Matt Crisara said, "Despite repeated launches in scorching temperatures, Rivian’s newest SUV stayed remarkably quick." The Rivian R2 Performance reached 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, even as its temperature gauge climbed to 117 degrees during the test.
MotorTrend ran the dual-motor 2027 Rivian R2 through straight-line acceleration work in the Mojave Desert. The SUV weighed 4,986 pounds, made 656 hp and 609 lb-ft of torque, and covered the quarter mile in 11.6 seconds at 128.6 mph.
Matt Crisara on the R2
Crisara also wrote, "How hot? The R2’s temperature gauge registered a cool 117 degrees while we were out in the elements testing it." MotorTrend used Sport mode, disabled stability and traction control, and engaged launch control through the infotainment screen before the runs began.
The setup was not a single best pass. MotorTrend sent the R2 off the line six times in rapid succession, and the SUV varied by just 0.08 seconds across those launches.
R2 Performance in MotorTrend
That repeatability gives buyers a clearer read than one headline number alone. The R2 held close to the same launch pace after each hard run, with the air conditioning off so the test could use all available output from the dual-motor setup.
For readers comparing Rivian's new SUV with other performance-oriented electric models, the useful detail is consistency under heat. The R2 did not just post a quick run once; it stayed within a narrow band while the temperature gauge sat at 117 degrees and the test moved from one launch to the next.
The remaining question is mechanical, not numerical: how did the R2 keep nearly the same launch result across six runs in extreme heat? MotorTrend's data show the outcome, and the repeat-launch behavior is the part that now defines the test.
