Rivian is looking to go mainstream with a lower cost model that will square off with everything from the Tesla Model Y to the Chevrolet Blazer EV.
On Thursday, the Rivian R2S debuted two years ahead of when it will arrive. When the R2S enters production in Normal, Illinois, it will cost $45,000 and have up to 330 miles of range.
The Rivian R2S looks like the automaker put the large three-row R1S SUV in a shrink ray. With a wheelbase of 115.6 inches and an overall length of 185.6 inches, the RS2 rides on a 5.5-inch shorter wheelbase and is 15.2 inches shorter overall than its R1S sibling. This makes the R2S wheelbase 1.8 inches longer than that of the Tesla Model Y, but the RS2 is 1.4 inches shorter overall than the Tesla.
At 66.9 inches tall, the R2S is 10.4 inches shorter than the R1S. The R2S skips the larger SUV’s split-tailgate design, but features front-hinged pop-out rear windows and a roll-down tailgate window like the Toyota 4Runner.
The Rivian R2S is a five-seat two-row SUV and will not offer a small third-row seat like the Model Y. Rivian has carved out a large frunk that can carry the SUV’s bike mounting system when not in use. That bike mounting system snaps into a rear accessory port without tools, according to Rivian. Expect a vast array of accessories to arrive alongside the R2S in 2026.
The R2S will ride on a Rivian skateboard chassis and feature a battery pack made of 4596 cells and one, two, or three electric motors for a combined. Rivian said the R2S will accelerate from 0-60 mph in less as 3.0 seconds.
The R2S won’t be capable of venturing quite as far into the wilderness as the larger R2S. Max ground clearance checks in at up to 9.8 inches with a 25-degree approach angle and a 27-degree departure angle with the available 32-inch all-terrain tires.
Every R2S will be capable of charging at Tesla Supercharging stations thanks to a standard NACS charge port. Rivian said the R2S will also be capable of high-speed charging via CCS, likely via an adapter. A design change from the R1S, which locates the charging port on the driver-side front corner, puts the charging port on the rear passenger-side fender for the R2S.