Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe recently held a Q&A session on Instagram and the executive used the event to tease the upcoming R2 SUV, which will presumably be called the R2S.
About midway through, Scaringe stepped into the design studio and said “there’s a lot of excitement” for the R2. He was joined by Rivian Head of Design Jeff Hammoud and the duo stood in front of a full-size clay model of the crossover.
While there isn’t much to see, it’s clear the vehicle will be significantly smaller than the R1S. We can also see a short front overhang and what appears to be simulated cladding. Elsewhere, there’s a relatively rakish windscreen and a flat roof. The vehicle gives off a bit of a Land Rover Defender vibe, but those feelings could change once the sheet comes off.
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Besides teasing the exterior, Scaringe dropped a few hints about the cabin by visiting the Colors, Materials, and Finishes lab. Unfortunately, this segment wasn’t very revealing as it only suggested the model may be offered with some earthy tones.
The rest of the series was similarly vague, but Scaringe showed a two-tone R1S and said they’re making progress on ramping up production. In particular, quarterly production numbers should grow and help the automaker to eventually become profitable.
Scaringe also talked about Tank Turn, which was something the automaker planned to do early on and famously released a video of. However, over the last year and a half or so, Rivian has come to the conclusion that the feature could easily be abused and destroy trails. Scaringe went on to say Tank Turn didn’t feel right with the “way we approach respecting the trails.” Needless to say, that’s a weird message as it’s essentially saying ‘we don’t trust our customers.’