The Rivian R2 arrives at a weird time for EVs, and in a hotly contested market. With the Tesla Model Y as a reigning champ with a lower starting price, and the BMW iX3, Volvo EX60 and Mercedes GLC arriving soon with 800-volt architectures and more range, some readers have publicly mused that the R2 could find itself outflanked.
I’m happy to say they’re wrong. A fully-loaded R2 Performance tops out at less than the starting price of those other cars, and while they may nail the luxury SUV brief, nothing else anywhere near this price point meshes that level of luxury with the capability of a Subaru Outback Wilderness and the performance of a sports sedan. It does everything I’d ever want to do in an SUV, and does it with more charm, more speed, and more thoughtful flourishes than any competitor.
It is not the fastest-charging, the cheapest, nor the quickest electric SUV ever made. But for my money, it’s absolutely the best. It is the holistic fulfilment of an impossible promise, and proof positive that Rivian is here to stay.
