The Volkswagen-funded Scout brand is bringing back a truck and SUV marque that has been dead for over 40 years, and since 2022 we’ve all been curious what’s going to come of it. But now we have an answer: These are the first two Scout products, and they look absolutely incredible.
The SUV is called the Traveler and the truck is the Terra — names derived from SUV and pickup models (respectively) from the brand’s past. And like those models, these new machines will be body-on-frame, solid-axle off-roaders that try to keep things (relatively) simple. They’re not promising autonomy. They don’t shove every button into a touchscreen. The doors don’t require some weird electromechanical switch. These are two off-road machines that happened to be propelled by electric motors, and they’re starting at a reasonable $50,000 for the Traveler SUV and $51,500 for the Terra pickup. (This is after incentives; retail prices are around $60,000).
Let’s just get straight to the most exciting news: Range Extender. Yes, even though the Traveler and Terra will be offered as fully electric models with about 350 miles of range, there will be 500-mile-range EREV models available. This is huge news.
A Gasoline Range-Extender Called ‘Harvester’
Modern EV technology simply does not allow for a pickup truck or towing/off-road-focused SUV to be built with good range at a reasonable price. It is not possible.
Look at any modern EV pickup truck, and you’ll see that towing performance is poor unless you shove in a humongous, heavy, expensive battery. And any off-road-focused EV has a similar issue of high cost and high weight. What’s more, a fully electric vehicle has significantly limited market appeal when compared with a hybrid, as many EV skeptics remain concerned about infrastructure.
What’s more, huge-battery-equipped BEVs actually can be worse for the environment than range-extended EVs simply because the former often requires 1000 pounds of battery material to solve a range anxiety issue that the latter solves with just a small aluminum motor and generator. Even EV company Lucid’s CEO told me recently: “It Is Not Possible To Make An Affordable Pickup Truck Without An Internal Combustion Engine.”
So this is a moment to celebrate. Scout, like Ram with its Ramcharger, is listening, and they’re building a product that makes sense. An Extended Range EV (EREV) basically acts as an electric vehicle, but when the battery runs low, a small gasoline engine fires up and charges the battery to allow you to continue to drive. It is a truly brilliant powertrain solution and the right one for America in the near and even relatively distant future. From Scout:
From the start, Scout Motors was established as a company that listens to and is guided by consumers. As the shift to electric vehicles accelerates and the mass market more seriously considers electric vehicle adoption, some U.S. drivers have expressed concerns about the ability to recharge while on the road.
Scout Motors listened. The Scout Traveler SUV and Scout Terra truck will offer an optional extended range electric vehicle (EREV) energy system, called Harvester. A proprietary Scout EREV energy system will unlock freedom on the road while still delivering off-road capability.
With a small internal combustion engine added to the energy system, the gas-powered engine will recharge the vehicle’s high voltage battery, extending the range to more than an estimated 500 miles while maintaining the electric drive system’s instant response and off-road performance.
With the option to refuel anywhere you can find a pump or a plug, all while maintaining the packaging and performance benefits of an electric vehicle, the Harvester energy system will deliver the benefits customers want in a lifestyle that works for them.
Bravo Scout! Bravo! The benefits of this powertrain are huge, and I recommend you read this piece to learn more. Climate change is about cumulative emissions, and range-extended EVs allow for more people to drive electric as soon as possible.
Off-Road Hardware, Absurd Speed
Scout is billing its brand as a “Connection Machine,” with the focus being on connecting a community of people who love off-roaders, not on connecting Bluetooth devices to fancy infotainment systems that will do everything for you. It’s a back-to-basics approach, with plenty of capability as the main focus. Towing capacity is 10,000 pounds for the Terra and 7,000 for the Traveler, thanks to an estimated 1,000 lb-ft of torque, with each vehicle offering a 2,000-pound payload capacity. Zero to 60 mph will happen in as little as 3.5 seconds, which is just absurd, even if we’ve gotten used to such ridiculous times in EVs.
Let’s get to the off-road goodies: A solid rear axle. How is Scout pulling this off on an EV? I still don’t actually know, but I can’t wait to find out. Here’s a bit from Scout on the body-on-frame platform, the 35-inch tires, the three feet of water fording capability, and the mechanical locker for the electric motor powering each axle:
The Scout Traveler SUV and Scout Terra truck will be built on an all-new and proprietary body-on-frame platform with a solid rear axle that is designed to deliver credible capability and off-road performance. The platform is projected to deliver more than 10,000 pounds of towing on the Terra truck, over 7,000 pounds of towing on the Traveler SUV, and nearly 2,000 pounds of payload on both models. In addition, the platform is intended to offer up to 35-inch tires, over 1 foot of ground clearance, nearly 3 feet of water fording capability, a front sway bar disconnect, front and rear mechanical lockers, competitive approach and departure angles, and robust suspension options.
