2026 R2 pricing, range & specs! $57,990 Performance Launch Edition / $53,990 Premium / $48,490 Standard / $45,000 Standard (Smaller Battery)

[DaveA]

a nine-speaker sound system, any thoughts ?

Its 3 more speakers than my Acura TSX had way back when and that was a good system.

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[dleepnw]

I really hope this isn't the final pricing. Other than the R2 Performance/LE, which compares favorably versus the Model Y Performance, aren't the Premium and the Single Motor RWD prices significantly higher than the Model Y Premium AWD (-$5k at $48,990) and Model Y Premium RWD (-$3.5k, at $44,990) respectively?

I know very well it's like comparing apples vs oranges since they're very different vehicles. However, a major premise behind R2's existence was to enable cross-shop vs Model Y, and the numbers above worry me. Enlighten me if I'm missing something obvious.

The R2 is a more capable vehicle and its going to have a nicer interior than the MY so most consumers will recognize its worth the higher price. Drivers screen, more physical buttons, more storage, nicer materials. Honestly, I think the MY interior is trash. Tesla and its fanboys call it minimalist, I call it cheap.

 

[dleepnw]

The pricing is right in line with what many expected it to be so I don't think it is a shock to most. If anything, this might be a tad less than I thought. I think it matches up well with the Model Y. This isn't just about specs though, people also buy because they like the styling and brand. When you consider that then the R2 will be very popular at these price ranges and options.

In regards to lidar/RAP1, from everything I've heard and read, vehicles that eventually have it installed won't be much different (at first) from what non lidar Rivians will offer. The lidar will be feeding info to their LDM and all of Rivian's 2nd gen cars will eventually get benenfit from that as the LDM improves. However, after some time, only lidar/RAP1 equipped vehicles will be able to offer eyes off driving. That requires regulatory approval and the agencies involved have made it clear they will not approve any vehicles without a redundant sensor system, which means camera only will not be approved. Rivian can't just train their model using lidar and then have non lidar vehilces work for eyes off. Rivian has not given a hard date for when that could happen because they don't know. But, a good guess is that is at least 2 to 3 years out. If that option is a huge concern because you plan on keeping the car for more than 3 years then why not lease it? By the time your lease is up you can transition into the lidar equipped version.

Tesla is very close with their eyes off/robotaxi driving (it essentially works) but the question is will regulators allow it to happen without a redundant sensor system? Right now, no or they would already be offering the service. The issue with Tesla is they use camera only which doesn't work perfect in certain use cases such as heavy fog, rain, dirty lens etc. It's actually an extremely dicey situation for Tesla right now. They are all in with the camera only system which has been working great up to this point but can they get past that last 1% and get approval? Rivian will almost certainly get there, it's just a matter of how long it will take.

Agree. Gen2 R2 with Lidar/RAP1 will not only have much more headroom to grow, but will become the superior autonomy system over time and have features Gen1 R2 simply wont be able to do. The other consideration isn't just autonomy, Rivian is going to be able to enable other advanced UX and AI features the Gen1 platform simply won't have the compute power to do.

 

[savethemanual]

Its 3 more speakers than my Acura TSX had way back when and that was a good system.

It is confirmed there are no speakers in the front door cards, and there’s some sort of speaker below the dash in the console (sub?) I hope it has good bass response, that really helps!

 

[BrianB]

Beats the 6, yes I said 6, speaker system in my Equinox EV. I changed the door speakers to Kickers but it's still not enough. This is my first vehicle without a branded sound system and it's awful. Hopefully the 9-speaker setup will have an amp, sounds like it anyway, two mids and tweets per door is 8 speakers, and then a center speaker or more likely a sub in the back.

“Better audio than a Chevy EV.” It’s an advertisement that writes itself.

 

[EV.Venture]

Doesn't the R1S have 12-18 speakers, depending on trim and it also sounds like trash based on reviews?

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Doesn't the R1S have 12-18 speakers, depending on trim and it also sounds like trash based on reviews?

Google search will return results on specifics for gen 1 R1 Meridian, gen 1 in-house Elevation and gen 2 Premium and standard audio systems.

Like any review you read online, take with skepticism. Some could have been streaming from tethered bluetooth device. Some could have had their streaming app on a lower bitrate/quality setting. Some may even have their EQ tuned all wrong—like some people don't tune to the space, but jack up bass and treble all the way like they do in everything with a tunable EQ. This is also an emotionally charged topic, prone to exaggeration. And lastly, hearing isn't always the same from person to person.

Other than how distortion-prone it is with certain electronic tracks with very low bass (which would distort most systems anyway)—and once I settled on a EQ tune that works—I have no issues with my gen 1's Elevatoin system.

 

[BrianB]

Tesla sold 357k MY last year. SUVs are more popular than hatch backs like the MY. If Rivian gets half that much demand, they’ll sell out production capacity.

 

[AirplaneDr]

I'm still trying to parse this statement from Ars:

"You can add Autonomy+ (the automaker's partially automated driver assist), the tow package (4,400 lbs/1,995 kg), and some other colors as optional extras to the Performance trim (they're silver by default). The launch package includes a lifetime subscription to Autonomy+, the tow package, and another optional body color."

It seems to be saying that Auto+, tow package, and another color is both optional and included with the Launch/Performance trim. Assuming the MSRPs in this article are correct the Performance/Launch Edition is a screaming deal over the Premium at only a $4,000 difference (really only a $1500 difference if $2500 Auto+ is added to the Premium).

It just feels like something is missing here, like this was a draft version of the article that was posted with an incomplete distinction between the LE and Performance trims. I guess it is also possible that Rivian is just really aggressively pushing the LE and since Auto+, paint and Performance have $0 incremental cost to Rivian the $4000 is pretty much all marginal profit.

The Premium, starting at $54k, with added Auto+ ($2500), performance upgrade (est. $2500), tow pkg (est. $500), paint (est. $1500) would run $61k without the adaptive suspension.

One more sleep and all will be answered!

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Tesla sold 357k MY last year. SUVs are more popular than hatch backs like the MY. If Rivian gets half that much demand, they’ll sell out production capacity.

And that won't be hard to do since they are only projecting to produce/sell 25k R2 units in 2026.

 

[EV.Venture]

Like any review you read online, take with skepticism.

I generally agree but it seems like universally people have said that the Meridian system was good and everything after has been bad, across every review i've ever seen haha

 

[technerd]

So torn on whether I trade in the R1T for the R2. It looks like a solid vehicle.

 

[AlphaSnowbordergirl]

It's no longer on the Arstechnica site but I had it cached in my RSS reader.


[Article Removed at Request by Rivian]

Nooooo, I didn't get to read it before it was taken down. Stupid commute!

 

[macb00kemdanno]

Not when you can get a Model Y for $48k. $7k difference is a lot. And Tesla has the (misleading) impression that there autonomy capability.

Eh, FSD works for me. Pulls out of my garage, drives me to both of my kids' schools, and then drives me back home without me touching the wheel (12 miles there, 12 miles back). Handles stop signs, roundabouts, and streetlights. I'm just hoping that the R2 (or used R1T Gen 2) that I end up getting can do the same thing at some point.

Haters gonna hate, but I'm hoping for major leaps and autonomy for EVERYONE and won't cheerlead just one company. I want everyone to succeed.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

I generally agree but it seems like universally people have said that the Meridian system was good and everything after has been bad, across every review i've ever seen haha

And everything else you see on the internet is true? God help you. Most people don't write reviews unless they have an axe to grind and don't want to feel invisible. It doesn't mean they are right... especially on something that is as subjective as hearing.

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