VW to revive Scout as electric SUV, pickup in U.S.

Volkswagen Group is reviving the long dormant Scout off-road nameplate to capture a greater share of the giant U.S. light-truck market, where brands and nameplates such as Ram, Ford, Tacoma, GMC and Silverado have cultivated some of the industry's most loyal customers.

VW, one of the biggest global automakers, but with a relatively small U.S. sales footprint that has tilted toward an expanded light-truck lineup in recent years, plans to introduce a Scout electric SUV and electric pickup, the automaker confirmed Wednesday.

VW's management board approved the program on Wednesday. Scout will operate as a separate unit of VW Group in the U.S. alongside the company's other brands, VW said.

VW is prepared to initially invest $1 billion in the Scout project and would later seek other investors, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday,

VW, which gained a following in the U.S. with the Microbus and Beetle, has struggled with how to enter the lucrative U.S. pickup market, long dominated by the Detroit 3. It also lacks a bonafide off-road SUV such as the Jeep Wrangler or Land Rover Defender.

VW Group purchased the Scout brand name when its Traton truck unit acquired Navistar International Corp in 2021. Navistar was created in 1985 when International Harvester, which owned the Scout brand, folded.

International Harvester, known for tractors and heavy-duty trucks, began building the Scout in Nov. 1960, some five years before the Ford Bronco.

One of the industry’s first SUVs, along with the Jeep CJ, the boxy Scout became one of International Harvester’s most popular consumer vehicles of all time.

International Harvester discontinued the Scout line of trucks in 1980 — a decade before Ford introduced another light truck that would bring more momentum to the SUV market — the Explorer.

Light trucks, notably SUVs, pickups and crossovers, are booming and among the U.S. auto industry's most profitable vehicles. General Motors has revived Hummer as an EV brand and Ford Motor Corp. resurrected the Bronco badge to much early success. And a fierce battle is emerging as EV startups such as Rivian target the electric SUV and pickup market.

There is opportunity in resurrecting revered nameplates. Ford Motor said last week customers new to the company account for as much as 70 percent of U.S. sales of its latest nameplates — the Maverick compact pickup, Bronco SUV, Bronco Sport crossover and Mustang Mach-E electric crossover, all with familiar names.

VW is targeting sales of up to 250,000 Scout-branded models annually in the U.S., the Journal reported, with output slated to begin in 2026.