Scout vehicle capability will largely be controlled through a tactile experience. From mechanical door handles, to grab bars, to switches and dials, Scout vehicles will provide a real hands-on user experience.
800-Volt Electric Architecture, 350 kW Charging
The Scout Traveler and Terra will each be built using an 800-volt architecture, so they should charge up rather quickly. “Scout vehicles will use the North American Charging Standard (NACS), 800-volt (V) architecture,” the brand says, with “up to 350-kilowatt charging capability, and will be capable of bi-directional charging.” This means you can charge it, and you can use it to charge other things, like, say, your house after a power outage.
The Perfect Cargo Setup
The ultimate cargo setup in an SUV is simple: A front trunk (frunk) at the nose, and a rear tailgate with a swing-out tire carrier. Frunks are fun and useful, tailgates are fun and useful, and the best place for a spare tire is on the back of a vehicle.
Scout absolutely nailed this. From Scout:
The Scout Traveler SUV and Terra truck are designed as versatile multitools with durable
materials and flexible cargo areas throughout. Both vehicles will include a front trunk capable of fitting golf clubs, a gym bag, and a small cooler, as well as powering multiple devices with 120V and USB-C power outlets.[…]
The Scout Terra truck was designed from the outset with a right-sized 5.5-foot bed. The Scout Traveler SUV offers a rear spare tire carrier that intentionally integrates into the body structure and the graphic of the rear mask, carrying up to a full 35-inch spare with minimal impact to aerodynamics. The Scout Terra truck offers an underbody spare tire carrier for sizes up to 33 inches and an optional in-bed tire carrier for 35-inch all-terrain tires.
I’m curious to see where the range extender will be packaged.
Open-Tops, But Not Removable
The tops on the new Scout models aren’t removable like they are on old Scouts, but that doesn’t mean there’s no open-air fun to be had. Scout says there are “multiple available roof types” that will “offer an open–air experience, but with a refined, quality execution that doesn’t distract from the experience.” There’s a Cabana Top, which Scout says will be one of the largest roof openings of any SUV, plus there will be a huge glass roof with power sunshade.
A Direct-Sales Model
Scout plans to sell its Traveler and Terra directly to consumers.”As an independent American company and startup, Scout Motors is building everything from the ground up—its teams, its factory, its vehicles, and now its own customer experience that is powered by an exclusive Scout Motors retail network,” the brand states.
The company says it will sell and service Scouts directly. “From reservations and vehicle sales to delivery and service, Scout Motors supports the consumer directly. One company, one app, one login, one experience, the brand continues, promising full price transparency and purchase transactions that can be done in minutes. The brand is building workshops and other retail spaces for test drives, servicing, and other in-person interactions.
Scout Promises REPAIRABILITY
Here’s an exciting promise: Scout says its vehicles will be repairable. In a world where a light tap to the back of a Rivian can cost tens of thousands of dollars to fix, this is a huge deal. From Scout:
Scout vehicles are designed for competitive cost of ownership through robust repairability and flexible serviceability. From engineering and manufacturing to the Scout Motors national collision partner network, Scout vehicles will be ready for the real world. Approximately 80 percent of repair types can be completed outside of a Scout Workshop, whether in a driveway or while adventuring.
I’m looking forward to learning more details about this soon. Does this mean there won’t be large aluminum castings?
The Interior
We only have one photo of the Scouts’ interior, which I assume will be mostly common between the two models. The photo looks beautiful. There are nice two-tone seats, two screens, a row of buttons for HVAC and radio controls, and — wait, is this the ultimate in shifters? Is that a column shifter? Holy crap that’s a column shifter!:
Here’s Scout’s description of its interior:
The interiors of the Scout Traveler SUV and Scout Terra truck follow the same design philosophy: simple and bold, tactile, and fit for purpose, while keeping the customer and how they will use the vehicle at the forefront of the design process.
The instrument panel is defined by a bold upper brow and deep undercut, reminiscent of the original Scout II, with a lower bar that defines the horizontality of the interior layout and frames the screens in between. The center display is complimented by a bank of toggle switches and knobs for easy use of the climate controls.
The Traveler SUV maximizes storage on the inside with a multifunctional console, while the Terra truck solidifies the Connection Machine™ with the available front row bench seat. Customers can choose what is right for them; the multifunctional console and bench seat will be available to order in both the Traveler and Terra models.
The vehicle interiors feature clean, modern lines; durable, sustainable materials; and real knobs and tactile controls combined with Scout Community UX™, a digital user interface that is flexible, configurable, and easy-to-use by both drivers and passengers.
Scout Community UX™
The interiors of the Scout Traveler SUV and Scout Terra truck follow the same design philosophy: simple and bold, tactile, and fit for purpose, while keeping the customer and how they will use the vehicle at the forefront of the design process.
