The More Accessible Rivian
Rivian is one of the quieter EV brands on the market, not really drawing much attention to itself, yet still able to make and sell a decent number of cars. A lineup that used to consist only of the larger R1 model has now expanded to include a smaller, more affordable SUV in the R2.
2025 was an “okay” year sales-wise for Rivian, with sales dipping by 18%, some of which was deliberate to accommodate the R2. With the R2 now in the market, we decided to play around with Rivian’s configurator to see just how many optional extras there are.
Performance First
Going to Rivian’s website and finding the R2 configurator is pretty easy, given how straightforward the layout is. Another thing to note before anything else is how Rivian decided to launch the R2. You’d expect the brand to either launch all variants or release the entry-level first, with the top-end to follow, but no, Rivian has decided to launch the most expensive variant first, with the more affordable ones listed as “coming soon.”
This makes the starting price of the R2 (as of now) a relatively high $57,990, compared to the $53,990 of the Premium (coming in late 2026) and the $48,490 of the Standard (coming in 2027). The performance is listed with 330 miles of range and a 0-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds, thanks to an output of 656 hp.
According to the configurator, the Launch Package, available for free for a limited time, includes Autonomy+, a special key fob, the tow package, and access to the special launch green paint.
Also standard on the performance variant is the all-wheel-drive system; the first really costly optional extra is the green launch paint, listed at an additional $2,000. Next up, you can opt for the 20-inch All-Terrain rim-and-tire combo for an additional $1,000. The interior can only be had in black right now, but sometime this year, the coastal cloud signature scheme will be available for an additional $1,000. Rounding out the cost are the additional spare tire ($755), wall charger ($800), and multiple accessories, bringing the total to $64,510.
Competitors Check
The Rivian R2, as mentioned, is the supposed affordable Rivian model, but looking at the price bracket, it still sits well above most of the competition in the base variant. However, once you start comparing the top-of-the-line models, the R2 suddenly comes into play in terms of pricing (without the optional extras).
It’ll be interesting to see how the market reacts to the R2, but with the current offerings, it isn’t priced so badly, and I like how Rivian didn’t overload the configurator with too many options. It took me less than 10 minutes to finish my build, compared to BMW’s complicated iX3 configurator, which took me more than 30 minutes and exponentially increased the cost.
