It’s been a little while since we’ve taken a look at Scout Motors – so what is going on?
The Los Angeles Auto Show is officially open to the public this week, and one of the brands you’re able to check out is Scout Motors. In fact, the VW Group subsidiary brought along its Terra pickup and Traveler SUV, two variants of a flagship vehicle the company aims to launch in 2027 to bring the Scout brand back into the zeitgeist.
Now, if you aren’t terribly familiar with the Scout brand, that may be because it hasn’t been part of the culture since 1980, when the last SUV — built by what was then International Harvester (now semi-truck manufacturer International Motors, LLC) — rolled off the assembly line. Volkswagen Group acquired the Scout trademark back in 2021, and has been working to revitalize the nameplate, including $2 billion-plus plant in Blythewood, South Carolina. Just last week, Scout Motors also settled on Charlotte, North Carolina as the site of its corporate headquarters, investing $206 million into that development over the next five years.
In the video below, Tommy takes a closer look at the latest versions of Scout’s vehicles on the show floor, while interviewing brand and strategy head Ryan Decker.
So, what’s changed since the last time we looked at these models a few months back? Primarily, the company seems to be refining the details, since both Terra and Traveler still look broadly the same as they have since last year’s big reveal. Paint colors are being added to the palette, as are a host of accessories Scout plans to launch alongside both models (again, ideally in mid-to-late 2027, depending on which one you’re looking at).
Another major development is the fully electric model. At the moment, Scout Motors seems to have read the tea leaves and is delaying the fully electric model. Instead, the intense focus is on the ‘Harvester’ model, which uses a gasoline engine to extend the overall range. With more than 130,000 claimed reservations, the vast majority leaned toward the EREV (Extended-Range Electric Vehicle) for the added flexibility that gas motor offers. It’s a trend we’re more commonly seeing as automakers dramatically rethink their aggressive EV launch plans. And while VW Group has poured billions of dollars into Scout Motors as a venture, it needs to recoup that money, so it is reportedly prioritizing the Harvester models at launch.
At this point, there’s plenty we still don’t know about the upcoming Scout Terra and Traveler. Price is one major sticking point, and that’s going to remain a moving target as Scout Motors finalizes its production plans and, crucially, hones its retail pipeline to customers.