The instrument panel is defined by a bold upper brow and deep undercut, reminiscent of the original Scout II, with a lower bar that defines the horizontality of the interior layout and frames the screens in between. The center display is complimented by a bank of toggle switches and knobs for easy use of the climate controls.
The Traveler SUV maximizes storage on the inside with a multifunctional console, while the Terra truck solidifies the Connection Machine™ with the available front row bench seat. Customers can choose what is right for them; the multifunctional console and bench seat will be available to order in both the Traveler and Terra models.
The vehicle interiors feature clean, modern lines; durable, sustainable materials; and real knobs and tactile controls combined with Scout Community UX™, a digital user interface that is flexible, configurable, and easy-to-use by both drivers and passengers.Scout Community UX™
The Scout UX is developed to bring people together while in the vehicle. With a combination of thoughtfully developed hardware and knobs, complemented by an easy-to-use digital interface, Scout Community UX is designed to be a versatile multitool and helpful companion.Scout Community UX intentionally does not bury features in menus or screens but rather provides a combination of tactile buttons and knobs with a right-sized, highly responsive digital interface. Together, they ensure intuitive, low-effort interaction and a cohesive user experience.
Scout Community UX intentionally does not bury features in menus or screens but rather provides a combination of tactile buttons and knobs with a right-sized, highly responsive digital interface. Together, they ensure intuitive, low-effort interaction and a cohesive user experience.
I bolded the last bit because I love it. Simplicity. Buttons. Ease of use!
UPDATE: There’s a bench seat option!
David really lost his shit over this one and actually fainted for a moment, falling heavily to the ground while standing amongst the other journalists. He actually said this in Slack:
“It’s like they built this for me
You Can Pre-Order Now
There’s a lot more to the Scout that I haven’t mentioned. The brand says it will offer a bunch of accessories like lights, steps, power things that you can charge with the vehicle, bumpers, winches, etc. etc. And even though Scout preaches a philosophy of simplicity, there will be over-the-air capability, lots of cameras, and plenty of stuff accessed through touchscreens. But not the annoying stuff.
Production is targeted for 2027, and you can put in a reservation as soon as 6:30 ET on Thursday (so, basically right now) by going to the official Scout Motors website and paying $100, which is refundable.
It Looks Like The Perfect Car
This EREV powertrain, the rear-mounted spare, the tailgate, the column shifter, and the gorgeous design all make this Scout Traveler the most exciting product that I have personally covered in my entire career. It’s not just an off-roader, it’s an environmentally-conscious off-roader that’s semi-reasonably priced, easy-to-use, palatable to the masses no matter what their EV infrastructure, and it looks damn cool.
Sure, it and the Terra we see here are just “production-intent concept vehicles,” so who knows what will change as engineers in Michigan prep these things for assembly in South Carolina, but I hope the answer is: Not much. Because as they are, these Scouts — and especially the Traveler — look like perfection. Especially for this decade in auto history.
Images: Scout
Yup, these are pretty much perfect.
I’m in the market for a truck now, so I’m on ICE for one more round, then a range extended Scout in 2028 sounds good to me
Tracy has rekindled my vehement repressed hatred of tailgate spares, so I am more interested in the pickup. Too bad that the memo about buttons instead of haptics did not make the rounds at the rest of the Volkswagen group…I assure you it cost VW the sale of at least one Golf R.
The repairability will be a winner (I hope). Back in 2004, I was quite interested in buying a Volvo, but bought a Volkswagen instead due to availability of software (VAGCOM) versus a $7,000 annual subscription to Volvo software. In more recent times, I have been really looking into E63 wagons and Sprinters, but again could not find owner software to do repairs. It seemed like only Ford, Volkswagen, Porsche, and BMW had readily available software to repair current generation vehicles. I am stoked to see a manufacturer actually embrace this ability. This alone might get me into a Scout (without the rear spare)
Love a lot about this. Haaaate that it won’t be available until 2028. Sadly, I’m out as a result. I can’t wait that long. 145k on my rig now
Body on frame to me says that they can bring back the AMC Eagle SX/4. That’s something I’d be excited about.
As a proud owner of an SX/4, they’re unibody, but still.
Yeah, it someone could make an electric SX/4, Kamback, or Wagon, I’d be thrilled.
I think the Rivian R3X is as close as you’ll get.
I just placed my deposit. This thing fucks.
Not a fan of VW and these kinds of vehicles aren’t my thing, but holy Athena are these fantastic! I actually like the Traveler better as I think the roof is a little too flat on the Terra and the Traveler looks more like the originals, which I always liked the looks of. Range extender is smart. Love that you can get a bench and it’s about time someone realized the potential of EV packaging in that regard. Even the price seems damn reasonable to me, WTH. Now, someone build a sports car with this philosophy and clean design. Or a wagon. Or a large coupe.
