standard in the R3X. The company is yet to confirm technical specifications, but gives the same 550km range and 3.2-second 0-100km/h sprint times as the R2.
Both the R2 and R3 are fitted with 11 cameras, five radars and more powerful computing power than the R1 models, which allows for “dramatically enhanced autonomous capabilities”, according to the company.
The new Rivian R2 and R3 models are due to go on sale in North America in 2025, with an Australian launch yet to be confirmed. Stay tuned to DiscoverAuto for the latest automotive news and reviews.
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