The Volkswagen Group made waves again in 2022 when it introduced it will be reviving the Scout nameplate for a brand new model of American-built totally electrical vans and SUVs, however we hadn’t gotten a lot concrete information 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 unique 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 measurement. The model is concentrating on a most torque determine of 1,000 pound-feet, which is able to ship the vans 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 certainly be lower-powered variations provided. Charging might be achieved with an NACS port, and the Scouts can have 350-kW fast-charging and bi-directional charging capabilities. Most vary might be a Scout-estimated 350 miles.
Along with the usual totally electrical setup that had been promised from the beginning, Scout stunned us by saying that each the Terra and Traveler might be provided with an optionally available range-extender, a small gas-powered engine that acts as a generator for the electrical motors and battery and can improve the utmost vary to greater than 500 miles. Scout is asking this EREV (prolonged vary electrical car) setup the Harvester, a callback to the corporate’s roots, and it says going for the EREV will preserve the packaging and efficiency advantages of an EV. So as 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 flooring alongside a in all probability 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 gained’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 vans can have over 12 inches of floor clearance, virtually three toes of water fording functionality and “aggressive” method and departure angles. Different goodies embody a entrance sway bar disconnect, mechanical entrance and rear lockers, and tires as much as 35 inches in measurement. Scout says there might be totally different suspension choices, however hasn’t stated what they are going to be. Accessible from the manufacturing facility might be a spread of equipment like auxiliary lights, off-road bumpers with a heavy-duty winch and aspect steps. Scout can even have powered equipment that may be managed by inside switches or the cell app.
All of that’s properly 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 correct mix of retro and fashionable, with sufficient throwback cues to tie into the outdated Scouts with out being too kitschy. Unsurprisingly, from the B-pillars ahead the 2 fashions are similar, they usually each look fairly big. Scout hasn’t given any dimensions but, however the Terra has a 5-foot-5-inch mattress, an entire 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 sufficiently big to carry golf golf equipment, a health club bag and a cooler.
The Scouts have a particular upright face with a black “masks” that’s a pleasant nod to the unique fashions’ extensive grilles. A serrated mild strip surrounds all the masks, and the oblong headlights on the ends have a horizontal mild strip bisecting them that’s then matched by a small marker mild on the entrance fender edge. The rear ends have equally sized and formed masks and lightweight setups, which I believe appears to be like particularly cool on the pickup. The corporate caught with a basic Scout script for the badging, which is offset and illuminated at each ends.
Rugged varieties might be pleased to see that the Scouts have actual bumpers protruding from each the entrance and rear ends, with skid plate parts, distinguished tow hooks and built-in lights. The aspect skirts are thick black plastic, however in any other case there’s not a lot in the best way of aggressive off-road styling — Scout says it needed the vans 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, a terrific tie-in with the outdated Scouts, and the present automobile has a contrasting roof that appears nice. Top-of-the-line particulars on the Traveler is the cut up tailgate, which creates a pleasant spot to take a seat on or load gadgets into the seemingly spacious cargo space, and it has a spare tire service that swings out individually and allegedly has “minimal influence” to the aerodynamics. The Terra has an underbody spare service that may maintain tires as much as 33 inches, or a bed-mounted service 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 all sides of the rear window that ape the form of the aspect home windows.
Annoyingly, Scout solely despatched two pictures of the inside, each of the Traveler, but it surely appears to be like actually good. Sure, there’s a huge digital gauge cluster and an excellent greater central infotainment touchscreen, however Scout put a giant 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 harking back to the dashboards in outdated Scouts, and the multi-tiered middle console has a number 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 might be provided on each the Terra and Traveler instead of that middle console. Scout can even supply the Traveler with what it calls the Cabana Prime, a sliding material 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 area. This present automobile has an improbable mixture of tan leather-based and gray material all through, with loads of contrasting stitching and aluminum accents, however crucially decrease sections are fabricated from extra sturdy plastics so that you gained’t really feel unhealthy 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 are able to 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 appears to be like 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 — which means 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 in all probability don’t embody vacation spot. The Terra, in the meantime, can even begin underneath $60,000 and go as little as $51,500 with incentives. If Scout can keep on with these numbers, that’ll be a reasonably killer worth, undercutting present electrical vans just like the Rivian and Ford F-150 Lightning. In fact, higher-end fashions will definitely be much more costly, and we don’t know the way a lot the range-extender will add onto the worth. The corporate is accepting reservations now to the tune of a refundable $100 charge, which is able to allow you to choose your mannequin and powertrain and reserve your spot in line.
As for the 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 achieved in minutes. There might 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 vans can have “aggressive value of possession by strong repairability.”
The groundbreaking of Scout’s model new manufacturing facility in South Carolina solely simply occurred earlier this 12 months, 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 relies on present projections and topic to alter. Therein lies one of many greatest issues with these new vans. By the point they lastly enter manufacturing, we’ll have seen some huge leaps in EV know-how in functionality. A lot of corporations are engaged on solid-state batteries that can launch over the following few years, and hell, you should buy 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 might be superior after they hit the roads just a few years from now. Volkswagen Group simply may 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.
