Rivian on Thursday delivered what was anticipated—the R2 electrical SUV. After which it stole the R2’s stage with merchandise that followers, buyers, and EV buyers didn’t know they wanted: the Rivian R3 and R3X.
A short while after the reveal, I famous that whereas loads of followers have been trying out the R2, there was a frenzy across the R3. And Rivian executives themselves appeared filled with enthusiasm about these compact EVs—together with Rivian’s head designer Jeff Hammoud.
“The factor I most love about R3 is I’ve requested fairly a number of folks, what sort of automotive would you name this? Is it a hatch or an SUV? And no person actually has a solution, and that’s nice.”
Scorching hatch, rally automotive, path runner? All the above
“After I was first speaking about this with RJ we have been going by way of the conception of it and the dialog we had was simply, like, I don’t wish to fall right into a section, I need folks to only say it’s an R3,” recalled Hammoud, in a Q&A session with media. “And I feel we’ve achieved that.”
Hammoud added that with the high-performance R3X model, the purpose was merely one thing that’s actually enjoyable. “Hopefully you guys take a look at it and agree that, like, I don’t know what it’s however I simply wish to drive that.”
![Rivian R3X Rivian R3X](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/rivian-r3x_100921118_l.jpg)
Rivian R3X
To me, it’s onerous to imagine the R2 and R3 share so many widespread cues—even their front-end look—as they impress as utterly totally different design statements and personalities. The R3 follows within the footsteps of eccentric hatchbacks just like the Lada Niva and Golf Nation however may additionally win the hearts of many Subaru Crosstrek house owners.
The R3 household measures 170.3 inches lengthy and rides on a 110.2-inch wheelbase. That makes it about 15 inches shorter than the R2, which is in itself about 15 inches shorter in size than the R1S.
Immediately, that’s within the neighborhood of the size of the Hyundai Kona Electrical, Volkswagen ID.3, Renault Megane E-Tech, or MG4, amongst EVs. And likewise, it’s successfully in the identical measurement class because the Toyota Corolla hatchback, the Volkswagen Golf, the Škoda Octavia, the Ford Focus, or the Seat León. However it seems extra thrilling than any of them—or, after all, an American-market Bolt EV or Leaf.
We’ll have to attend a bit. If the R2 arrives in early 2026, an R3 may comply with comparatively quickly after. Sadly, the timeline for the next-generation Bolt EV and Leaf is not wanting a lot better. And whereas Rivian confirmed that it desires to make the R3, it did not verify when it’d take reservations or the place, for positive, it could be offered.
![Rivian R2 Rivian R2](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/rivian-r2_100921074_l.webp)
Rivian R2
Vary and battery particulars but to come back
These fashions share the 4695-format cylindrical cells, packaged inside a structural battery pack. Rivian didn’t but communicate to vary for the R3, however Hammoud did communicate a bit to charging. The automobiles proven Thursday all had their NACS cost ports on the rear proper quadrant, below a tidy little flush cowl.
“We did lots of analysis and particularly in left-hand-drive nations in Europe,” mentioned Hammoud, when requested why it’s there. “We noticed lots of people charging automobiles on the road, and also you’d see something from charging cables wrapped over hoods to get to the opposite aspect, and we needed to unravel that.”
![Rivian R3 Rivian R3](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/rivian_100921032_l.webp)
Rivian R3
“The opposite factor is, constructing off our present charging community, it’s within the entrance driver’s aspect. So for those who’re gonna flip the automotive again into the area, basically the very same location.”
Placing the port there, Hammoud mentioned, additionally means much less wires, much less weight, and fewer value—for the entire R2/R3 household
Which ends up in a degree. In response to Hammoud, though the R3 and R2 don’t have shared sheetmetal, there are lots of shared factors between the interiors of those two fashions that make it simpler from a producing standpoint. Similar steering wheel, our display methods, the middle console, the seat frames.
![Rivian R2 Rivian R2](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/rivian_100921007_l.webp)
Rivian R2
R2 design didn’t come really easy
Whereas from the sound of it the design of the R3 was enjoyable, the R2 design course of sounded extra fraught as described by Hammoud—because it tapped into the expectations of those that beloved what they noticed within the R1 however needed one thing extra inexpensive or extra sensibly sized.
The R1 was designed by way of addition, Hammoud recalled, however the R2 concerned much more debate about what it didn’t need R2 to subtract, and what the important thing issues have been that it wanted to hold over. That’s no shock; Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has mentioned at a number of factors that the follow-up can have much less complexity than its R1 lineup and be a lot simpler to construct.
Rivian juggled wheelbase size and the location of the glass roof in order to maximise rear headroom and spaciousness, whereas European pedestrian safety requirements performed a job, too, requiring a line along with the hood, which was then included into the design itself.
