2027 Scout Traveler and Terra.
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VW announced they would revive the good old Scout brand in May 2022. Although there were already rumors a few months earlier.
Today we finally get to see what these two all-new Scout models will look like. The SUV model will be called the Traveler. While the new pickup will be called Terra.
The first thing I noticed when I saw these photos was the lack of round headlights. VW seems to have something about reviving older designs without including their iconic circular headlights. Like they just did with the VW ID.Buzz. And, like the ID. Buzz, the Scout really should have round lights. Just like all Scout models used to have.
Otherwise, I think these look great. Especially the Traveler SUV. It has just the right amount of He-man/Macho cues, while still looking sophisticated. Much more so than the Ford Bronco.
According to VW/Scout, both models should start “between $50,000 to $60,000 including incentives”. Which could mean almost $60,000 to start, not $50,000.
There will be 2 powertrain versions available when the new models are available in 2027. One will be a regular EV with about 300 miles of range. The other is what VW/Scout calls EREV, with over 500 miles of range. It is basically a range extender Hybrid powertrain. No price has been announced for the EREV.
The cars we see above are still just “production-intent concept vehicles”. Not the full final production models.
Scout CEO explains the move to offer an EREV version by saying “Being a startup that moves quickly, we can pivot, the pivot that we made a number of months ago into offering range extender definitely was a smart play.”
First, Scout is owned by VW, and comparing it to a startup is weird and almost funny. Second, I just cannot see the advantage of offering a range extender 3 years from now. I think a range extender could appeal to many today, but in 3 years, EVs will have a much larger part of the market and something like that might be seen as old news. (EVs market share is already up by over 8% compared to last year.) And quite a complicated setup. I also wonder if it will be that much cheaper than the EV version, or even be more?
While it’s really too bad about the round headlights, the Traveler still looks great, and I actually can’t wait to see the final thing. Also, it’s always good to see an old American brand being revived and given a second chance.