Rivian unveils two impressive compact electric cars, the R3 and R3X, for Europe

Rivian, one of Tesla’s competitors, has just unveiled not one, but three electric cars. After the R2 which is an SUV competing with the Tesla Model Y, here comes the R3. Compact crossover coupe. It exists in a very efficient version, R3X.

Here’s Rivian’s new electric car designed for Europe: the R3. A compact coupe car, more of a crossover than an SUV. It is smaller than its big sister, the newly announced R2, and even smaller than the Rivian R1T pickup and the larger Rivian R1S SUV.

For the moment, we don’t know much about the technical sheet, except that it will use the R2 platform. The wheelbase is announced at 2.8 metres, which is shorter than the R2 which measures 4.7 metres. For comparison, the new Renault 5 E-Tech Electric is 3.92 meters long with a wheelbase of 2.54 meters. Then the length of R3 is approximately 4.3 meters.

On the engine side, the R3X will integrate the three engines found on the R2 and which catapult the SUV from 0 to 96 km/h in 3 seconds. It is possible that the autonomy on the R3 and R3X is a little less, if the battery is smaller, due to the wheelbase. As a reminder, the R2’s autonomy is declared at over 500 km on the American EPA cycle or over 550 km on the European WLTP cycle.

A practical car

We found practical features of the R2, namely two glove boxes, a rear window that can be opened independently of the trunk for transporting long items. and a camping mode, which allows the rear passenger seats to be folded flat, so that two people can lie completely down in the cabin.

Price and Availability

The R3 and R3X will be available after the R2, which itself will be available in the USA in the first half of 2026 and in Europe in 2027. So we can expect to see the R3 and R3X in late 2026 or even 2027 in the USA and maybe 2028 in Europe.

It should be noted that the R2, R3 and R3X are partly designed for Europe. Which explains their more compact format. But be careful, because this car will be produced in the United States, and Europe will not necessarily be a priority. So delivery may start later on the old continent.

The R3s will also be less expensive, knowing that the R2 is advertised at $45,000 (excluding tax), or around 50,000 euros including tax.

Photos of Rivian R3 and R3X

Here are the first official photos of the R3 in the “cultured” version.

And here, photos of the R3X, the high-performance, rally-style version. It uses the same platform as the R3, but is distinguished by a more aggressive design and different elements in the cabin.