As Inexperienced Automotive Reviews coated with the debut yesterday, the Rivian R2 lands in early 2026 with a goal value round $45,000, beginning with single-motor rear-wheel drive however stepping as much as two- and three-motor AWD variations providing a variety of greater than 300 miles (much less in base type, it’s since been mentioned), and in some instances 0-60 mph occasions under 3.0 seconds. The group ended up with an total size round 185 inches lengthy and driving on a 121.1-inch wheelbase, with an total top of 66.9 inches and width round 75 inches.
![Rivian R2 Rivian R2](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/rivian_100921009_l.webp)
Rivian R2
In response to Hammoud, the R2 builds off the profile of the R1S, though the general proportions of the automobile are “much more athletic” with very brief entrance and rear overhangs. As proven it had 32-inch all-terrain rubber, and the truck’s 25-degree strategy angle, 27-degree departure angle, and 9.8-inch floor clearance gave it a stocky, trail-ready look.
In the meantime, shorter automobiles can pose extra of an aerodynamic problem, and so getting that half proper for maximizing vary with smaller battery packs was after all a precedence. “We have been working very carefully with our aerodynamics group, doing CFD (computational fluid dynamics) evaluation actually early on, in accordance with Hammoud, to grasp the important thing attributes required for vary. Within the R2’s case, a type of is the way in which the roofline drops toad the again, bringing airflow by way of a pass-through spoiler.
The massive subtraction objects are the suspension, not with the ability to increase or decrease. That’s not coming to R2, though they made positive to offer it a tune that will work for on- and off-road and permit the aptitude by way of floor clearance. The R2 provides a floor clearance of 9.8 inches, whereas the R1S, with its adjustable air suspension and as much as 14.9 inches, is safe in its prime off-roader spot for the model.
And there aren’t any plans for a 3rd row within the R2. “To have a 3rd row for R2 would make the package deal very tight.”
![Rivian R2 Rivian R2](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/rivian_100921014_l.webp)
Rivian R2
A lot of innovation inside R2
That mentioned, there’s some severe innovation within the packaging within the R2—just like the entrance and rear seats that fold absolutely flat, permitting sufficient steady size to move very lengthy challenge objects like 16-foot baseboard trim with it resting on the liftgate’s rim (the glass rolls down). As soon as that window’s down, don’t neglect concerning the little desk good for drinks or the wonderful bits as you gear up in your out of doors exercise of selection. And canines are probably going to like the breeze from the pop-out panel home windows in again.
On the journey entrance the R2 boasts a wholly new type of bike-rack system that may be put up with one particular person and saved away way more simply. Rivian plans to supply each a mattress to take a seat on that flat flooring and a rooftop tent, and a revised camp kitchen is within the works.
R1S advanced split-tailgate setup was one of the troublesome objects to unravel for R2. Homeowners actually just like the R1S tailgate and “with the ability to sit there and principally have a little bit awning there to cowl you if it’s raining,” he described, however it’s value and complexity. So Rivian’s resolution, with a one-piece liftgate, was a pull-out tray you could sit on.
Interface-wise, the steering wheel and its massive rotary dials have been touted in a number of cases. With it, two haptic-twist controllers inside the wheel use differing kinds and ranges of haptic suggestions relying on what you’re scrolling by way of or deciding on in the intervening time.
![Rivian R3 Rivian R3](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/rivian_100921030_l.webp)
Rivian R3
![Rivian R3 Rivian R3](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/rivian_100921031_l.webp)
Rivian R3
![Rivian R3 Rivian R3](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/rivian_100921029_l.webp)
Rivian R3
R2, R3, R3X made for a similar meeting line?
“Numerous work went into designing R3 and R2 collectively to verify as a platform, lots of the parts are shared, lots of community structure is clearly shared,” mentioned Hammoud, and that extends to manufacturing and the provision chain.
R2 wlll be a little bit extra dynamically targeted towards on-road efficiency than R1, Hammoud summed, whereas R3 would be the most targeted on-road of the three.
Hammoud pointed to the realm behind the rear wheel of the R2 and famous that when the automobile will get broken that’s simply an injection-molded half and simple to interchange. And, he mentioned, there are additionally lots of shared factors between the interiors of the R2 and R3 that makes it simpler from a producing standpoint—like the identical steering wheel, display methods, middle console, and seat frames.
Basically throughout the time Rivian was revealing the R2, R3, and R3X on Thursday, the corporate confirmed a whopper of a producing announcement. It should pause building on its $5 billion Georgia manufacturing unit, which had up till then been set for a 2026 ramp and an eventual 400,000 automobiles per yr, in favor of a “capital environment friendly launch” first at its Illinois plant, for deliveries beginning in early 2026.
With Rivian’s mentions of Europe, plus its very well-received R3 household, it’d very nicely have some new priorities after this previous week.