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Over the weekend I found myself with friends that had traded in their first-generation Rivian R1T Quad for a second-generation R1S Quad. When I asked if they’d done a 360 yet with Kick Turn I was looked at with puzzled faces and met with, “what?!” After showing my friends a video of me performing a Kick Turn in a 2026 Rivian R1T Quad we walked to their R1S so I could show them where the feature was. It wasn’t there. Puzzling.
In June, at the launch of the 2026 Rivian R1T and R1S Quad the automaker debuted the Kick Turn and RAD Tuner features. At the time, Rivian said both would launch via a free over-the-air (OTA) software update in September. It’s October, and the features are MIA. Rivian confirmed to The Drive both Kick Turn and the RAD Tuner have been delayed and were in fact not launched in September.
A Rivian spokesperson told The Drive, “We know many of you are eager to try out Kick Turn and RAD Tuner on the all-new Quad. These features are unlike anything on the road today, and we’re taking a little extra time to fine-tune their performance. That’s why we’re adjusting the launch for both features slightly from September, to now launching by the end of this year. We promise they’ll be worth the wait!”
As someone that’s experienced both Kick Turn and played with the RAD Tuner, I can attest to both being worth the wait.
When I tested Kick Turn back in June the feature was said to be limited to about 15 mph and 20 seconds at shot. The team was pretty clear the former number might shift for production. Here’s hoping it’s shifted up, not down.
Nothing’s been confirmed, but the RAD Tuner might show up in other Performance Rivian models in the future. Which would be pretty … rad. Though, it’s unlikely to happen at the launch when the feature arrives for the latest Quad models.
As for Kick Turn, the only way to get that is buy a 2026 R1T or R1S Quad. The feature will not be coming to the first-generation Quads with the Bosch-sourced motors and original electrical architecture.
For now, 2026 Rivian R1T and R1S Quad owners have something else to eagerly look forward as the holiday season approaches.
Got a tip about something that didn’t happen when it was supposed to? Shoot us a line at tips@thedrive.com
As Director of Content and Product, Joel draws on over 15 years of newsroom experience and inability to actually stop working to help ensure The Drive shapes the future of automotive media. He’s also a World Car Award juror.
