Rivian R2 spotted with a power-assisted rear window

U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian has been sighted testing its smaller R2 SUV. Announced in March 2024 and slated for production in Illinois in 2026, the vehicle has now been photographed on the streets with what looks like a drop-down rear window.

The same was true for the concept car, which could lower its rear and quarter-panel glass to facilitate carrying long items in the trunk or just improve ventilation. The test vehicle seen here differs from the original concept in a number of ways, but apparently retains the power-assisted windows.

It is unclear what kind of powertrain the R2 has, but The Drive speculates that it could consist of three e-motors. Note the wheels: they are shod in BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain A/T tires and sport yellow brake calipers. Such calipers are only found on the tri-motor Rivian R1S, so it could be the case here as well.

In its most basic spec, though, the R2 will most likely have only one motor to keep the pricing down to the promised $45,000. A two-motor variant will also be offered, while a tri-motor one was considered by Rivian as a pricey performance EV with a sub-2-second sprint time to 60 mph (0-96.6 km/h).

In an earlier communication, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe revealed the list of features that were getting scrapped in order to keep the costs down. Unlike the conceptual R2, the final production SUV won’t have a power socket for external appliances. It also won’t have transformer seats in the front row that would let owners fold them down to form a completely level floor area for camping. Last but not least, the R2 will continue to do without Apple CarPlay, because the company wants to retain full control over its in-car digital ecosystem.