10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Rivian R2 Launches to Top, Toyota 4Runner Rises

With the upcoming Rivian R2, the luxury electric brand seems to be making a play for greater mainstream acceptance. The all-new mid-size SUV is expected to carry a base price around $45,000 — roughly half the price of the pricier trims of the other vehicles in its lineup. And the planned Launch Edition expected to hit dealerships early next year won’t be the fully loaded variant such editions typically are, but instead a mid-level version more in line with what shoppers will likely end up choosing. We’ve got all the details on the R2 in Cars.com’s most popular news article of the past week.

Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Mercedes-Benz E-Class Prices Out Acura RDX

Rather than outfitting the R2 with the highest powertrain configuration — a three-motor all-wheel-drive setup — it’ll have a two-motor AWD configuration. In addition to a highly livable 300-mile maximum driving range on a charge, the R2 keeps its eye on value and practicality in offering bidirectional charging, which enables the vehicle to charge at night when electricity is less expensive and act as a generator to help supplement power in the owner’s home by day.

For everything we know about the forthcoming 2026 Rivian R2 — including price estimates based on the pricing spread of the brand’s other offerings — follow the link below to the No. 1 news story on this week’s countdown of most read articles.

But if you prefer a mid-size SUV that prefers petrol over a plug and rock-crawling over roadways, the 2026 Toyota 4Runner starts right around the same amount as the aforementioned Rivian. The 4Runner goes mostly unchanged for the new model year, save for wider availability of optional off-roading equipment, and the price increases by only a few hundred bucks at the base. The 4Runner’s entry-level SR5 variant starts at $43,065, rising across the next seven trim levels — TRD Sport, TRD Sport Premium, TRD Off-Road, TRD Off-Road Premium, Limited, Platinum and Trailhunter — before peaking at $69,395 for the range-topping TRD Pro (all prices include a $1,495 destination charge).

For full pricing details on the 2026 Toyota 4Runner — including a trim-by-trim breakdown of features and equipment, standard and available safety systems, powertrain specs and fuel-economy estimates — follow the link below to the No. 4 news story of the week.

Beyond all that, we’ve got headlines on the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Mercedes-Maybach SL680, Toyota Tundra, Lexus LX, Aston Martin DBX, Honda Civic, Kia Telluride and much more — so don’t stop reading till the digits double. Here are the top 10 news stories Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of in the past week:

1. $45,000 Rivian R2 to Get Launch Edition, Bidirectional Charging 

2. 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee: A New Heart for Jeep’s Moneymaker 

3. A Chip Shortage Crisis Has Been Averted — for Now 

4. How Much Is the 2026 Toyota 4Runner? 

5. Here Are the 10 Cheapest New Cars You Can Buy Right Now 

6. 2026 Mercedes-Maybach SL680 Monogram Review: Your LVMH Roadster Has Arrived 

7. 127,000 Toyota, Lexus Vehicles Recalled for Engine Debris 

8. 2026 Aston Martin DBX S Review: Excellence in (DB)X S 

9. Honda Recalls Civic Accessory Wheels for Detachment 

10. Kia Shows Off 2027 Telluride’s Bold New Look Ahead of Los Angeles Auto Show Debut

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