Rivian, after four years selling its R1S, a hulking three-row electric S. U. V. that easily reaches six-figure prices, is making the leap into the mainstream.

Nipping at Tesla’s heels, Rivian recently introduced a highly anticipated smaller (and more affordable) S. U. V. aimed at the upscale masses.

It’s called the R2, but a more appropriate name would have been the R2.0. That’s because this new sport utility (which is shorter by 15 inches, and 2,000 pounds lighter) incorporates many of the things R1S owners said they missed. The R2 still features advanced software, off-road capabilities, a whisper-quiet cabin, decent range and probably the most comfortable seats of any vehicle I’ve ever driven.

Not only are the price and dimensions of this new version closer to what most American buyers want, but the R2 addresses many of the R1S’s shortfalls. Once even less-expensive variants become available next year, the two-row R2 looks to become an American hit for those looking for a high-tech electric S. U.

V. that’s capable both on the road and off. Kevin Duffin, a former Tesla owner, was looking forward to being one of the first to buy an R2. After driving a Model 3 for four years, he was ready for an E.

V. with more creature comforts. The sparse Tesla interior turned Mr. Duffin off. “It was like a Scandinavian living room,” he said. A travel industry executive in Los Angeles, Mr. Duffin put himself on the waiting list for an R2.

But when he saw the R1S at a pop-up event, he decided he couldn’t wait and bought one of those instead. Now he has had second thoughts. “If I had to do it again, I’d lean toward the R2,” he said. “I don’t need three rows of seats. And the R2 is better value for money.” The R2 adds many features expected in a full-size S.

U. V. but are missing in the R1S. Where the larger R1S has no glove box, the R2 has two.

Unlike the R1S’s fixed rear glass, the R2’s retracts, allowing large loads to be carried with the rear hatch closed. Put a mobile phone down on the R1S’s charging pad and it’ll slip and slide and disconnect as you drive; the R2 adds a magnet for grip. Storage abounds, with multiple nooks and crannies to hold stuff; there’s even a pullout shelf for a long box of tissues.

Stanley fans don’t fret; your mega thermoses will fit in a molded corner of both front doors. Unlike the R1S, the R2 is small enough for Rivian to have made plans to sell it in Europe, with manufacturing done in a plant outside Atlanta that will open in 2028. The top-of-the-line Launch Edition is available now and priced close to $58,000, and Rivian expects to sell lower-featured versions starting at $45,000 next year.

Contrast that with the R1S, which starts at around $80,000 and tops out at $122,000, before taxes. Its federal mileage on a full charge ranges from 275 to 345, depending on whether it’s a long-range trim and an all-wheel or rear-wheel drive model. A number of factors helped bring down costs, Rivian’s founder, R.

J. Scaringe, said in a recent interview. The company, now more fully established, has improved supplier relationships and is able to get lower component prices. “With the R1, I would go and meet with suppliers and they would be like, ‘I don’t want to work with you.

Who are you?’ ” Mr. Scaringe said. Now things are different. “With the same supplier who I had to fly to meet, we now have in some cases the C. E.

O.s flying to meet us.” By consolidating and eliminating items, Rivian has cut the number of parts and the assembly cost to half those for the R1S, Mr. Scaringe said. Yet this is no bare-bones vehicle. Unlike the Tesla, the R2 has a driver-facing screen as well as a center display, meaning the driver does not need to look away from the road to check speed or direction.

Seat heating, cooling and a Tesla-like “dog mode” keeps t...