STOUT
It has been a while since Scout models appeared at the LA Auto Show. 45 years to be exact. And with Volkswagen’s resurrection of the brand Scout has returned to LA with its first new models, aimed at finally giving VW a long-sought entry into the lucrative 4×4 market in America.
The Terra pickup and Traveler SUV prototypes have been updated with new accessories just weeks ago, to give prospective buyers a more realistic look at the upcoming lineup slated for a 2027 debut.
Scout gave the Terra truck off-road side steps, 37-inch tires mounted on 18-inch Clutch wheels, a bull bar with integrated tow hooks, as well as a roof basket with lights. The truck also showcased equipment including cargo box with gear dividers and pivoting chase light pods, with this setup aimed for ranch work.
But for now, the brand has stopped short of embracing retro ’70s graphics with its latest prototypes, perhaps wary of looking backward too much.
The new brand plans to offer plenty of extra kit for the truck and SUV at launch, and has started building an accessories factory next to the main Blythewood, South Carolina assembly plant.
Scout intends the truck and SUV duo to be rugged enough for farm work, featuring four-wheel drive, solid rear axles, body-on-frame architectures, 2000-pound payloads, and the option of front and rear mechanical locking diffs, keen on giving the new models the ability to cross terrain not meant for their soft-road competitors.
The company says that the Terra will also be able to tow 10,000 pounds, while the Traveler will pull 7,000, with Scout aiming to address the issue of range loss via the EREV option — already a hot item according to the automaker’s early research.
The BEV versions of the two models still promise ranges of 350 miles, which should be plenty of daily driving ability for more casual users, but the EREV options will be more generous and will perhaps make more sense to most buyers.
“We are confident that we are equipping the Scout in everyone – with our built-in, gas-powered Harvester range extender that delivers an estimated more than 500 miles of combined range, or an all-electric powertrain with an estimated 350 miles of range, we can meet any lifestyle requirement,” said Scott Keogh, President and CEO, Scout Motors.
The two models should still be quick off the line, with Scout estimating 3.5-second launches from 0 to 60.
Of course, quite a bit has to happen between now and 2027 when the duo is slated to enter production. Scout will lean on the Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies (RV Tech) alliance when it comes to vehicle software architectures. While Scout will make use of Rivian’s backend vehicle software architecture, Scout’s body-on-frame platform is being developed wholly by Scout and actual hardware and software touchpoints will be entirely dissimilar. [A previous version of this article was unclear as to the nature of VW and Rivian’s joint venture. We regret the error.]
Scout will also face a task that will be a new one for VW in North America: Setting up a direct sales network, along with a service operation. Just how big of a role existing VW Group’s service infrastructure will play in this effort remains to be seen, with the direct sales model already having already endured a revolt from VW dealers a year ago when the plan was announced.
It is also worth noting that VW has recently gotten cold feet regarding new EV launches stateside, having decided to hold back quite a bit of the ID lineup available in Europe, cancelling the US launch of the ID. 7 sedan at the last minute.
2 responses to “STOUT”
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Sorry to nitpick, but I love the website and the scout traveler is my dream car, but this is driving me nuts. Why does the article say “stout” instead of “scout”? Thank you, sorry for the inconvenience
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Just a goofy headline. The Scouts look stout. Thanks for reading.
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December 8, 2025
December 8, 2025
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