The Volkswagen Group made waves again in 2022 when it introduced it could be reviving the Scout nameplate for a brand new model of American-built absolutely electrical vehicles and SUVs, however we hadn’t gotten a lot concrete data concerning the upcoming Scouts past some teasers and learnings gleaned from speaking with the CEO. Till now, that’s. Enter the brand new Scout Terra pickup and Traveler SUV — each names taken from authentic Worldwide Harvester fashions — which had been simply revealed at a sprawling property exterior Nashville. Technically these are simply idea autos, however Scout representatives promise they’re fairly near the manufacturing fashions that can launch in 2027.
We don’t have many powertrain particulars but, however the electrical Scouts can have an electrical motor at every axle and an 800-volt battery pack of unknown dimension. The model is concentrating on a most torque determine of 1,000 pound-feet, which can ship the vehicles from 0 to 60 mph in as little as 3.5 seconds and permit them to climb 100-percent grades. No horsepower figures got, and there’ll absolutely be lower-powered variations supplied. Charging will probably be completed with an NACS port, and the Scouts can have 350-kW fast-charging and bi-directional charging capabilities. Most vary will probably be a Scout-estimated 350 miles.
Along with the usual absolutely electrical setup that had been promised from the beginning, Scout stunned us by asserting that each the Terra and Traveler will probably be supplied with an optionally available range-extender, a small gas-powered engine that acts as a generator for the electrical motors and battery and can enhance the utmost vary to greater than 500 miles. Scout is looking this EREV (prolonged vary electrical car) setup the Harvester, a callback to the corporate’s roots, and it says going for the EREV will keep the packaging and efficiency advantages of an EV. In an effort to accomplish that, my guess is will probably be a three- or four-cylinder engine mounted someplace across the rear axle, underneath the pickup mattress or SUV ground alongside a most likely small gasoline tank, to retain the inside packaging and frunk.
No matter powertrain selection, the Scouts can have severe capabilities and actual truck attributes. The body-on-frame platform is newly developed only for Scout and seemingly received’t be utilized by every other Volkswagen Group merchandise (although who is aware of how lengthy that can final), and it has a strong rear axle. The Terra will have the ability to tow greater than 10,000 kilos whereas the Traveler will pull over 7,000 kilos, and each fashions can have near 2,000 kilos of payload capability. Scout says the vehicles can have over 12 inches of floor clearance, nearly three toes of water fording functionality and “aggressive” strategy and departure angles. Different goodies embrace a entrance sway bar disconnect, mechanical entrance and rear lockers, and tires as much as 35 inches in dimension. Scout says there will probably be completely different suspension choices, however hasn’t stated what they are going to be. Obtainable from the manufacturing unit will probably be a spread of equipment like auxiliary lights, off-road bumpers with a heavy-duty winch and facet steps. Scout may even have powered equipment that may be managed by means of inside switches or the cellular app.
All of that’s effectively and good, but when the design is a flop none of it issues. Fortunately, I believe Scout’s Michigan-based design group, lead by former Jeep designer Chris Benjamin, completely nailed it. Each the Terra and Traveler are the right combination of retro and fashionable, with sufficient throwback cues to tie into the previous Scouts with out being too kitschy. Unsurprisingly, from the B-pillars ahead the 2 fashions are equivalent, they usually each look fairly enormous. Scout hasn’t given any dimensions but, however the Terra has a 5-foot-5-inch mattress, a complete foot longer than the Rivian R1T’s. The entrance overhangs are tremendous brief and the hoods aren’t too lengthy both, however each Scouts have a frunk that’s large enough to carry golf golf equipment, a fitness center bag and a cooler.
The Scouts have a particular upright face with a black “masks” that’s a pleasant nod to the unique fashions’ broad grilles. A serrated gentle strip surrounds your entire masks, and the oblong headlights on the ends have a horizontal gentle strip bisecting them that’s then matched by a small marker gentle on the entrance fender edge. The rear ends have equally sized and formed masks and light-weight setups, which I believe seems to be particularly cool on the pickup. The corporate caught with a traditional Scout script for the badging, which is offset and illuminated at each ends.
Rugged sorts will probably be completely satisfied to see that the Scouts have actual bumpers protruding from each the entrance and rear ends, with skid plate parts, outstanding tow hooks and built-in lights. The facet skirts are thick black plastic, however in any other case there’s not a lot in the way in which of aggressive off-road styling — Scout says it needed the vehicles to “outline their rugged functionality with out add-on cladding or different adornments.” The fenders are actually properly flared, with solely a slim plastic bit on the edges, and the Scouts have softly sculpted broad shoulders.
