2027 Rivian R2 Acceleration Test: Consistent EV Performance—Even in Triple-Digit Heat

Several of the latest all-electric SUVs on the market have reached a level of performance that frankly requires you to recalibrate your mind a bit. For context, we recently tested a dual-motor version of the 2027 Rivian R2, which propelled itself to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds. That’s rapid for a vehicle that tipped our scales at 4,986 pounds, but it’s far from the quickest (or heaviest) EV we’ve tested. Here’s how Rivian’s latest SUV fared from a straight-line acceleration perspective during our fact-finding day with it in the desert.

As with most EVs, the launch process isn’t all that difficult to setup. Through the R2’s infotainment screen, we engaged Sport mode, disabled stability/traction control, and swiped up to engage launch control—where you’re greeted by Rivian’s Gary character with his hair being blown back. Once it was primed and ready, we depressed both pedals and unleashed the R2 Performance’s performance by releasing the brake pedal.

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Running the Acceleration Numbers

Once we let go of the reins, the R2’s silky smooth power delivery took us somewhat by surprise. Sure, there’s the initial kick in the pants, but the acceleration was more comparable to having a firehose of power at our disposal (656 hp and 609 lb-ft of torque) as opposed to being in a football that’s been kicked. Riding the wave of electrons all the way through the quarter mile, the R2 managed to cross the line in just 11.6 seconds at 128.6 mph. As it did, we could hear the whirr of both electric motors working as the SUV was working to push us back into the driver’s seat. The R2 doesn’t feature any aural trickery because frankly, it doesn’t need it—the motors sound amazing on their own.

Of course, the R2’s runs were plenty stout, but if you’ll allow us to put our test-team caps on, let’s quantify those numbers to see how it stacks up against some of its EV SUV competition:

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Consistently Consistent, Despite the Heat

Along with its buttery smooth acceleration, the R2’s consistency across multiple hard launches also impressed us. We test in the middle of the Mojave Desert, where it can get … hot. How hot? The R2’s temperature gauge registered a cool 117 degrees while we were out in the elements testing it. Looking back at the data, we saw only a 0.08-second deviation across the six launches we did, all in rapid succession. Impressive stuff considering the conditions.

In case you were curious, we also had the air conditioning off (as we do with every vehicle we test) to make sure we were using every ounce of the 656 horsepower the 2027 R2 Performance has to offer. All in all, Rivian’s newest SUV proved more than capable of repeatably quick performance, and it did it all while hardly breaking a sweat—it left all the sweating to us.