Rivian is among the latest automakers on the scene, and whereas it solely builds throughly fashionable EVs, it has a watch on off-roaders of the previous. One explicit element on the brand-new 2026 R2 has us tickled: Pop-out rear quarter home windows.

Obviously that is nothing new. Cars and vans of the previous routinely featured pop-out rear quarter home windows to enhance airflow and cut back stress via the cabin. It’s an particularly good thing to have in a automobile with out air con. But it has been a while since we have seen this kind of factor in a brand new automobile.

“We did a lot of work to create something that builds a really open-air experience,” stated Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe on the R2 reveal occasion. “You just saw these quarter-windows pop out, and what that does is we leverage the negative pressure off the back of the vehicle to pull natural air through and it creates this beautiful open-air feeling.”

The R2 additionally has rear glass that energy slides into the tailgate. Full-size Jeeps had this for years, and it is also remained a Toyota 4Runner hallmark, but it surely’s a terrific characteristic. Scaringe says this even additional enhances the sensation of airiness contained in the cabin. It is also nice for carrying longer objects. It’s straightforward to think about a surfboard or two poking out of the R2’s rear.

All of that is very charming. Little nods to the previous in a automobile that pushes into the longer term.