A classic American brand from the 1960s and 70s that made tough, boxy off-road vehicles. It has been brought back to life to make modern, all-electric trucks and SUVs.
An old-school American company that mostly made farm tractors and heavy machinery, but also built the legendary Scout off-roader to compete with Jeep.
Car
Scout Traveller
A new, rugged electric SUV designed to look like a classic 1970s off-roader. It is built for tough trails but has modern electric technology inside.
Car
Scout Terra
A tough, vintage-styled electric pickup truck designed for off-roading and utility work. It has a cargo bed in the back and can run on pure electricity or use a small gas generator to extend its range.
A way of building trucks and SUVs where the outer shell of the vehicle sits on top of a heavy-duty steel frame, like a cabin on a flatbed trailer. This makes the vehicle much tougher and better at carrying heavy loads or climbing over rocks.
A device in the axle that locks the left and right wheels together so they turn at the exact same speed. This helps the vehicle get out of slippery situations like mud or snow because both wheels push together.
A button or lever that temporarily detaches a metal bar connecting the front wheels. This lets the wheels move up and down much further, helping the truck keep its tires on the ground when climbing over big rocks.
An electric car that also has a small gas engine on board. The gas engine never actually turns the wheels; it only acts as a generator to charge up the battery so you don't run out of power on long trips.
A long, couch-like front seat that goes all the way across the front of the truck, instead of having two separate seats with a plastic console in the middle. It allows three people (or a dog) to sit next to each other in the front.
The Traveler is a new, blocky SUV made by a brand called Scout. It is designed to run on electricity, though buyers can choose a version with a small gas engine that acts as a generator to keep the battery charged on long trips.
The Terra is a new electric pickup truck with a cargo bed in the back, made by the Scout brand. It is built for off-roading and hauling, and it can run purely on battery power or use a built-in gas generator to extend its range.
LIVE
Seems most of us had a grandparent or cool uncle that had a scout SUV.
If you haven't heard, the Volkswagen Group is reviving the brand.
We are bringing back the scout nameplate that was made famous by International Harvester
between 1961 and 1980.
There are a lot of fond memories about the original vehicles.
The group is trying to preserve the original vibe, but the two models, the Terra Pickup
and Traveller SUV, will be quite different since both will run with electrified powertrains,
either a full battery electric setup or an extended-range E-rev with a gas-powered generator
dubbed Harvester.
Scout Motors brought its two vehicles to the Northwest Automotive Press Association's
Mudfest 2026 event.
Had great expense, mind you.
Since you couldn't attend, I'm going to let you experience what we experienced.
The full walk around.
Maybe you have a deposit in, maybe you're just interested in the revival of the scout brand.
This demonstration should give you a lot of information on what to expect.
Along with communications manager extraordinaire Kathy Graham,
senior color material and finishes designers Peyton Sullivan and Robert Brandt Show
were on hand to give us the big picture.
These are prototype vehicles that won't be running the Mudfest course.
Scout vehicles won't be posers, but keep in mind, final specifications have not been set yet.
Scout Traveller SUV and Scout Terra Pickup Truck are body-on-frame vehicles.
They're true off-roaders.
They will offer everything you need if you're an off-road enthusiast, overlander,
work in a field, just need to get stuff done or if you're taking the kids around town.
Body-on-frame, true mechanical locking differentials, available front sway bar disconnect,
12 inches of ground clearance, really aggressive approach in departure angles,
and up to three feet of water forwarding.
Here's Peyton with the Traveller.
We have this in white cap, a matte white exterior finish,
and we're pairing that with a lot of high contrast black materials around the vehicle.
You'll see our 22-inch reactor wheel is featured in a two-tone gloss black level
to give it really a different dimensional read.
We have this on our 35-inch tires.
You'll also see our off-road bumpers featured in a heavy textured black,
really giving it that rugged feel.
We also have our cabana roof up top for that open-air experience for when you're off-roading.
Bring all the windows down, open the top, really enjoy.
We're featuring our harvester here.
There's the harvester logo and the plaid.
So plaid has been introduced throughout our vehicle, both interior and exterior.
We've been calling it Earth's plaid.
So this was inspired by when you're traveling across the country
and you're looking out of the plane when the fields and roads and everything intersects.
We affectionately call that Earth's plaid.
Something else that I really like is on our front mask,
we have this textured detail across.
You'll see that carried in the front mask, the rear mask, the spare tire carrier,
and then also on our handles as well.
So just really, really cohesive design throughout the vehicle.
Everything was very intentional.
On the interior, we're showcasing our brick red and denim interior.
So part of Scout's ethos is we like to explore contrast.
We also like to do a really fun play on warm and cool.
So you'll see that nice balance inside the interior.
We also like to explore expressive color.
So that brick red is nice and pungent but still welcoming.
We have all natural leather materials in the vehicle and then a denim fabric.
It's really important as Scout to use authentic materials that are hardworking.
We want you to use the vehicles.
We want you in and out, test them, push them hard.
So you need materials that will work with you as you're off-roading.
Another great feature that you'll see is our buttons, knobs, door handles.
Everything is functional.
We really want the customer to have a tactile experience.
Small details throughout, you'll see our perforation patterns.
Kind of another play on that earth's plaid.
We really want you to have like second and third reeds while you're in the vehicle.
So whether it's the perforation pattern or the piping, you know,
we want you to feel warm and welcome as you enter the vehicle.
And then another thing that I really love is the headliner.
That's another play on the earth's plaid.
So if you peek in there first glance, you might not notice it,
but once you get in the vehicle, there's those fun little details to explore.
The powertrain details that Scout is announcing.
Both the traveler and the Terra are available with two different powertrain options.
