Scout Brand of 4x4 - Relaunch

Scout Brand of 4x4 - Relaunch

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Discussion

unsprung

Original Poster:

5,818 posts

131 months

Friday 25th October
quotequote all

It's not the Humber scout car. Nor does it appear on the roster of Skoda variants.

Scout was a pioneering US brand of SUVs during the post-War years. More than 500,000 units were sold by the original manufacturer, International Harvester. It paved the way for larger OEMs to introduce vehicles like Ford Bronco and Chevrolet Blazer.

Details that might interest the hive mind at PH:

a) Two vehicles, a pickup and SUV.

b) Fully electric with 350 miles range and... available petrol range extender to 500 miles.

c) Customer love: Cabin intentionally designed with physical buttons and knobs.

d) More customer love: direct-to-consumer sales model; no dealer network.

e) Financially backed by VW but a separate company with US management and production.

Today the company is devoted to the US market, but fingers crossed for interesting developments elsewhere.

"The pair retains their forebears' bluff-edged styling, with a long bonnet and a well-defined shoulder line"
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/intern...

"This is how you revive an iconic brand"
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/24/24277692/scout...

Compare yesterday and today. See the original designs from International Harvester, here:

Scout
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Scout

Travelall
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Travel...


Bobupndown

2,149 posts

50 months

Friday 25th October
quotequote all
Damn, I thought they were bringing back Octavia Scout 4x4s there!

sosidge

693 posts

222 months

Friday 25th October
quotequote all
They've nailed it with the styling. Doubt they will be coming to the UK though. No comment on the EV aspect.

Sporky

7,314 posts

71 months

Friday 25th October
quotequote all
Bobupndown said:
Damn, I thought they were bringing back Octavia Scout 4x4s there!
An AWD PHEV Octavia Scout would go straight to the top of my 'next car' list.

unsprung

Original Poster:

5,818 posts

131 months

Friday 25th October
quotequote all

While these two are designed as daily drivers, the product team have worked to build true off-road capability. For example: front and rear mechanical lockers, solid rear axle.

The BEV architecture offers bi-directional charging. Power your camp site or top up your mate's vehicle in the middle of nowhere. Or feed electricity into a home or other building during a power cut. Over-the-air updates keep it current. No pun intended.

They've opted for body-on-frame construction.

Which leads us to towing. The SUV can tow more than 3100 kg, the pickup, for those with appropriate licence, more than 4500 kg.

Bill

54,288 posts

262 months

Friday 25th October
quotequote all
Looks good, much like a Bronco.

unsprung said:
For example: front and rear mechanical lockers, solid rear axle.
It's an EV. Why does it need this?? Solid axle is a traditionalist thing so I can see that even it's isn't actually better. But lockers suggests a single motor and gearboxes etc.

Mikebentley

6,719 posts

147 months

Friday 25th October
quotequote all
Looks brilliant but we won’t be seeing it in the uk.

Glenn63

3,121 posts

91 months

Friday 25th October
quotequote all
unsprung said:
While these two are designed as daily drivers, the product team have worked to build true off-road capability. For example: front and rear mechanical lockers, solid rear axle.

The BEV architecture offers bi-directional charging. Power your camp site or top up your mate's vehicle in the middle of nowhere. Or feed electricity into a home or other building during a power cut. Over-the-air updates keep it current. No pun intended.

They've opted for body-on-frame construction.

Which leads us to towing. The SUV can tow more than 3100 kg, the pickup, for those with appropriate licence, more than 4500 kg.
I’d like to see the range when towing 4500kg… Look cool though.
I think I’d rather take the MXT from International though cool


FNG

4,382 posts

231 months

Saturday 26th October
quotequote all
I like it, but it’s 2.3m wide.

It’s not going to fit on European roads!

Be as commonplace here as F450s and Rivians.

Snow and Rocks

2,446 posts

34 months

Saturday 26th October
quotequote all
Bill said:
It's an EV. Why does it need this?? Solid axle is a traditionalist thing so I can see that even it's isn't actually better. But lockers suggests a single motor and gearboxes etc.
I reckon dual motors with a locker to lock up each axle differential is more likely than a single motor with a centre differential and propshafts etc.

Sounds like it could potentially be very capable, hopefully they have some well calibrated software to mimic a physical fixed connection between the front and rear axles - although a proactive locked set up will always be better from a traction perspective than a reactive system.

hidetheelephants

27,848 posts

200 months

Saturday 26th October
quotequote all
FNG said:
I like it, but it’s 2.3m wide.

It’s not going to fit on European roads!

Be as commonplace here as F450s and Rivians.
WTF? Why is it seven and a half feet wide?

Snow and Rocks

2,446 posts

34 months

Saturday 26th October
quotequote all
Sporky said:
An AWD PHEV Octavia Scout would go straight to the top of my 'next car' list.
Try a Rav4 (or Suzuki Across) PHEV - I had similar requirements and it was by far the best option. Fast with 300+ bhp, 230bhp and 50 mile range as a pure EV, does an easy 50+ mpg once the battery runs out, loads of space and plenty of ground clearance for rural duties.

Feels far more robust and durable than anything VAG have made for decades with proper physical controls for almost everything too.

Gompo

4,517 posts

265 months

Saturday 26th October
quotequote all
hidetheelephants said:
FNG said:
I like it, but it’s 2.3m wide.

It’s not going to fit on European roads!

Be as commonplace here as F450s and Rivians.
WTF? Why is it seven and a half feet wide?
I believe it is essentially a Rivian. No excuse for the Rivian to be that wide either as such, but then it needs to compete in that market.

dxg

8,792 posts

267 months

Saturday 26th October
quotequote all
Came here to say that.

The hard points looks suspiciously similar and it's body on frame.

Although the repairability should be better as at least they've gone back to keeping the bed separate from the cab.

unsprung

Original Poster:

5,818 posts

131 months

Saturday 26th October
quotequote all

Gompo said:
I believe it is essentially a Rivian.
That's not true.

"Both the Traveler SUV and Terra pickup models are based on a bespoke body-on-frame chassis..."
https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a62707763/scout-...

"...Traveler and Terra riding on an 'all-new and proprietary' body-on-frame platform."
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a62699830/2028-s...



unsprung

Original Poster:

5,818 posts

131 months

Saturday 26th October
quotequote all

hidetheelephants said:
FNG said:
I like it, but it’s 2.3m wide.

It’s not going to fit on European roads!

Be as commonplace here as F450s and Rivians.
WTF? Why is it seven and a half feet wide?
Ford Ranger is the best-selling pickup in the UK, shifting more than 18,000 units last year.

Parkers says that the width of Ranger, including door mirrors, is 2208 mm.

Scout Motors says that the width, with mirrors, of Traveler (SUV) and Terra (pickup) is 2314 mm.

That's a difference of 11 cm or about 4 inches.

Are you certain this is a case of size matters?


hidetheelephants

27,848 posts

200 months

Saturday 26th October
quotequote all
rofl You're defending it by comparing it to another vehicle that's too fat-arsed for UK roads?