More than two years after Volkswagen AG revealed it was taking over the long-defunct Scout, the reborn off-road brand is set to reveal its first two all-electric products. And these teaser images give us a sense of what’s coming on October 24.
Scout again confirmed it well debut with two off-road models.
Who says there isn’t an afterlife? Apparently, there is when it comes to automobiles and Volkswagen proved that when, in May 2022, it announced it had purchased the rights to the long-gone Scout name and would bring it back from the dead as an all-electric alternative to the likes of Jeep and the Ford Bronco.
Since then, the reborn marque has been busy. It’s hired some top talent, starting with brand boss Scott Keogh, formerly head of Volkswagen Group of America, and Chris Benjamin, a former Stellantis rising star, to be its design chief. Work also is underway on a new South Carolina assembly plant.
But what about product? That’s what really matters. And we’re about to get a good first look at what’s coming on October 24, Scout has just announced.
What to expect
The timing of the upcoming reveal has some significance, at least if you’re an automotive history buff. It will mark the 44th anniversary of when the last Scout – then a product of the old International Harvester – rolled down the assembly line.
Scout Scout CEO Scott Keogh attended the groundbreaking of the company’s South Carolina assembly plant earlier this year.
Based on these teaser images — and other things we’ve been learning over the past two years – it seems likely the two initial products coming from Scout will adopt a sort of retro-futuristic design. That’s no surprise. Heritage is a big thing for off-road brands, perhaps a subliminal cue that these products have been around for a while and are built to take anything that gets in their way. Just look at details that the requisite Jeep seven-slat grilles and the round headlights on Bronco products.
Two models have been known to be in the works, seemingly confirmed by these teaser images. There’s a – likely midsize – SUV and a similarly sized pickup.
While we’ll get to see pre-production prototypes next month, don’t expect to see Scout’s first products reach showrooms until sometime during the 2026 model year — at least, if it holds to its original timetable.
Following its own north star
It’s always fun to peruse teaser images to see what they might reveal. Beyond the silhouettes of two new vehicles the most distinctive detail is Scout’s use of a classic compass that appears to be hanging off the headliner of one of the new models. Could that be an interior design signature for the new brand?
One of several teasers Scout has released.
As to what else we can expect, Scout CEO Keogh had this to say in the brand’s teaser e-mail:
“While you won’t see a lot of teasers or taillights from us between now and October 24, here’s what I can tell you. Like the originals, you’ll know a Scout vehicle when you see one. A bold, iconic design featuring multifunctional spaces for gathering and connection. Built for work play, our new Scout SUV and truck will be rugged, capable, and versatile. They have to be in order to credibly don the Scout badge. And with real tactile controls and real feel, they’ll meet the needs of Americans on the road and way off.”
More Off-Road News
- Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT Adds Off-Road Chops
- VW Says Scout Still on Track After Rivian Deal
- Sasquatch Expands 2025 Bronco Sport’s Off-Road Capabilities
Electrifying
The Scout brand’s first products are expected to reach production for the 2026 model year.
Most controversial, though, has been VW’s plan to have the Scout brand go all-electric. That clearly seemed to make sense when the Scout deal was announced and every automaker was racing to show how much they planned to invest in EVs.
Now, with sales growth slowing and EVs becoming highly politicized in the U.S., likely Scout’s largest market, the reborn brand might be forgiven if it were to revise its playbook. But, at least for now, it seems to be betting on the long-term growth of EVs – which is in line with what most industry watchers expect.
It’s not alone. Jeep is betting big on electrifying its line-up, in May revealing its first EV for the U.S., the Wagoneer S. It will follow with the Recon. It’s already generated strong demand for its plug-in hybrids, such as the Wrangler 4xe, buyers saying they love the ability to drive in near silence when out on the trail.
That said, it’s possible we could be in for some surprises from Scout, as happened when Dodge earlier this year revealed it is launching a gas-powered version of the next-generation Charger, as well as the all-electric Charger Daytona.
A muddy history
Even with the long disruption, Scout had a long history. If anything, it may have gotten into the off-road game a bit too early.
The brand name originally was introduced by International Harvester in November 1960. But it was ahead of its time, SUVs then targeted at a relatively narrow niche of buyers. Though Jeep emerged from the Second World War, the original Ford Bronco wouldn’t come to market until 1966.
Though Scout became IH’s best-selling product line it didn’t generate enough cash and the nameplate was pulled from the market in 1980 – ironically, just before the real surge in demand for SUVs began.
International Harvester was itself struggling and its remnants reemerged in 1985 as the newly formed Navistar.
We may soon see if it can generate the gravitas needed to survive in a market where demand for off-road capable vehicles continues to grow each year.
No bonus coming to the exec who made the decision to go all EV. Hell, he/she will be lucky to still have a job by Christmas.