Given that, I’d probably skip the Michelin tire setup. But with it equipped, the truck was impressive. Acceleration was truly eye-opening, as you’d expect, while the ability to seamlessly apply power to each wheel as needed resulted in a confidence-inspiring machine when the traffic cleared. Only the complete lack of steering feedback dampened the fun, but even so, the R1T Quad-Motor is far more engaging on the road than a truck this size has any right to be.
Time to get dirty.
Credit:
Rivian
But things got even more fun when the road ended.
Rolling dirty
The second half of my time behind the wheel was spent in an R1S Quad-Motor outfitted with the more aggressively treaded Pirelli Scorpion tires. That three-row SUV brought me up and over some astonishingly tricky terrain, including a sheer rock wall that, on foot, would have required a ladder.
Over loose gravel and tricky articulations, the new Quad showed its ability to lean on those tires with grip while quickly cutting power to those left hanging in the air. This is the kind of next-level traction management that trumps locking differentials and makes an R1 Quad-Motor a cinch to drive up even the most extreme terrain.
It was easy going down, too. On loose surfaces, with the regen set to maximum and the SUV’s central display showing the output of the individual motors, I could see how each corner of the vehicle dynamically ramped its regen up or down to match the available grip. The result was a clean, straight descent.
Tire choice is quite important.
Credit:
Tim Stevens
The Quad-Motor is even easy to turn around in tight spaces. Rivian’s original Tank Turn returns, now rebranded and expanded as the Kick Turn, enabling 360-degree spins on loose surfaces or even tail-dragging pivots around tight corners. The process of engaging this mode is a bit clumsy, requiring you to hold buttons on the steering wheel simultaneously with both thumbs to indicate spin direction. But, when off-road at least, this helps to make up for the R1’s continued lack of rear steering.
At the end of the day, I honestly wasn’t sure whether I was more impressed by the on-road or off-road capabilities of Rivian’s new Quad-Motor machines. That spectrum of performance makes the top-shelf R1 series unique, an addictive mixture of supercar speed and super truck capability.
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