The Scout Traveler – AND ITS TRAVAILS

The Scout Traveler – 

AND ITS TRAVAILS

What was long known as the International Scout is about to re-enter the U.S. market, after a long absence and now under new Volkswagen ownership. Its return, of course, is questionable, with so many – too many? – $ixty-thousand-dollar electric EVs not performing well in today’s market. Rivian is narrowing delivery guidance this year, and most U.S. manufacturers are rethinking the way forward. Seemingly the only OEM with the good sense to stay aggressively on the right path with hybrid vehicles is Toyota.

I had a chance to see a prototype of Volkswagen’s all-new Scout in Fort Worth recently, and it looks great. But so does the Rivian – and just how many expensive battery electric SUVs do we need in the U.S.? You know you’re in trouble when you see a Hummer outside Costco offered for sale. 

The Scout is both owned by Volkswagen and backed by Volkswagen, and yes, the company is constructing a new plant to build them. This is a body-on-frame SUV, and that is perhaps its most notable feature, while keeping in mind most customers who buy off-road vehicles seldom take them off the road. As the Scout is electric it will offer an optional gas engine to charge the battery and allow it to go 500 miles on a full charge. And those 500 miles should get you off the road! 

The Scout will boast a lot of features, it looks outstanding and its interior is decidedly high-end. Scout will also offer a pickup – dubbed ‘Terra’ – later in the production cycle. At a time when tariffs are upending the production plans of European and Asian imports here in the U.S., if the new Scout doesn’t gain traction this new plant could be repurposed for Volkswagen. 

Further muddling the picture is VW’s plan for a direct-to-consumer retail model for its Scout. Of course, before the Scout can get to consumers the company is going to court – with its own VW dealers!