Rivian R2 First Drive Reveals Strong Performance and Genuine Off-Road Skills at an Attainable Price

Rivian engineers took everything they learned from the larger R1 models and applied it to a vehicle sized for more people and more driveways. The result is the R2, a two-row electric SUV that starts well below sixty thousand dollars for loaded early versions and dips into the mid-forties for simpler single-motor models arriving next year. That pricing alone sets it apart from bigger adventure-focused rivals while still delivering real capability.

The body looks just like you’d expect from a car with a specific function, with no unnecessary frills and a nice, boxy form that declares its intent without being too huge for its own good. At 186 inches long, it’s around the size of a Honda CR-V in terms of footprint, but its stretched-out wheelbase makes it feel a little longer. The ground clearance is 9.6 inches, and the approach and departure angles are adequate for off-road adventures.

Stepping inside, you get the idea that the cabin is a huge open space with useful touches all over. The back seats provide ample leg and headroom and are exceptionally comfortable even on extended trips. The materials used are an excellent mix of nice everyday goods and some very smart eco-friendly choices, such as birch trim created from repurposed birch and a headliner built from ocean-rescued plastic. There are also spacious door pockets for holding water bottles, and the rear liftgate glass lowers to make loading heavier items easier.

The controls are one of the car’s most noticeable elements. There is a large, wide touchscreen that handles all of the normal features like as navigation, media, and vehicle settings, and it responds rapidly. You also get two huge halo dials on the steering wheel that allow you to change the climate, radio, drive modes, mirrors, and other settings with a few twists, pushes, pulls, or tilts. This strategy immediately became popular among reviewers, who considered it more user-friendly than scrolling menus while driving. One thing they needed was smartphone mirroring, but the native apps fulfill the most of your demands, and the interface is constantly updated with new features.

Under the hood, there’s an 88-kilowatt-hour battery and some extremely efficient motors. The top dual-motor Performance model generates 656 horsepower and accelerates to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds flat. Acceleration is powerful and immediate, but never uncomfortable. With 350 horsepower, the single-motor rear-wheel-drive car is a great option for people seeking for something a little more efficient. If you’re curious about how far you’ll get on a charge, the car’s range can reach 345 miles on the most efficient settings, thanks to its extraordinarily light weight (about 5,000 pounds) and sophisticated aerodynamic architecture that decreases the drag coefficient to 0.3.

Charging is quite speedy, with up to 230 kilowatts charging the battery from 10% to 80% in around 29 minutes under optimum conditions. You can also do bidirectional charging of up to 11 kilowatts, which allows you to power tools or even transmit electricity back to your home when the power goes out. Production of these things has already begun at Rivian’s plant in Normal, Illinois, with the intention of delivering the higher trims to clients this summer first.