2027 Rivian R2 Top 10 New FeaturesRivian (Rivian)Rivian has a lot riding on its all-new 2027 Rivian R2—essentially, the future viability of the company, as it's banking on the lower priced, all-electric midsize SUV to be a volume seller compared to the initial and pricey R1T pickup and the larger R1S SUV.The R2 is also serving as a technology showcase for Rivian by incorporating the company's latest and greatest innovations, most of which are exclusive to the R2, but some will be shared with the R1 models. Here are the top 10 innovations that caught our attention during the recent R2 media launch.1) Rivian Treehouse Rooftop TentPhoto credit: Doug Newcomb - MotorTrendRooftop tents are all the rage among the overlanding crowd, and R2 owners will likely be the envy of the campsite when they set up their Rivian Treehouse. The hardshell pop-up rooftop tent includes integrated lighting, a ventilation fan, and even a built-in movie projector and viewing screen, all powered by the R2's battery. Availability is scheduled for 2027, and it's expected to retail for around $5,000.2) Haptic Halo WheelsPhoto credit: RivianThe R2's Haptic Halo Wheels steering-wheel controls replace the much smaller thumb wheels on the R1 vehicles. The large, vertically oriented Haptic Halo Wheels scroll up and down, toggle left and right, and can be pushed to more easily access and manage features such as climate, media, and various vehicle settings such as front-seat and side-mirror adjustments. Due to their size, the Haptic Halo Wheels are much easier to use than similar steering-wheel controls in Tesla vehicles and the Volvo EX90 EV to adjust, say, the side mirrors.3) Redesigned Sound System with Force-Balanced SpeakersPhoto credit: RivianThe R2's sound system features a radical new design compared to the audio setup in the R1 vehicle and relative to most premium auto systems. For example, the R2 ditches front-door speakers in favor of a full-range center-dash speaker and two more placed in the traditional A-pillar locations. The rear passenger doors each also house a full-range speaker and four tweeters are embedded in the headliner. In a novel setup, a pair of midwoofers are positioned under the infotainment screen in the front of the car and a pair of subwoofers are hidden in the trunk in what Rivian calls a "force-canceling" configuration. This means the pair of speakers face each other to reduce unwanted vibrations in the cabin while providing clean low frequencies.4) Vehicle-to-Grid Capability, Rivian Field OutletPhoto credit: Doug Newcomb - MotorTrendAdvertisementAdvertisementThe R2 is the first Rivian vehicle to offer vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capability that can send power from the battery to the electrical grid and a local utility if needed, with owners potentially paid for the power. This setup also allows use of a Rivian Field Outlet accessory that connects to the R2's NACS charge port to tap electricity from the traction battery to power portable tools and electronics at jobsites, while camping, or at tailgate parties.5) Dual GloveboxesPhoto credit: RivianThe R1 vehicles don't have a traditional glovebox, but after listening to owner complaints, Rivian provides two in the R2. One is in the usual spot forward of the front passenger and another sits next to it towards the center of the dash. For even more front-seat storage, the R2 has a drawer large enough to fit a full-size tissue box that slides out from the front of the center console.6) Rivian Autonomy+Photo credit: manufacturerAlthough it was unveiled in late 2025 and is available for gen-two R1 vehicles for $49.99 a month or a one-time $2,500 purchase, the Rivian Autonomy+ system that allows hands-free driving has been further optimized for the R2. The necessary hardware is built into all trims and the R2 comes with a 60-day free trial period included with the vehicle purchase while Lifetime Autonomy+ is included with a limited-edition Launch Package. It uses the R2's 10 cameras and five radar sensors and Rivian Autonomy+ will eventually enable what the company calls point-to-point driving, meaning a trip will be handled completely hands-free on 3.5 million miles of mapped roads in the U.S. and Canada.7) Lidar SensorPhoto credit: manufacturerAlthough not on the R2 we drove in Utah, 2028 models arriving in 2027 will be available with a lidar sensor located near the top-center edge of the windshield and integrated in a small, aerodynamic housing. (Shown above as a prototype on an R1S SUV.) Rivian said the addition of the lidar sensor will enable eyes-off autonomous driving, as in the upcoming Cadillac Escalade using GM's Super Cruise.8) More Powerful BatteryPhoto credit: Doug Newcomb - MotorTrendAdvertisementAdvertisementThe R2's battery is completely new and uses much larger 4695 (46mm diameter x 95mm tall) cylindrical cells that Rivian said hold more than six times the energy capacity of the smaller 2170 cells used in the R1 vehicles. Because the R2's individual cells are much larger, the complete battery pack requires only about 768 cells compared to the up to 7,776 cells used in the R1 Max and Large packs. Rivian said this drastically lowers manufacturing costs to help achieve the R2's lower pricing. Sitting on top of the battery pack are streamlined components such as the DC-DC converter, bi-directional charger, and other power electronics that are combined into a single housing instead of installed as multiple separate components on the R1, making them more accessible for easier servicing.9) New Software, More Powerful Compute, and Streamlined ArchitecturePhoto credit: Doug Newcomb - MotorTrendFor the R2, Rivian doubled down on building software that provides ample headroom for future over-the-air (OTA) updates and a more powerful computer to support AI capabilities. This allows moving most of the heavy lifting from the cloud to edge computing to better power in-cabin AI features even when the car is offline. A new streamlined electrical architecture also ditches 2.3 miles of wiring compared to the gen-two R1 vehicles.10) AI FirepowerPhoto credit: Doug Newcomb - MotorTrendAs Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe mentioned in a media roundtable—and in a lengthy response to a question from MotorTrend—the automaker is all in on AI. To that end, the R2 is equipped with a robust 200 sparse TOPS of edge AI computing power solely reserved for in-cabin features. AI supports robust voice control of all features in the vehicle (except for critical safety systems) via the Rivian Assistant, and it can handle multiple commands at once. With a future OTA update, Rivian Assistant will use the vehicle's cameras to identify landmarks outside the vehicle and provide information on them for location-based services.
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