Scout unveils the Traveler SUV and the Terra pickup for the North American market

Scout, the new American brand belonging to the Volkswagen Group, has just presented what will be the first two models in its range. The first is an SUV of generous dimensions with a very American design, under the name Traveler; while the second follows the same design line but is a pickup, which will be called Terra.

Although it was initially thought that both models would be exclusively electric, the manufacturer surprised attendees at the presentation event by announcing that, in addition to the electric versions, other variants will also be sold that will incorporate a combustion engine acting as a range extender.

Both models will begin rolling off the assembly line at Scout’s new plant in South Carolina in 2027. The company already began pre-production testing in mid-February of this year, and it expects the plant to produce up to 200,000 vehicles per year once full capacity is reached.

As for their exterior appearance, the Terra and the Traveler stand out for their angular design and the integration of a front grille that evokes the brand’s heritage. Some other details, however, such as the LED lights integrated into the rear of the Terra’s cargo area, give it a touch of modernity.

What else do we know about these new Scout models?

For the time being, the company has not revealed the technical specifications of either model, but it has announced its intentions, such as the goal of giving them a torque of around 1,355 Nm and the capability to reach 60 miles per hour from a standstill in just 3.5 seconds. On the other hand, regarding range, the fully electric versions promise to travel up to 563 km on a single charge under the EPA homologation cycle; they will also support ultra-fast charging at an NACS DC charging point at 350 kW, thanks to the 800V architecture they feature.

During the presentation, Scout wanted to highlight the features it considers most attractive in these vehicles and that it believes will win over its target audience, such as their robustness and durability. The Terra can tow up to 4.5 tonnes and the Traveler 3.1, with a payload of 907 kilograms on both models. Both feature 35-inch tyres, a ground clearance of more than 30 cm, and can wade through water up to 90 cm deep. The Terra’s cargo area measures 1.67 metres.

The use of range extenders is very common in the Chinese market, but it is a novelty in the North American one

Finally, it should be noted that the Harvester system, the range extender we referred to at the beginning of this article, is the company’s response to the concerns of owners of this type of vehicle. Thanks to this system, range is extended by more than 804 km, which is of particular interest not only to those who want to cover long distances, but also to those who regularly tow a trailer.

The base prices of the fully electric models are expected to fall below 60,000 dollars, so, applying the federal government incentives of the United States, assuming they remain in place by then, the price of the Traveler could be reduced to around 50,000 dollars, and that of the Terra pickup to about 52,000 dollars.