Volkswagen’s Scout Motors is set to retain the distinctive look of its rugged EV concepts when they enter production in 2027, according to the company’s design chief.
“The production cars will look very close to the models we showed at CES,” Chris Benjamin, head of design at Scout, said, referring to the Traveler SUV and Terra Truck unveiled last year. “I know what the differences are. I think they’ll be pretty imperceptible to most people.”
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The upcoming electric vehicles, built on a body-on-frame platform, will incorporate modern LED lighting while preserving the boxy, utilitarian styling reminiscent of classic Scout models from the 1960s and 1970s. A range-extending gasoline engine will also be available as an option.
Balancing Heritage and Modern Design
Benjamin, who joined Scout in 2023 after working on interior designs at Stellantis, emphasized the importance of drawing inspiration from the brand’s heritage without replicating past designs. “There’s something exciting about having a heritage and a history to pull from,” he said. “We certainly didn’t want to [make] exact retro copies of the old thing, but it did give us a very clear runway of things to be inspired by.”
The design of the Traveler SUV, for example, incorporates proportions similar to the Scout II, with a short front overhang and a distinctive upward kick in the window line toward the rear. Meanwhile, the Terra Truck features a subtle styling element on the bed inspired by the original Scout 80.
Interior Design Focuses on Functionality
Scout has also prioritized user-friendly interiors, featuring physical buttons alongside digital screens. “People don’t want to get lost in their screen menus,” Benjamin noted. “They also don’t want to swipe something for their temperature control. Nobody wants to do that.”
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He argued that the automotive industry had overemphasized touchscreen controls in recent years, likening it to early reactions to touchscreen smartphones. “Before Apple invented the iPhone, no one wanted a phone without buttons. Then everyone thought, ‘man, this is amazing, let’s put it on everything.’ The automotive industry over-indexed,” he said.
A Different Approach from Cybertruck
With the Terra Truck set to compete against Tesla’s Cybertruck, Benjamin offered a pointed comparison. “We wanted to create something that is neighborly and approachable,” he said. “They clearly did the opposite.”
The Scout Traveler SUV and Terra Truck are expected to launch in 2027 as Volkswagen looks to establish itself in the growing market for electric off-road vehicles.
Source: Top Gear