The Traveler’s rear quarter window kicks up on the thick D-pillar, an excellent tie-in with the previous Scouts, and the present automotive has a contrasting roof that appears nice. Among the finest particulars on the Traveler is the break up tailgate, which creates a pleasant spot to sit down on or load gadgets into the seemingly spacious cargo space, and it has a spare tire provider that swings out individually and allegedly has “minimal affect” to the aerodynamics. The Terra has an underbody spare provider that may maintain tires as much as 33 inches, or a bed-mounted provider for the 35-inch all-terrains. That mattress has two 120-volt energy shops and a 240-volt outlet, and the Terra has steps within the bedside proper behind the rear doorways and well-integrated seize handles on both sides of the rear window that ape the form of the facet home windows.
Annoyingly, Scout solely despatched two photographs of the inside, each of the Traveler, however it seems to be actually good. Sure, there’s a massive digital gauge cluster and a good greater central infotainment touchscreen, however Scout put an enormous emphasis on having actual bodily controls all through the cabin, like a row of toggle switches and knobs under the display screen. The screens are framed by two horizontal bars paying homage to the dashboards in previous Scouts, and the multi-tiered heart console has a lot of cupboard space and USB-C ports. It’s acquired regular air vents, too!
One of many greatest retro touches is the provision of a bench seat for the entrance row, which will probably be supplied on each the Terra and Traveler rather than that heart console. Scout may even provide the Traveler with what it calls the Cabana High, a sliding cloth sunroof that gives one of many greatest openings of any SUV. You’ll additionally have the ability to spec your Scout with a panoramic glass sunroof that fortunately has a powered sunshade. There are a variety of buttons and switches on the entrance of the roof, together with a cool spherical compass.
I actually just like the ’70s-style steering wheel that has rotary knobs and the beginning/cease button built-in within the decrease part, and the shifter is column-mounted to offer extra inside house. This present automotive has an unbelievable mixture of tan leather-based and gray cloth all through, with loads of contrasting stitching and aluminum accents, however crucially decrease sections are manufactured from extra sturdy plastics so that you received’t really feel dangerous about beating them up. Scout says the inside is made with sustainable supplies, although no particulars got.
The personalizable infotainment system is known as the Scout Neighborhood UX, described as being “versatile, configurable and easy-to-use” and constructed on a “fashionable zonal software program structure” with over-the-air updates and distant diagnostics. We will see an enormous map view dominating the display screen, and a row of shortcut buttons on the backside for generally used options and programs. The speedometer show seems to be to be a retro horizontal design, which I’m into.
Scout says each the Traveler can have retail costs beginning at underneath $60,000, with the figures going as little as $50,000 with out there incentives — meaning the beginning worth will probably be $57,500, with the federal tax credit score taking it to the magic $50,000 mark, and people costs most likely don’t embrace vacation spot. The Terra, in the meantime, may even begin underneath $60,000 and go as little as $51,500 with incentives. If Scout can stick with these numbers, that’ll be a reasonably killer worth, undercutting present electrical vehicles just like the Rivian and Ford F-150 Lightning. After all, higher-end fashions will definitely be much more costly, and we don’t understand how a lot the range-extender will add onto the worth. The corporate is accepting reservations now to the tune of a refundable $100 payment, which can allow you to decide your mannequin and powertrain and reserve your spot in line.
As for a way gross sales and servicing will work, Scout’s doing it equally to different electrical startups by working with a direct gross sales mannequin. Scout guarantees “full worth transparency” and a seamless on-line buying expertise that may be completed in minutes. There will probably be an “unique” Scout retail community consisting of devoted retail areas and Workshops that can deal with hands-on experiences, take a look at drives and servicing. Scout says 80 % of repairs may be accomplished exterior of the the Workshops, seemingly with at-home servicing, and the vehicles can have “aggressive price of possession by means of sturdy repairability.”
The groundbreaking of Scout’s model new manufacturing unit in South Carolina solely simply occurred earlier this yr, and whereas manufacturing was initially set to start out in 2026, that has been pushed again to a while in 2027 — a date the corporate says is predicated on present projections and topic to alter. Therein lies one of many greatest issues with these new vehicles. By the point they lastly enter manufacturing, we’ll have seen some massive leaps in EV know-how in functionality. Numerous corporations are engaged on solid-state batteries that can launch over the subsequent few years, and hell, you should purchase a Rivian proper now that has a spread of over 400 miles.
Nonetheless, I believe the brand new Scouts are superior, and I believe they nonetheless will probably be superior after they hit the roads just a few years from now. Volkswagen Group simply might have fucked this up, and not less than from what we all know up to now, it doesn’t appear to have. American shoppers actually do love and need reputable trucky pickups and SUVs, and that’s what the reborn Scout is delivering.
