- Scout Motors has confirmed it will reveal its first new-generation vehicles on October 24, exactly 44 years after the last International Scout II was built.
- The now-VW-owned American brand will debut concept versions of an electric SUV and pickup ahead of production versions being built in South Carolina.
- VW acquired the rights to the Scout name in 2020 when it bought Navistar, the company International Harvester morphed into in 1986.
We knew they were coming, and now we know when. On October 24 this year Scout Motors will reveal a pair of concepts designed to give us a taste of what to expect when the production EVs start rolling off the South Carolina line in 2026.
The confirmation came in the form of a simple teaser video released on social media showing a roof-mounted compass. The stylized Scout name appears below the revolving compass, and below that, text reading “revealing 10.24.2024.”
Related: U.S. Dealers Concerned About VW’s Scout Direct Sales Model
That date has added significance for fans of the original International Scout, a tough off-road rival to vehicles like the Ford Bronco and a precursor to modern SUVs. The last Scout II was built on October 24, 1980 due to International’s financial problems.
The Illinois-headquartered company was reorganized and renamed Navistar in 1986, and VW acquired the rights to the Scout name in 2020 when Navistar was taken over by the German firm’s commercial vehicle arm, Traton Group, which also owns MAN and Scania.
The new Scout Motors company hasn’t released much in the way of technical details about its upcoming products, but it has previously shown a pair of sketches that give us a look at the profile views of an SUV with a big ride height and very small overhangs, and a pickup truck riding on a longer wheelbase.
Clearly designed to steal sales from Rivian as well as Ford, Chevy and Jeep, the pair will be built at a new $2 billion plant in Blythewood, South Carolina, capable of producing up to 200,000 vehicles every year.
If the idea of VW resurrecting the Scout name to take on Rivian seems an odd one, it became even weirder earlier this year when the German company agreed to invest $5 billion in the US automaker. But VW says it remains committed to the Scout brand even after making a deal with Rivian, and it seems very likely that Scout models could benefit from Rivian tech down the line.