Surprise! Alongside the new Rivian R2 SUV, Rivian also announced an all-new car — one that’s set to be its cheapest and smallest vehicle. The Rivian R3 won’t be released for some time, but it could be Rivian’s most exciting EV and a competitor of the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Tesla Model 3.
Curious about the Rivian R3 or the sportier R3X and whether or not it might be your next car? Here’s everything we know so far.
Rivian R3 design
While the Rivian R2 looks very much like the Rivian R1s, the R3 has a few prominent design differences. That’s not to say it doesn’t look related — on the contrary, it’s clearly a Rivian. However, as Rivian’s smallest car so far, it shows off a series of design elements that we haven’t yet seen from the company.
The R3, for example, is still quite boxy, but much less so than the R2. It has a hatchback design, with a sloping rear and a small spoiler that follows along from the roofline of the car. Unlike many other cars, the R3 has a rear gate window that can lift up, allowing drivers to load items into the car through the window and store extra-long items.
Of course, the car borrows plenty of design traits from previous Rivian vehicles. It still has oval headlights on the front and a long light bar along the back—though that light bar doesn’t extend to the sides like it does on the R2.
The R3X is a sportier version of the R3 and has a series of design tweaks compared to the standard R3. Notably, the R3X Rivian showed off at its launch event had a teal paint job with orange highlights — a pretty neat look. In general, the R3X is designed to be a rally car variant of the R3.
Rivian R3 interior and tech
There are some interesting interior design choices, too. For example, unlike the R1S or R1T, the R3 has two glove boxes for front storage and a large display toward the front for infotainment. There’s also a large glass roof that helps make the car feel bigger on the inside. The car door has room for a large water bottle, and it is also where Rivian’s signature flashlight can be found.
The R3X has the same overall interior design as the standard R3 but with sportier-looking seats and a more colorful look.
We expect the R3’s infotainment experience to be the same as that of Rivian’s other cars. That is, it’ll have a pretty well-designed infotainment system, but no support for CarPlay or Android Auto.
It’s unclear what kind of driver-assist tech the R3 will offer. In announcing the R2, Rivian touted the new car’s ability to drive itself on the highway — without the driver even having to watch the road. It’s unclear if the R3 will offer similar features.
Rivian R3 performance
There’s still a lot we don’t know about the Rivian R3, and performance is one of those things. We do know that the R3 will come in three powertrains, including single-motor rear-wheel drive, dual-motor all-wheel drive, and tri-motor all-wheel drive, with the R3X only coming in the latter configuration.
We expect the car to be quick, especially the more powerful variants. Rivian is clearly touting the R3X as a performance car, and given how fast the competition is in the EV space, Rivian has its work cut out for it.
Rivian R3 range and charging
Range is another thing we don’t yet know about the Rivian R3. The car is built on the same platform as the R2, but it will have a smaller battery. Rivian has a track record of ensuring its cars offer a decent range, so we expect that even the base models will have a range of around 300 miles.
The charging speed should be decent, too. The car will offer a North American Charging Standard port that allows it to natively charge at a Tesla Supercharger, and it should be able to charge to 80% in under 30 minutes. Exact figures have yet to be announced.
Rivian R3 price and release date
We don’t know exact pricing of the Rivian R3, however, we do know that it will be “cheaper” than the R2. That’s good news — it means that it’ll start at lower than $45,000, which is already not a bad price point for a modern EV. Hopefully, it’ll push down into the $35,000 territory as its starting price, though expect the R3X to cost more.
The R3 is slated for release “soon after” the R2, which will ship to customers in the first half of 2026, according to Rivian. We’re not expecting the car to launch in 2026 at all — so expect it in 2027 at the very earliest. The R3X could take longer to launch than the R3
Rivian R3 tax credit status
The Rivian R3 will be built in the U.S., but given the fast pace of the federal EV tax credit, it’s impossible to predict if the car will qualify for all or some of the EV tax credit. Rivian has said that the R2 will qualify for the full $7,500 tax credit, but that’s a little hard to predict.
Our Rivian R3 wish list
We hope the Rivian R3 will offer a range of at least 300 miles, even in its cheapest and most powerful variants. Typically, EVs offer a lower-range base model and a lower-range performance model. Hopefully, the highest-range models will be closer to 350 miles.
We’re also hoping that the car will push the boundaries of pricing a little. Of course, it’s easy to say that we’d like the car to be priced at $20,000 — but that won’t happen. A realistic hope is something in the $35,000 price range, at least for the base model. As far as the R3X goes, it’s more powerful and a bit more targeted at enthusiasts, so it’s reasonable to expect the R3X to come in at around $45,000 or so — the same as the R2. All of this is speculation, though — we’ll have to wait and see how much the R3 costs.
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