Hyped 4WD could finally come to Australia: 2026 Rivian R2 pricing and details published before the Kia EV5 and BYD Sealion 7 rival’s reveal

A tech website has accidentally leaked details of an upcoming SUV from EV maker Rivian, set to be globally revealed a day later.

The 2026 Rivian R2, an SUV cousin to the Rivian R1S SUV and R1T pick-up, was accidentally unveiled by Ars Technica in what appears to be a scheduling error.

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While it’s since been unpublished, the page was captured and published to reddit, where the pricing has been confirmed as starting at US$57,990 (A$81,300).

The first variants to launch will be the R2 Performance, with 530km of electric range and a 489kW/825Nm dual-motor all-wheel-drive system.

Power comes from an 87.9kWh battery pack, which it will share with a less powerful R2 Premium variant coming later in the year. That one will come in at US$53,990 (A$75,600).

Later down the track, there will be an R2 Standard with a smaller battery and likely less power, though details of that have not been revealed in the leaked information.

The Rivian R2 is essentially set to rival the Tesla Model Y, though there are more rivals in that category available in Australia like the Zeekr 7X, BYD Sealion 7 and Kia EV5.

While Rivian doesn’t have a presence in Australia, the R2 is set to be the first Rivian to be available outside North America, meaning if any model is going to make its way Down Under from the US brand, it’s this one.

This comes after the brand confirmed the R2 will be available in right-hand drive for buyers in the UK, opening the door for RHD sales here in Australia, even though it’s unconfirmed.