As the EV segment is shaping up, we are seeing newer and better brands come up. However, the recent news from VW is going to surprise not only the fans of the German automaker but also those of Scout.
Resurrecting The Scout Brand
According to recent reports, VW is working hard to bring the Scout brand back to life but this time the Scout SUVs and trucks will be all-electric. The company is expected to be set up by the end of the current year which means that we might see the electric SUVs soon.
Even though VW will be backing the company, it will be launched as a distinct brand. The company’s trucks and SUVs will primarily target the off-road enthusiast market in the United States.
The vehicles will not just be sold in the US, rather all the designing and the production will also take place in the States.
When Will VW Scout Vehicles Be Launched?
The first electric SUV from the VW Scout brand is likely to be offered in 2026 whereas news has it that the prototypes might be seen by the next year.
More About Scout Company
For those who don’t know, Scout was a renowned name during the 1960s and 80s when it was considered a direct competitor of Jeep and Ford because of its capable off-roading machines.
Back then the company was owned by International Harvester (IH). It is worth noting that the forte of IH was in commercial trucks and farm equipment.
The Scout brand was launched in a bid to expand the production line of the company for leveraging the growing SUV market.
We’re talking about the pre-SUV era in which the term SUV had not even been coined yet. The company offered its vehicles in two different formats which were SUVs and trucks.
Reputation Of Scout SUVs In Recent Times
In recent times, many car collectors have shown interest in Jeeps, Broncos as well as Scouts.
All this has aided in increasing the importance of the Scout brand as a whole. This is why the worth of Scout’s original vehicles has gone up as much as 43% in recent times.
Was VW Forced To Announce The Scout Brand?
Rumours have it that VW did not intend to announce the news regarding launching Scout as a separate brand for now.
However, the company was forced to do so after a VW employee, accidentally or intentionally, posted a teaser image but then deleted it soon afterwards.
What Is The Motivation Behind VW Scout?
This brings us to the question that why would VW be interested in coming up with a separate brand for these rugged SUVs and trucks.
Well, it has a lot to do with the highly active EV segment and new players such as Rivian that are not just ruling the EV SUV segment but also the stock market.
VW might be trying hard to make its mark on the market through a new brand that it wants to become synonymous with superior off-roading performance.
Besides this, experts believe that as a separate company Scout will have much more flexibility. This will enable the brand to try newer and more innovative EVs.
Even Dealers Were Caught Off-guard
Normally dealers get beforehand information when a new vehicle from a company is being launched.
However, this time VW has caught even the US dealer by surprise as they had no idea what the company was up to.
Will VW Scout Adopt The Direct-Sales Approach?
As no prior information has been provided to dealers, many experts are thinking that this time Scout might be trying to undertake a direct-sales approach like that adopted by Tesla.
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