Scout

Volkswagen describes Scout as a startup backed by a major automaker and with the heritage of a famous brand. Although it’s part of Volkswagen, it will have its own network of retailers where test drives and some repairs will take place. The name and design are a tribute to the International Harvester Scout, which was sold from 1960 through 1980 and was one of the first SUVs sold in the U.S. The Volkswagen Group got the rights to use the Scout name when it purchased Navistar, the successor to International Harvester, which now only manufactures commercial vehicles. The Scout Terra pickup truck and Scout Traveler SUV are prototypes of the first models to wear the Scout badge in 44 years, and they aim to mix new technology with what we think are the best kinds of old-school sensibilities. They are targeting production for 2027. The Terra and Traveler will be built in Scout’s new factory outside Columbia, S.C.