During the official public unveiling of the all-new Rivian R2, we received a nice little surprise. Along with an affordable new platform for the R2T electric truck and R2S SUV, the company sneakily announced a third vehicle. Meet the swanky Rivian R3 crossover.
We’ve been waiting to see what’s in store for the Rivian R2 lineup for months, and now it’s official. The Rivian R2 won’t go into production until 2026 as a slightly smaller, more affordable second-generation EV. However, right as the event was about to end, Rivian had “one more thing” to share: its take on a crossover or hatchback.
The all-new Rivian R3 will be cheaper than the $45,000 R2, packs a sleek little design, and it’ll even be available in a performance-geared Rivian R3X variant. We don’t know too much yet, but it looks pretty neat if I don’t say so myself. It’s certainly a far cry from the original R1S.
As you can see, the R3 is slightly shorter, not quite as wide, and has a somewhat sporty and aggressive look. According to Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe, the R3 is the company’s “take on what a crossover can be, and it takes the package of R2 platform and shrinks it.”
Being a brand new surprise announcement, we don’t really know what to think. Rivian further explained that it’ll come in two battery sizes, just like the R2, both offering over 300 miles of range and impressive 0–60 speeds of around three seconds. As for the more colorful R3X, buyers will get an even sportier vehicle with improved performance, additional colors, and a different interior. But again, we don’t have too many details.
My initial impression is that the Rivian R3 will immediately give the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 a run for their money. And if Tesla ever gets around to announcing its rumored compact Model 2, it’ll be interesting to see how these two stack up.
Unfortunately, that’s about all we know right now, and Rivian didn’t say anything about potential production dates, pricing, or when it’ll arrive. Stay tuned.
Source: Rivian
