After decades of rest, the Scout is returning with an entirely new platform that has many people excited. With the acquisition of Navistar (the successor to International Harvester, which created the original Scout) by Volkswagen, the Scout brand is being completely electrified with plans for pickups and SUVs bearing the nameplate to be released by 2026. As anticipation builds, the Scout is making a comeback that is well-deserved indeed - and we look forward to massive fanfare for the classic. While specifics and details aren't set in stone yet, we have all you need - when Volkswagen acquired Scout, how the company plans to reintroduce such an iconic brand, and what we know about the new models thus far. So without further delay, we give you everything you need to know about the Volkswagen Scout.
Volkswagen Resurrects The Scout's Lifeline
With classic vehicles making comebacks left and right, you could only guess that the Scout would rear its head somewhere - and that's where Volkswagen comes in. Originally built by International Harvester (IH) in the 1960s and 1970s, the Scout was truly in a class all its own. What some would say was the definitive precursor to the modern SUV, the Scout wasn't by any means a primary introduction of IH. With years of producing farming machines and vehicles for the U.S. Military, International brought to life the Scout 80 in the late 1960s which would invariably rival the Jeep CJ 4x4 of the time and cement the company in automotive history.
From the Scout 80, International needed a successor to keep its line going, and in 1965 released the Scout 800 which would span almost a decade, and two models - the 800A and 800B. Outselling total Jeep sales in the 1960s was a massive feat for IH as they continued to sell the 800B until 1971 when the Scout II came on the scene and iconized the brand for life. With the Traveler, Terra, and the well-known Super Scout (SSII) variants International was a big name that wasn't stopping, and in 1972 became a powerful symbol in Baja racing that would transit the 1980s with major wins in the Baja 250, the Baja 500, the Baja 1000, the Mint 400, and the Parker 400 - all with a Scout SSII.
The Scout Receives A New Lineage
As VW (Volkswagen) takes hold of the Scout brand, the company is already in the works on two new models - an SUV and a truck. While plans are set for a 2026 lineup, the automaker has already released images that convey a masterful vision of what the company has in store. Volkswagen Group recently tweeted about its plant, showing an area in South Carolina where they are set to build a plant specifically to produce Scouts and stating that Scout Motors is planning '... to produce electric pick-up trucks & rugged SUVs from 2026...' in VWs second vehicle production facility in the United States.
Although the company has not revealed any specifics or details on the truck or SUV models, Scout Motors CEO Scott Keogh (formerly CEO and president of Volkswagen Group of America) wrote on LinkedIn that "Scout has always been the vehicle that takes your family camping and also shows up on the job site every morning. This is not changing. Scout's versatility remains intact, and America's love of driving will be revived." And, these words give us all the good feels of a really cool lineup to come. Building both an SUV and pickup will place the Scout brand in the top spot and will undoubtedly bring back the Jeep rivalry of yesteryear.
Scout Envisioned With An Electric Lifestyle
With EVs becoming mainstream, you could only guess that Volkswagen's newly acquired Scout would have an EV platform. As noted previously, details have yet to be fully released as we await the unveiling of the Scout models, but we do know that an electric platform is planned to be utilized to keep in line with VWs goals of complete electrification throughout its global lineup - and VW isn't the only auto manufacturer. Ever since the UN's Climate Change Conference (COP21) and the Paris Agreement in 2015, automakers worldwide have been hard-pressed to shift to all-electric vehicles in accordance with the treaty and reduce worldwide CO2 emissions by at least 43% before the year 2030.
Last year Volkswagen Headquarters had quite the shakeup in its upper ranks worldwide with shifts in CEOs and heads across the board, and while some within the company aren't as focused on electrification, others are all in and on board. Namely, Scott Keogh (mentioned above) and Pablo Di Si (Executive Chair of VW South America) who took over for Keogh and stated that he "feels the U.S.' desire for a Volkswagen pickup is justified, as long as it’s electric". "This platform could provide an opportunity for other group vehicles. Yes. I want to be clear on this thing: This platform could definitely provide an opportunity for non-Scout vehicles." And that prospect is promising. While Keogh and Di Si are only a handful of electric hopefuls in the Volkswagen ranks, others are definitely feeling the pressure, and the Scout platform seems to be the key. As Keogh later noted.
Volkswagen Scouts Out The Future
With the original Scout all but forgotten and the resurgence of classics in the market, Volkswagen definitely has some shoes to fill with its plans for, the acquisition of, the Scout brand. And while there is a lot of speculation about where the company will go with the seemingly overlooked namesake, the optimism for its potential is quite exhilarating. Combining the retro revival scene with the emergence of electric powertrains will more than work well in VWs favor for an American Scout resurrection, giving much-needed credibility and authenticity to the company's U.S. market share. Last year, Motor Trend released an article stating the company, "plans to develop 'a new technical platform concept' for its new 'rugged' offerings." We expect two motors minimum, one in the front and one in the rear, but VW executives have expressed a desire to keep the price reasonable.' With an estimated price of around $40,000 only time will tell just what the final product will be - but for now, time appears to be lending favor to the future of the Scout.