The Rivian R2 has picked up its first major award. Top Gear named the R2 its SUV of the Year in its U.S. Car Awards 2027, the same awards where the Tesla Semi took home the TG Tech Award.
“Of all of 2026’s takes on the rabidly popular SUV formula, we fell hardest for the refreshing, relaxed Rivian. Unlike a Fisker or a Faraday-Not-The-Future, you don’t fear that this is a company teetering on the brink,” Top Gear wrote. Earlier this spring, Top Gear also named Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe its 2026 EV Influencer of the Year.
What Makes the R2 Stand Out
The R2 is Rivian’s first mass-market vehicle, built to compete with Tesla’s Model Y. It rides on an all-new platform that’s about 2,000 lbs lighter than the R1S, and every announced trim uses an 87.9 kWh battery and has 9.6 inches of ground clearance.
Customers are currently getting the top-spec R2 Performance, which starts at $57,990 and has 656 hp, a 3.6-second 0-60 mph time, and 330 miles of EPA-estimated range. Rivian plans to launch the R2 Premium and two Standard trims over the coming months, including a $45,000 model in late 2027. Future R2 builds are also expected to integrate LiDAR sensors.
It’s also packed with clever touches, including front and rear seats that fold completely flat, a rear window that drops into the liftgate, and a native NACS port for Supercharger access. The R2 recently got Rivian Assistant, and its 200 Sparse TOPS of Edge AI compute is enough to run a local language model.
Strong Demand Since Launch
Demand has been strong since R2 deliveries began in early June. Rivian topped its Q2 delivery outlook with less than a month of R2 shipments, and the R2 has racked up over 200,000 reservations. Q3 was even better, with Rivian delivering a record 19,248 vehicles, up 57.8% from 12,194 in Q2.
To keep up, Rivian added a second R2 production shift at its factory in Normal, Illinois, with a third planned for 2027. Rivian also recently hired Tesla’s former Cybercab general assembly manager to lead R2 assembly in Illinois. The R2 lines at Normal are designed to build up to 155,000 units a year, and a second factory in Georgia is set to start producing the R2 in 2028.
With cheaper trims on the way and Top Gear’s award behind it, the R2 should keep production in Normal busy well into next year.
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