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

After two years of revealing what is within everyone’s reach The next generation of electric cars As it appears, Rivian has shared all the pricing, colors and performance specifications of its upcoming R2 SUV. Like many new car launches, it’s complicated.

The bottom line: Rivian’s pitch to sell an affordable, accessible electric vehicle to a broader market would 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 midsize SUV. But the first version that will be available to consumers this spring (we don’t have an exact month yet, but it looks like June 2026) will be the most expensive. The R2 Performance with the Launch Package, a dual-motor electric vehicle with all-wheel drive with up to 330 miles of EPA-estimated range, will start at $57,990. Rivian will eventually drop the Launch Edition tag and simply sell the Performance Edition, though it hasn’t shared pricing details yet.

Rivian said it will start producing and delivering a premium version of the R2 — also a dual-motor 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 – battery range being the key difference here. The standard “long-range” R2 model is expected to enter production in early 2027 with a range of up to 345 miles and a starting price of $48,490. A cheaper $45,000 standard version with an estimated range of 275 miles will go into production sometime in late 2027, Rivian said.

It’s unclear whether or not Rivian will eventually make this $45,000 version, and it will likely depend on how the initial rollout of its more expensive versions goes.

Standard fare

Notably, Rivian is fairly fair across all models when it comes to the basics. All R2 models are built on Rivian’s new mid-size platform that uses engines developed and manufactured in-house. They all come with an 87.9 kWh battery and a native North American standard charging port — the charging standard that originated from Tesla. Even the battery ranges are fairly similar on the R2 models, except for the cheaper standard version of the R2.

The specifications change once you look at horsepower and torque. The Performance Launch version is faster and more capable. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive model delivers 656 horsepower and 609 pound-feet of torque, and is capable of accelerating from zero to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. (Not that anyone driving a midsize SUV needs to launch off the line like that.)

Rivian steps it down with the Premium model, which is still dual-motor all-wheel drive, but that engine only produces 450 horsepower and 537 pound-feet of torque. This translates to 4.6 seconds slower for travel from zero to 60 mph.

Finally, the long-term standard version is rear-wheel drive that produces 350 horsepower and 355 pound-feet of torque. This version gets that boosted range at 345 miles. It’s slower off the line, with a 5.9-second time for zero-to-60 mph travel. (Rivian doesn’t share specs for its cheapest R2 yet.)

The Rivian R2 SUV is arguably a car Existential vehicle For the automaker – which the automaker has largely defined High sales goals For this year. It must be compelling enough to attract consumers, without alienating them at a high price. It must be cheaper to manufacture than its flagship model, if it hopes to one day become profitable.

For Rivian, this sweet spot wanders a bit but is mostly over $50,000. Whether this is the right place for consumers is another matter. According to Reuters, new car buyers paid an average of $49,191 in January Kelly Blue Book. This puts the R2 just above the average price – especially before buyers add any bells and whistles to the car they’re configuring.

There will be plenty of opportunities to add promotions.

Promotions for everyone

Potential R2 buyers will be offered plenty of options to make the electric car their own. Each one raises its price. For example, each version of the electric car comes standard in a new color called Esker Silver.

If the buyer wants a different paint color, such as green for the launch edition, it will cost them. Rivian is offering three new colors overall: silver, a metallic blue called Catalina Cove, and a metallic gray called Half Moon Gray. It will also allow buyers to choose other existing colors.

Buyers who choose the Performance Launch Edition and Premium models will get most of the “extra items,” including a nine-speaker audio system and subwoofer, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear outboard seats, a heated steering wheel, and 12-way adjustable front seats. Both models will also come standard with a new interior with what Rivian describes as birch wood accents. Both will feature a flashlight in the driver’s door, a nod to one of the original fun surprises of the R1 luxury 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 some highways, is a one-time fee of $2,500 or $49.99 per month. This is included for those who splurge on the Performance Launch Edition.

A final note about the company’s autonomy package. There is a small hardware gap. 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 previously described as “L4 Personal,” a reference to the level set by the Society of Automotive Engineers that means the vehicle can operate in certain environments without human intervention.

But this fourth personal level cannot happen without the appropriate computer and sensors. Rivian It was revealed last December It is the third generation “autonomous computer”, or ACM3, which can process 5 billion pixels per second. This computer, along with the lidar sensor, will appear in the Rivian R2 in late 2026.

This means that it will not be in the performance release version that will be released in the spring. Many technology-focused buyers may choose to wait for the greater ADAS capabilities of Gen 3 R2 devices rather than purchasing the initial R2 with Gen 2 autonomy, Barclays analyst Dan Levy noted in a research note this week.

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