Once a market mainstay, the Scout SUV line is in for a revival — but in a very different form. The name has been purchased by the Volkswagen Group, the automaker confirmed, and it intends to launch a new family of all-electric vehicles, starting with a pickup and an SUV.
VW will use Scout in the U.S. market much the way Ford is targeting the Bronco for serious off-roaders. But where Bronco is positioned as a brand within a brand, Scout is set to become a standalone brand, the German automaker confirmed. And its products would all use battery-electric drivetrains.
VW is expected to invest an initial $1 billion to relaunch the once-popular Scout line, with concept versions set to be revealed next year. The automaker then hopes to get into production by 2026 and has set a sales target of 250,000 vehicles annually through the new brand. Those are significant numbers all around!
“After Volkswagen’s successful turnaround in the U.S., we are now taking the opportunity to further strengthen our position in one of the most significant growth markets for EVs,” Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess said in a statement. “Electrification provides a historic opportunity to enter the highly attractive pickup and R-SUV segment as a group, underscoring our ambition to become a relevant player in the U.S. market.”
International Scout
Scout was introduced by International Harvester in November 1960 and soon became that brand’s bestselling product line. But it was ahead of its time, as SUVs then targeted a relatively narrow niche of buyers. 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. The Volkswagen Group purchased Navistar, along with the rights to the Scout name, 2 years ago.
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VW Going Electric and Searching for U.S. Customers
Scout appears to fit in with Volkswagen’s plans in a number of ways.
The automaker aims to dominate the global EV market, with a planned investment of more than $100 billion. At the same time, it has been pushing to build a bigger presence in the U.S. market, where it has long lagged its performance in Europe, China, and Latin America.
VW Scout Plans
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