American EV brand, Rivian, has confirmed to Electrifying.com that it intends to bring the new Rivian R2 - its latest electric SUV - to the UK in the next few years. I’ve been behind the wheel of it in the USA and here’s everything I know about the R2, from what it looks like, to range, battery and charging details.
Tell me about Rivian
Rivian is an American electric vehicle start-up that was founded in 2009 and is arguably doing exactly what Land Rover should be doing - producing cool, large electric SUVs and trucks. It sells an all-electric pick-up called the R1T - a Cybertruck rival with more power than a Ferrari - along with a passenger SUV version called the R1S.
A ‘rollercoaster’ is the best way to describe Rivian's story so far. It was among the highest-valued U.S. automakers when it went public in 2021, with a market cap of over $100 billion - more than Ford and GM combined - putting it second only to Tesla, which was valued at around $1 trillion at the time.
But those early valuations didn’t last long, and it now has a more modest valuation. Given its plunging share price, Rivian will have welcomed the investment of capital from the VW Group in 2024 which formed part of a tech sharing deal. Volkswagen’s $5.8 billion investment into Rivian will give the German brand access to Rivian's cutting-edge technology, which will help VW get it cars to market faster in the future.
Kai Grünitz, VW’s head of technical development, told Electrifying.com earlier this year that during the process of working with Rivian, he ‘never had such a fast response before’ and went on to explain that Volkswagen brings ‘the ability to handle complexity and how global regulations work’ to the deal.
What’s so special about the Rivian R2?
There’s a lot hanging on the success of Rivian’s first small model the R2 as it should bring volume sales to the brand and will be its first vehicle to be sold outside the US.
The only issue with Rivian’s current models is that they’re pretty big in their North American guises, and not well suited to UK and European roads. The Rivian R2 is smaller, so this 4.7-metre long SUV will rival the Tesla Model Y or Skoda Enyaq with the option of a single motor, rear-wheel drive model and an all-wheel drive, dual motor version. Both the R2 - and the smaller, forthcoming Rivian R3 - are built on a new mid-size platform.
Range for the R2 is expected to be over 300 miles, which is a little on the low side compared to some rivals but is in the ball-park of where a family EV SUV needs to be.
While Rivian hasn’t taken the world by storm so far, like Tesla, it is often rated as having technology that’s on a par - if not better than that of its American rival. Rivian’s real selling point is its new technology, which reduces the number of ECUs needed across a car's platform while still maintaining world-class software integration.
We’d better hope it’s good, as Rivian’s tech will soon be used by the VW Group and will appear first on the VW ID.1.
What does the R2 look like?
Rivian hasn’t watered down the design at all with the R2, and I really love that it looks like a dinky, scaled-down R1S. Even though it’s smaller, it still has a rugged and purposeful look. Up front you get that trademark Rivian ‘happy face’, with its capsule-style LED lights, a full-width light bar and proper tow hooks - and, just like the bigger cars, there are pop-out door handles for aerodynamics along with that boxy silhouette.
The rear keeps things clean and simple too. The roll-down tailgate window is a really neat touch and while it looks quite tall thanks to its 9.8 inches of ground clearance, the R2 sits neatly in the midsize sweet spot: compact enough to be reasonably aerodynamic, but high and tough enough to feel comfortable off-road.
Tell me about the interior and technology on the R2?
Inside, Rivian usually nails that blend of clever tech and calm simplicity, and the R2 looks to carry it on with clean lines, lovely materials and one of the best software systems in the EV world. It feels every bit as premium and thoughtfully designed as its bigger siblings, just in a tighter, more city-friendly package.
Practicality gets a boost, too: after the R1 was criticised for not having any gloveboxes, the R2 gives you two - one in front of the passenger and another in the centre of the dash. There’s a torch tucked into one door, which I love. Little, useful touches like that can really change how you live with a car, so I'm a big fan of that kind of detail. There's even the option of a portable, passenger-side charger for devices, and the fun, outdoorsy touches continue with a removable speaker.
Up front you get that ‘squircle’ wheel instead of a traditional steering wheel, and above you a big glass panoramic roof to keep things light and airy.
And the infotainment screens properly stand out: they’re super-sharp and powered by Unreal Engine, which is basically a tiny games console behind the dashboard turning speed, battery and maps into smooth, modern graphics, so everything feels quicker, clearer and more up to date. That's the idea, anyway! I did spend quite a bit of time looking around the Rivian R2 out in LA, but to know more about infotainment reliability and usability we'll definitely need more time with the car - hopefully in the UK!
Does the R2 have Camp Mode?
Like the larger Rivian models, the Rivian R2 does come with Camp Mode. Just hit the tent icon on the screen and the car will level itself so you’re not sleeping on a slope, keep the climate ticking over without the car fully awake, and manage energy so you don’t chew through too much range while you’re parked.
Like the R1T and R1S, the R2 should be a brilliant little camper: the seats fold completely flat, vehicle-to-load (V2L) means you can run smaller electrical items straight from the car, and those thoughtful touches continue with a removable speaker for the beach or picnic, plus a rear window that drops all the way down for easy gear-grabbing, or a bit of fresh air for the dogs without letting them out. Speaking of dogs, the Rivian R2 also gets Pet Mode - just like you do in a Tesla, of course - so that you can safely leave your dogs in the R2 with the climate going, and the car will post a message on its screens so that they know that the dogs are okay.
What’s the towing capacity of the Rivian R2?
In UK terms, the Rivian R2’s quoted 5,000-lb towing figure translates to about 2,268 kg, which is a handy step up on the Tesla Model Y’s 1,600 kg braked towing limit with the factory tow bar and is a significant towing capacity for a compact SUV. You can check out the best electric tow cars in our article, here, if you're keen on big towing capacity in your next EV.
Are there any other Rivian models coming to Europe?
Rivian also intends to bring the smaller Rivian R3 - a smaller, raised hatchback that would rival the VW ID.3, Kia EV3 and Skoda Elroq. The Rivian R3 hatchback uses the same platform as the bigger R2 SUV and has also been shown as a rally-raid style 4x4 in the form of the R3X.
When will the Rivian R2 come to the UK, and how much will it cost?
Rivian has said that it intends to bring the R2 to Europe in 2026, where it will go on sale first in left-hand drive markets. The plan is to bring the R2 to the UK not long after, but exact dates are still unconfirmed.
As for pricing, that’s also still to be confirmed but the R2 goes on sale in America for $45,000, which is roughly £33,500. How the price would stack up by the time sales begin in Britain is another question, but we’d expect it to be much closer to the Tesla Model Y’s price of £45,000 and up.
