The Volkswagen Group made waves again in 2022 when it introduced it might 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 data in regards to 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 have been simply revealed at a sprawling property outdoors Nashville. Technically these are simply idea autos, however Scout representatives promise they’re fairly near the manufacturing fashions that may launch in 2027.
We don’t have many powertrain particulars but, however the electrical Scouts could 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 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 supplied. Charging will probably be achieved with an NACS port, and the Scouts could have 350-kW fast-charging and bi-directional charging capabilities. Most vary will probably be a Scout-estimated 350 miles.
Along with the usual totally electrical setup that had been promised from the beginning, Scout shocked 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 preserve the packaging and efficiency advantages of an EV. As a way to accomplish that, my guess is it will likely be a three- or four-cylinder engine mounted someplace across the rear axle, beneath the pickup mattress or SUV flooring alongside a in all probability small gasoline tank, to retain the inside packaging and frunk.
No matter powertrain alternative, the Scouts could 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 another Volkswagen Group merchandise (although who is aware of how lengthy that may final), and it has a stable 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 could have near 2,000 kilos of payload capability. Scout says the vans could 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 totally different suspension choices, however hasn’t mentioned what they are going to be. Obtainable from the manufacturing facility will probably be a spread of equipment like auxiliary lights, off-road bumpers with a heavy-duty winch and facet steps. Scout can even have powered equipment that may be managed by means of inside switches or the cellular app.
All of that’s properly and good, but when the design is a flop none of it issues. Fortunately, I feel Scout’s Michigan-based design crew, lead by former Jeep designer Chris Benjamin, completely nailed it. Each the Terra and Traveler are the right combination of retro and trendy, 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 an identical, and so they each look fairly big. 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 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’ vast grilles. A serrated mild strip surrounds the whole 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 light-weight setups, which I feel appears 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 will probably be comfortable to see that the Scouts have actual bumpers protruding from each the entrance and rear ends, with skid plate components, distinguished 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 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 sit down on or load objects 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 either side of the rear window that ape the form of the facet home windows.
Annoyingly, Scout solely despatched two images of the inside, each of the Traveler, nevertheless it appears actually good. Sure, there’s a huge digital gauge cluster and a fair 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. The screens are framed by two horizontal bars paying homage to the dashboards in outdated Scouts, and the multi-tiered middle 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 middle console. Scout can even provide 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 selection 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 automobile has an incredible 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 “trendy zonal software program structure” with over-the-air updates and distant diagnostics. We are able to see an enormous map view dominating the display, and a row of shortcut buttons on the backside for generally used options and programs. The speedometer show appears to be a retro horizontal design, which I’m into.
Scout says each the Traveler could have retail costs beginning at beneath $60,000, with the figures going as little as $50,000 with out there incentives — meaning the beginning value will possible 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 embrace vacation spot. The Terra, in the meantime, can even begin beneath $60,000 and go as little as $51,500 with incentives. If Scout can stick with these numbers, that’ll be a reasonably killer value, undercutting present electrical vans 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 charge, which can allow you to decide 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 value transparency” and a seamless on-line buying expertise that may be achieved in minutes. There will probably be an “unique” Scout retail community consisting of devoted retail areas and Workshops that may deal with hands-on experiences, check drives and servicing. Scout says 80 p.c of repairs will be accomplished outdoors of the the Workshops, seemingly with at-home servicing, and the vans could have “aggressive price of possession by means of strong repairability.”
The groundbreaking of Scout’s model new manufacturing facility 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 vary. 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 expertise in functionality. A number of firms are engaged on solid-state batteries that may launch over the subsequent few years, and hell, you should buy a Rivian proper now that has a spread of over 400 miles.
Nonetheless, I feel the brand new Scouts are superior, and I feel they nonetheless will probably be superior after they hit the roads just a few years from now. Volkswagen Group simply may have fucked this up, and a minimum of from what we all know up to now, it doesn’t appear to have. American shoppers actually do love and wish reliable trucky pickups and SUVs, and that’s what the reborn Scout is delivering.
