VW revives Scout as an EV sub-brand for off-road pickups and SUVs
The Hummer, Bronco, and Blazer have all made a comeback in recent years due to the continued boom in SUVs. Next is the International Harvester Scout.
Quoting people familiar with the matter, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that the Volkswagen Group’s board is expected to give the green light on Wednesday to a Boy Scout revival.
Later in the day, VW confirmed the rumor in a tweet.
THIS IS FOR YOU – #USA!
⚡ We will produce an all-electric pickup truck and rugged SUV
⚡ Powerful iconic brand #Scout electrified
⚡Production will start in 2026 pic.twitter.com/blZy8b0Z29
– Volkswagen Group (@VWGroup) May 11, 2022
The VW Group owns the rights to the Scout name through its ownership of Navistar, which was formed from International Harvester in the 1980s, and the automaker has used the name in recent history on a number of vehicles from the brand. His Skoda.
Based on The Wall Street JournalSources say that VW Group plans to make Scout a Volkswagen sub-brand for SUVs and electric pickups, similar to the relationship between GMC and Hummer.
Is VW resurrecting the Scout as an EV brand? Volkswagen Group Head of Design just posted this on IG 3 hours ago. https://t.co/Z8y2PuxuLE pic.twitter.com/G9xlhxFxlf
– Zerin Dube (@SpeedSportLife) May 11, 2022
Interestingly, VW designer Klaus Zyciora posted sketches of an SUV and pickup truck alongside the Scout name on his Instagram page on Wednesday before quickly deleting it, though not before people Using Zerin Dube can take the screenshot above. Zyciora also mentions in her post that “Scout’s journey is about to begin.”
However, don’t get too excited. The first modern scout is not expected until 2026.
VW has been teasing the idea of selling a pickup truck in the US for years, and it was only in April that the brand’s local director, Scott Koegh, said that an electric pickup was can be a boon for the brand.
There are also reports of VW launching a powerful electric SUV to replace the planned electric versions of the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco. VW even release a sketch only one such car returned in 2019 to gauge interest. We have also heard rumors of a reborn VW Thing into EV. All expressive models are part of a broader strategy to launch more emotional electric vehicles. Keep stable.