On a modular basis from which a fully electric SUV and a pick-up will emerge, a new brand under the wing of Volkswagen will seek its place in the hottest segment.
Two years ago this was announced pick up that would mark the course to follow Volkswagen Group within the market of vehicles that bet on electromobility after creating a new brand called Scout Motorswhich revives an iconic name in the world of off-roading and 4x4s, with plans to launch a fully electric SUV and truck.
Both models, which will be designed specifically for the US market and whose names are still unknown, were previewed in a revelation that shows what their designs would be like that will have to face their counterparts from the manufacturers. Ford, Jeep, Rivian, Land Rover and Teslaamong others.
From SUV to pickup: what the Scout Motors models are like
To increase versatility and modularity, both the pickup and the SUV manufactured by Scout will be developed on a new, customized EV platform Designed to work on and off the asphalt. To do this, the company is prioritizing typical off-road attributes such as ground clearance, axle articulation, approach and departure angles and payload capacity, as well as all-electric autonomy.
The brand under the wing of Volkswagen also shared a teaser image of the front design of its model, which is not very different from other retro-style SUVs such as the Ford Bronco and Toyota Land Cruiser. However, the square and utilitarian proportions, together with the vertical windshield, do not follow current trends so closely.
The idea of this new automotive terminal is to go back to the original Scout 4×4 produced between 1960 and 1980, as well as the distinctive movement of the window line and the super short overhangs that can be seen in the sketches published by the company itself. brand.
They suggest that Scout will take a similar approach to Rivian and use one design for both its SUV and truck, simply giving the pickup an extended and, supposedly, modular wheelbase and cargo bed.
In this way, and with the already established “zero emissions” pickup trucks, Scout will have to face the Ford F-150 Lightningthe number one in the US market, the controversial Tesla Cybertruckthe interesting Rivian R1Tand the new Chevrolet Silverado EV. There will be plenty of competition.
For the moment, and knowing Volkswagen’s success in markets such as Europe and South America, Scout Motors did not confirm whether it will enter other markets outside the United States in the future. On the contrary, it will focus its investment of 2,000 million dollars to add a new production facility in South Carolina. This factory will have the capacity to produce up to 200,000 units per year, being that it will begin in mid-2026.
Scout Motors, the brand of the Volkswagen Group
The Scout name was originally used on a series of off-road models built by the defunct American commercial vehicle manufacturer International Harvester. The model was in production between 1960 and 1980, designed specifically to rival the contemporary Jeep CJ (Gladiator) and the later Ford Bronco.
This “electric reboot” by Volkswagen comes after the German conglomerate obtained the naming rights to the Scout brand in 2021, with the range being designed exclusively for the US market, where the pickup could be launched with a final price of only $40,000, almost half of potential rivals like the F-150 Lightning and the Chevrolet Silverado EV.
Many brands are betting on the rapid growth of the electric pickup market, and Volkswagen wants to take a portion of the segment from both traditional American manufacturers and new electric vehicle companies like Rivian.
In this way, Volkswagen’s broader goal is to double its share of the electric vehicle market in the United States and become the world’s best-selling manufacturer of this type of model by 2025.
