At the reveal occasion for the new Rivian R2 SUV, the upstart automaker shocked us with an excellent smaller, cheaper crossover, the R3. “We’re so excited about what this delivers beyond what we’ve seen [with] R2,” mentioned Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe on the reveal occasion. “It takes the package of R2, the platform of R2, it shrinks it, it puts it into our take on ‘What is a crossover?'”

While the R2 is considerably smaller than Rivian’s first SUV, the R1S, the R3 is even slighter nonetheless. Scaringe says that the R3 sits on a wheelbase 5 inches shorter than that of the R2. Both R2 and R3 trip on the identical platform, and the smaller SUV may also be out there with single-, dual-, and tri-motor powertrains.

The R3 appears to be like far more like a lifted hatchback than the R2, however not like most hatchbacks, the R3 has lift-up rear glass. It additionally has a entrance trunk, and excitingly, two gloveboxes. There may also be a sporty model referred to as the R3X. It’s one thing of a small rally automotive, with a tri-motor drivetrain, larger wheels, and barely elevated floor clearance.