We believe that the Volkswagen Group missed a lucrative opportunity by deciding not to bring the first generation Amarok to the United States. The German auto conglomerate will be selling rugged trucks in North America, but you’ll have to wait until 2026. Newly founded Scout Motors, a company wholly owned by VW, has revived a long-defunct moniker. The website is now live, and includes a teaser image adjacent to it.
Scout Motors is planning an electric SUV and pickup, both of which were teased earlier in early design sketches showing retro-styled side profiles. The new official preview gives a look at the shadows on the front end of the box, hinting at a chunky style for the adventurous duo. The VW Group previously said a prototype would launch in 2023 with styling cues inspired by the iconic 1960s off-roader.
From what we can see so far, the prototype sports beefy off-road tires and has plenty of ground clearance. The roof rails and square side mirrors are also visible, but that’s about it so far. The pickup truck and SUV will share a special platform developed specifically for EVs and will have nothing in common with VW’s current zero-emissions product. In other words, there will be no connection to MEB-based products.
Announced in May 2022, Scout Motors is run by CEO Scott Keogh and will build EVs in the United States, with a target of selling 250,000 units annually. The websites we mentioned earlier include a forum as well as a dedicated section for job listings. Interestingly, the company’s social media presence is included Facebook, Instagramand LinkedInbut not Twitter. VW’s parent company has stopped advertising Twitter after Elon Musk bought the network.
As a refresher, the VW Group owns the rights to the “Scout” name through its subsidiary Traton which puts Navistar, Scania and Man under the same corporate umbrella. Navistar was founded in 1986 as a direct successor to the old company International Harvester, which owned the trademark “Scout” at the time. VW’s truck unit Traton bought US commercial vehicle maker Navistar several years ago for $3.7 billion.
