Jeep Wranglers, Ford Broncos and Toyota Land Cruisers remain the top off-roaders, but there’s a new player in town with a name that hasn’t been seen on American roads since 1980: Scout Motors.
At a live-streamed event in Nashville, Tennessee, Thursday evening, Scout debuted two new concept vehicles: the Terra, an electric pickup truck, and the Traveller, an electric SUV. Both wear styling reminiscent of the International Harvester Scout, a rough-and-tumble off-road truck from the 1960s and ’70s.
But despite the throwback Americana looks, these new Scouts have German parentage.
Scout CEO Scott Keogh told ABC Audio that Volkswagen acquired the rights to the Scout name when its heavy-duty truck division bought Navistar, a descendant of the International Harvester company.
Keogh said he sees off-road focused trucks as a way to grow VW’s market share in the United States, by combining a recognizable name with a growing market for electric vehicles.
“So – iconic brand, obviously people love it, and it makes sense to bring it back,” Keogh said. “I think the second reason, of course, is the timing. In effect, you have a big transition in the marketplace into electrification.”