Here's How To Get Rivian's Kick Turn On The First-Generation R1T and R1S Quad

The Drive

08-07-2025

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Owners of the original four-motor Rivian R1T and R1S that were waiting for the promised Kick Turn feature (basically a 360-degree 'tank turn' by another name) might be real frustrated in a minute. The answer to what surely many first-generation Rivian R1T and R1S Quad owners are now Googling is: to activate the feature on their old trucks, buy a new 2026 Rivian R1T or R1S Quad.
Literally, that's what Rivian reps told me when I asked. Despite the fact that the first-gen quad-motor Rivians ostensibly have the hardware to drive their left and right wheels in opposite directions and perform a graceful spin, Kick Turn—which you can read all about here—won't become available on them. It remains exclusive to the next generation models. And the reason is both hardware and software related.
It comes down to control, on multiple levels. The first quad-motor Rivian's used water-cooled Bosch-sourced motors rather than the new in-house designed and engineered oil-cooled Ascent motors found in the 2026 Quads. The 2026 models also use the new electrical architecture that debuted in the refreshed 2025 R1T and R1S, which features a mere 7 ECUs and a zonal system rather than the original Rivian's 17 ECUs. Joel Feder
Ultimately, Rivian's Chief Software Officer Wassym Bensaid told The Drive that 'we don't have the same level of control on gen-one Quad' to activate the feature. Left unsaid is the fact that they also seem more confident in their bespoke motors to handle the stress, since Kick Turn can be activated at forward speeds up to 15 mph.
That makes Kick Turn a pretty pricey add-on for any current owners hoping to upgrade after Rivian announced the feature prior to its initial launch and then canceled amid blowback over the potential for trail damage conflicting with its pro-environment ethos. The R1T Quad will cost $117,885 and the R1S Quad will cost $123,885 including an $1,895 destination charge when it arrives this month. Roll your eyes at the idea of someone plunking down six figures just so they can do some spins, but rest assured, some people will.
I guess you can thank (or blame?) the electric Mercedes G-Wagen and a handful of Chinese EVs for popularizing tank turns and pushing Rivian to reconsider, even after the company's CEO RJ Scaringe said the feature wouldn't be coming during a Q&A session in 2023.
At one point the original first-gen R1T with its quad-motor powertrain only cost $67,500, though it only had a mere 835 horsepower and 908 pound-feet of torque. Today's Tri-Motor for about $105,000 has more power, is just as quick, and is far more expensive. And though the upgrades might seem incremental, the 2026 Quad is a massive leap forward for Rivian and brings far more to the table than an off-road party trick. Check out our full review for more.
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