We've got an extended range electric vehicle,
which is similar to a hybrid in that it's got a battery and a gas-powered engine.
But in the E-Raves, the extended range electric vehicles,
those gas-powered engines only recharge the battery.
They don't drive the wheels of the vehicle.
So we've got up to 150 miles on pure electric, depending on your duty cycle.
And then the gas engine will kick in, regenerate the battery,
giving you a total range of more than 500 miles.
So if you are off-road or you're on a long road trip,
you've got that peace of mind with the gas engine
to get you more than 500 miles before you have to refill or recharge.
The all-battery electric vehicle has up to 350 miles of range
if you choose the pure battery electric powertrain.
We don't get to tell our story very often in color materials,
so it's a real special day when we get to that chance.
Here's Robert with the inside scoop on the Terra pickup.
How do we take an American icon and reinvent it?
Playing into our agricultural roots, you'd want it on a farm.
What better way to do it than start from the ground where the soil
and all the plants grow, you'd throw on big 37-inch tires.
So that will take you through any mud, roots, rocky roads, off-road.
It'll do whatever you want from the ground up.
The next thing we wanted to do on this version
is bring in a color that's really inspired by the farm.
I live in a fairly rural area in southeast Michigan,
and I see a lot of farms with silos.
Now, this green was inspired by reflections off of the silo,
but it wasn't a verbatim.
Take a picture of this with the reflection and copy it.
It was really intended to give us the essence of
how do you feel when you look at that?
You see these color tones deep-rooted in gold tones,
representing corn, surrounded by green as the overall tone,
which is the husk.
So holistically, we're thinking of agriculture
and how do we implement that into the vehicle.
The other thing that you see on any agricultural
is very rugged, durable, robust plastics.
So we've got a lot of hard textures that really represent rocks.
They're made to look like they're distressed,
like you've been driving it off-road.
When we go on the inside, what we wanted to do,
the brown tones are based on animal hides, also on cedar tones.
So you go into a barn.
We really wanted to keep this warm and cool tone
that's inspired by the farm.
Throughout, there's little hidden details,
like the plaid per pattern.
So going back to Peyton with the earth's plaid that we had,
putting it in the perforation patterns,
both on the seats and on the door.
The straps, along with the headliner,
are kind of reminiscent of burlap sacks,
thinking of what is the cattle feed come in,
and how does that look?
So we went and got some burlap sacks
and then tried to weave fabrics that are fitting.
The predominant feature on the interior is the hempwood.
Now, one thing, thinking of agricultural,
one of the biggest agricultural crops is hemp.
Per square acre, you get a lot more wood utilization
than doing trees.
So one, we're saving trees.
So instead of adorning it with walnut,
like a traditional vehicle,
we've got this new modern way of doing it,
where it's hemp stalks that are compressed
and turned into a board, which is incredibly dense.
So it's similar to like an oak walnut density,
really robust, really durable,
but it also adds this whole flare.
It looks like a pile of hay.
So everything harkens back at those little details
for the farm.
In here, we've got rubber floor mats, right?
Everything has to be durable.
It has to be fitting on a farm,
but if it's not fitting on a farm,
it didn't go in this vehicle.
More little bit more creature comforts on the inside,
top and rugged on the outside.
So my favorite feature on the vehicle
is the fact that you can get a bench seat
in either the Traveler SUV or Terra pickup truck.
You also have the option of traditional captain's chairs
with a console in the middle,
but I love the fact that you can have that bench seat
and you can have your dog,
your significant elder close to you.
And so that's a really fun feature
that ties back to the original international harvester.
It's interesting what Scout is finding out
when it comes to model and powertrain preferences.
Interest has been great in our vehicles
and we're really pleased with it.
To date, about 75% of our reservations
have been for the Traveler SUV.
We are taking reservations for a place in line
when we open up orders.
It's $100 that's fully refundable.
And out of the reservations that we've received so far,
for both the Traveler and the Terra,
almost 85% are for the EREV powertrain.
So there is a lot of interest in having that extended range
and that gas engine to give you peace of mind
if you're out off-roading for a number of days.
Scout motors will be headquartered in South Carolina
where the vehicles will be built in an all-new factory.
Pricing is expected to start at around $60,000.
Right now, there are well over 140,000 handraisers.
That's your 30,000 foot view of the Scout Terra and Traveler.
If you want to put a deposit down, it's only a hundred bucks
and it's refundable.
Go to scoutmotors.com.
Delivery should happen in 2028.
This video is quite different from the reviews
that I normally do.
Check those out.
They're photography forward.
I'm on all the major social media platforms.
And if you have a question, leave it in the comments.
I'm really good about getting back to people.
For Driven, I'm Tom Volk.
About this episode
Scout Motors is reviving an American icon with the all-new Traveler SUV and Terra pickup truck. Host Tom Volk gets an exclusive walkaround of these rugged, body-on-frame prototypes with designers Peyton Sullivan and Robert Brandt. They dive deep into the unique design details, from "Earth's plaid" patterns to sustainable hempwood trim. Crucially, they break down the powertrain options—including the highly anticipated "Harvester" extended-range EV setup—and share surprising reservation data showing a massive preference for the gas-generator option. It’s a fascinating look at how Volkswagen plans to blend heritage with modern electrification.
Have a deposit down on a Scout Motors Traveler or Terra? Maybe you're curious about what Volkswagen's revival of the brand will look like. For sure they're packed with heritage. Team Scout brought its prototype vehicles to Mudfest 2026 to show the members of the Northwest Automotive Press Association what to expect when the Traveler SUV and Terra pickup start arriving in 2028. Tom Voelk offers up loads of visuals that show what the vehicle should look like, inside and out.
