New Rugged Audi SUV Preview.

Ever since we’ve officially heard of the new Scout brand, there has been a rumor of an all-new Audi model using the new Scout platform. The new Scout factory in the US will be flexible and able to produce new products for other brands from the VW group. And that might actually be the key to its survival.

Recently, Scout production has been pushed back. Again. To 2028 for the SUV. But the pickup has apparently been pushed back to 2030! That all sounds pretty bad and I am actually wondering if these 2 will actually be produced. Honda did cancel all their new EVs for North America. And some of these were months away from production. Not 2 or even 4 years away, like the Scouts.

The Scout platform is a body-on-frame platform. Something no other brand in the VW group has. It, of course, makes sense to share development costs with another brand or two. The Scout will be an EV but will also be offered as a PHEV with an ICE engine used as a generator. Also, something a brand like Audi could use. And that is what could basically save the factory and years of R&D on the new platform and powertrains. Even it the Scout models never see production.

Pricing is rumored to start at under $60,000. But that was alsmot 2 years ago. So who really knows how much these things will be. EV prices have been dropping in the US and a $60,000 starting price is pretty high. However cars like the Jeep Rekon are also in that range. Then you’re going against the Germans and Volvo. Tha’t where the Audi would have much better chance to compete.

An Audi version would also be at least 3 years away. I guess the lure of big profit items like expensive luxury off-road vehicles, which most people will use to pick up their kids from school, is a powerful one indeed.

The illustrations above shows what a new off-road body-on-frame Audi SUV could look like. One that tries very hard not to look like the Scout.