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Why Rivian Kick Turn Won’t Be Available on Gen 1 Quad Models
Rivian’s flashy new Kick Turn feature, the off-road party trick that lets an R1T or R1S pivot nearly in place, is making waves on the 2026 Gen 2 Quad models. But if you’re a Gen 1 Quad owner, don’t expect to see it coming to your truck or SUV through an update. Rivian has confirmed that Kick Turn will stay exclusive to the Gen 2 platform, and it all comes down to hardware and durability, not just software.
The original Quad setup in Gen 1 vehicles uses Bosch water-cooled motors and a 17-ECU architecture that simply doesn’t allow for the precise motor control Kick Turn needs. Gen 2 vehicles use Rivian’s newer Ascent oil-cooled motors and a far simpler seven-ECU zonal system, giving them tighter torque modulation and quicker communication between all four motors. Those upgrades are what make the controlled spin possible without risking damage to the drivetrain.
There’s also a durability factor. Early R1T and R1S models use half-shafts and tie rods that might not handle the repeated torque spikes from Kick Turn without wearing prematurely or breaking. Even if Rivian could rewrite the code to enable the feature, the risk of warranty claims on broken driveline components makes it a non-starter. Gen 2 Quads have beefed-up parts specifically designed to handle the stress, so Rivian can safely market the feature without fearing an expensive wave of repairs.
Plenty of owners hoped this would be a simple over-the-air update, but Rivian has said there’s no plan to add Kick Turn to Gen 1 Quad vehicles now or in the future. If you really want it, you’ll need to look at upgrading to a 2026 Gen 2 Quad, where the hardware and software work together to pull off the maneuver.
This explanation from Rivian doesn’t hold water. The Ford Bronco achieves a similar thing simply by locking the inner rear wheel. No precise control of any kind is needed by the Bronco. I am sure the Gen 1 trucks can lock one wheel while allowing the others to spin.
Are any other Gen 1 owners as fed up as I am with Rivian. You have to upgrade to Gen 2 to get any of the features that were advertised future capabilities for the Gen 1 when we bought them. Remember they advertised thrust vectoring for tighter turning radius up to and including Tank Turn along with future proofed hardware to support hands free driving up through full autonomy. The lie that our hardware isn’t capable of these things is not going to make be buy a Gen 2 (you know that as soon as you do, they will come out with Gen 3 and start delivering exclusive capabilities for it). It will make me cancel my R2 reservation and move to other brands when I replace my Gen 1 R1T. Traveling for work I drive tons of low end rental vehicles that don’t even have adaptive cruise control, and they can still perform competent lane centering on any road with well marked lanes. Come on Rivian try to follow through on some of the promised capability for Gen 1 owners who hyped your trucks, put up with all the problems of a new product, and most of whom invested in your company.
Great breakdown.
I’m surprised this hasn’t turned into a lawsuit.
“Remember they advertised thrust vectoring for tighter turning radius up to and including Tank Turn along with future proofed hardware to support hands free driving up through full autonomy.”
I sure do… The autonomy was on their website and then eventually would vanish. How could they do the tank turn previously?
My R1S is not a phone. I can’t upgrade it every time a new gen come out. It’s really disappointing that Gen1 users are getting dogged out again.
I know this sounds corny but I doubt we will even get launch mode.
I will keep my R2 reservation, its supposedly inexpensive for a reason with its lack of premium features.
We got played.
agree with Jeff Gaskins…it feels like a bit of abandonment of us Gen 1 owners. Many of whom paid high $ value and yet aren’t getting anything like what we were promised. Stand it up Rivian.