The wait to see what sort of electric off-roaders Scout has been working on is almost over. Ever since Volkswagen revived the Scout brand, it’s been pretty quiet about specifics. However, Scout is finally going to show off its upcoming SUVs and trucks on October 24 in Nashville, Tennessee, almost exactly 44 years since the last Scout II was built.
Precisely what Scout is going to show off is still unclear, however, it seems Scout is keeping its promise of two vehicles at launch, as there will be more than one vehicle on display in October. “To the makers, doers and everyday explorers, and our loyal Scout community, we look forward to showing you our new SUV and truck concepts we’ve been hard at work crafting behind the scenes,” said Scout in a Facebook post.
While most details on the two initial Scouts are still under wraps, we know that one will be an SUV and one will be a pickup truck. We’ve seen teaser images that imply some design elements will be carried over from the Scouts of the ’60s and ’70s, but that’s about it. More interestingly, though, neither of those vehicles will be built on any pre-existing Volkswagen platform. According to an interview with TechCrunch, Scout CEO Scott Keogh said that both vehicles will use some VW components, like electric motors, and likely some interior tech, but the electric body-on-frame platform will be unique to Scout. We also know that Volkswagen and Rivian made a multi-billion-dollar deal, part of which will see Volkswagen gain access to Rivian’s tech. So Scout could be borrowing some platform architecture from the R1S and R1T.
Scout also may have teased the two vehicle names in its Facebook post, using the hashtags “scout80,” “scout800,” and “scoutii.” The Scout 80 was the brand’s original model, the iconic SUV that debuted in 1960. The Scout 800 debuted in 1966 and was essentially the same but with some upgraded features that made it easier to live with. Then, in 1971, the Scout II launched with the shape most people remember if they remember Scouts at all. Soon after there was a long-wheelbase pickup truck (the Terra) and an extended SUV (the Traveler). So I’m wondering if the new models will be called the Scout and Scout II, for the SUV and pickup variants, respectively, and they’ll have two trim levels, 80 and 800.
It will be interesting to see how close to production the two new concept cars are, as production is said to begin in 2026. I guess we’ll find out on October 24.
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