Ahead of the official launch of Rivian Automotive's (NASDAQ:RIVN) highly anticipated R2 model, the company invited social‑media creators, auto reviewers, and select media to test‑drive the vehicle and get a closer look.

Here's a look at the early reviews and why the vehicle is so important to Rivian.

Marques Brownlee Reviews R2

Popular tech reviewer Marques Brownlee, also known as MKBHD, was one of the first non-Rivian employees to get to drive the R2 on the road in California.

In a review posted to the AutoFocus YouTube channel, Brownlee says this is "Rivian's Model Y Fighter," comparing the vehicle to the popular Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) model.

"Rivian R2 kind of represents the same opportunity for Rivian to scale up as a company," Brownlee said.

Brownlee highlighted the R2's key features, noting that it carries over much of what makes the R1S appealing—just in a smaller, more affordable package.

"I'd like to cruise in this for awhile,” he said, adding people may be surprised by how fast and capable the vehicle is. He also highlighted the likely $45,000 starting price for the vehicle.

"If they can actually deliver something at that price, if the base $45,000 version of the R2, I think this can be their Model Y," he said, adding it's still unknown if the base version will have 300+ miles of range and similar performance to the higher performance models.

"I think this can be their actual entry into that mass market vehicle as long as their margins are good."

Doug DeMuro’s Review of R2

"The Rivian R2 takes everything we love about the R1S SUV and scales it down to a smaller size with a more affordable price," car reviewer Doug DeMuro said, after test driving R2. "I think this will be a big hit, despite the slowing demand for EVs."

Calling the automobile a "well executed vehicle," he said: "The R2 is an exceptional vehicle. Quite possibly the best all-around electric vehicle I've ever driven in terms of overall ability to do it all."

DeMuro gives the R2 a 70 out of 100 "Doug Score," which trails only the Rivian R1S among electric vehicles he's driven. For reference, the Model Y Performance scored a 64 on the "Doug" scoring system.

What R2 Means For Rivian And RIVN Stock

Since unveiling the R2 in March 2024, the new electric SUV from Rivian has been a key talking point for the company and a future catalyst for the stock.

The R2 is a big bet by Rivian, with the company pausing plans for a new Georgia vehicle factory to update its existing Normal, Illinois factory to meet its goal of deliveries in 2026.

With an estimated starting price of around $45,000, the R2 will be closer to the starting price of the Tesla Model Y ($41,360) and will come in significantly lower than the $76,990 starting price for the R1S from Rivian.

The company has invested heavily in retooling the Normal factory and has worked to save costs wherever possible to get the R2 to market. It is targeting annual production of more than 100,000 units from the facility. The Georgia plant could begin construction this year and start production in 2028 with capacity for hundreds of thousands more vehicles.

Rather than delay the production of the R2 by waiting on the Georgia factory, Rivian decided to focus on output from its existing facility. The timing could end up working in its favor.

Rivian reported 42,247 deliveries in 2025, down 18% year-over-year. With the R2 remaining on track for deliveries in the first half of 2026, Rivian’s delivery total could look much different at the end of the year.

Rivian Stock Price Action

Rivian stock is down 1.3% to $14.76 on Wednesday versus a 52-week trading range of $10.36 to $22.69. Rivian stock is down 24.0% year-to-date in 2026.

Image: Shutterstock

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