We’re going to see almost-wagons as having a few inches of battery at the bottom makes them taller than the usual ones, but they are also the most aerodynamic shape for a practical (read, can throw junk inside) vehicle. Crossed fingers that the medium-sized Lucid will mostly hit that spot.
Sportscars have the weight problem with batteries but I’m quite hopeful as well.
These are basically perfect and I have a hard time believing they aren’t over promising.
Same. The cynic in me says that something will change between now and ‘28, and probably for the worse.
> something will change between now and ‘28
Starting with the price tag.
My favorite part was when the artsy fartsy designer guy explained how they were copying bright blue and red cars by making gray and metallic burnt orange cars. Pretty much the same thing, right?
I also liked how he said it was a real, tough truck bed at exactly the same moment that they panned over the LED ricer lights in the bed that would immediately get busted out if you put gravel in the bed.
Is this dipshit comment real, or
100% real comment. What do you mean by “dipshit comment”?
the venn diagram of people that actually throw gravel in their pickup trucks and people who might buy any new truck today are two circles that might graze each other at this point. Absolutely not a real metric, making your complaint absolutely stupid
Of course nobody is going to haul gravel in this thing, we both know that. And so it is not likely to matter, we both know that.
What I was complaining about, and this is actually quite clear if you read my original comment in its entirety, was Scout Motors’ designer’s claim that it was a real tough truck bed suitable for real work like hauling gravel. It isn’t, and that’s okay, but it’s fun to make fun of him claiming otherwise.
I am just being goofy and poking fun at them(which I made clear in another comment previous to your rudeness here), and you took me far too seriously and were unnecessarily rude. Do you remember when the Autopian comments section was almost unfailingly polite, and was likely the single most wholesome community on the entire internet? I do. People didn’t used to say things like “dipshit comment” or “your complaint absolutely stupid”, and we were all better for it.
No I can’t afford one, no I’m not mad about that, no I’m not seriously complaining about some little LED lights.
Yeah, but (regarding your 3rd paragraph) it’s you, and not many like you here unlike the old site which has descended into a poopstorm of chaos, that try your edgelord stuff here to harsh on whatever it is at the time you wish to harsh. Specifically you, RB. I remember when people simply didn’t attempt to be an edgelord, or when edgelords got shouted down and/or kicked off of sites, too. Since that doesn’t happen, I’ll be here to call out your crap each and every time you do it.
I throw gravel in my bed regularly. Logs, mulch, rocks, tools and on and on. You are a hater, Almost an edgelord yourself.
Sure, bub. Best wishes.
I get mine delivered by the guy with a dump bed dually
When I had a load of pea gravel delivered, it wasn’t with a Maverick, F150, or anything like that: dude had a small dump truck to deliver it
Edgelord lol. Sure man, you can keep “calling out my crap”, and you can keep getting 1/3 as many likes on your comment as I do. Because, despite what you think, you are the one getting shouted down by the community. Not me.
if you think I’m being shouted down by anyone, that’s just more on ya, bub
You try the same edgy shit, and look what happened here: you made a stupid edgy post, got jumped on, and then said “I was kidding, no I can’t afford one, I’m just joshin'” and now you’re doing the full do-si-do by claiming victory
your shit will always get called out
My truck and most these days have in bed lighting I’m sure it’s not indestructible but it seems a strange thing to get hung up on
I was referring to the LED strip which runs all the way down to the bed floor. Every other bed lighting I’ve seen keeps them tucked up high under the bed rails, away from where gravel would sit in the bed. Looks like Scout has those too and the curving LED strip is just an accent light.
Not hung up on it, and it is unlikely to be a big deal since 0 Scout Terra owners will haul loose gravel with it, just wanted to make fun of their unfortunate juxtaposition.
That’s the third owner’s problem.
RB does this because he’s mad he can’t afford a new truck, and he perseverates on something silly to show whatever point he’s trying to make
I don’t think that’s fair, it’s a legitimate concern. Personally I think it’s something that can with proper design can work. Good lightning in a truck bed is nice.
This is true. And it looks like a cool design. Let’s pretend it holds up to regular use, as it won’t get a ton of gravel, locomotive engines, or some sort of acid simply dumped in there to ruin it, I’m sure.
Great googly-moogly the Traveler looks fantastic! LOVE the interior. The d-pillar is a bit too Lexus GX IMHO, but love it otherwise.
Buttons and knobs and a bench, oh my!
It really is just about perfect looking inside and out. Buttons upon switches upon knobs!
This is cool, really cool, if your not into these types of vehicles that’s fine but as an off-road enthusiast this is hard to be beat on paper at least. If they pull this is off particularly at the price point, the Wrangler bronco and 4runner, have something to really worry about, along with all midsize trucks
It’s about time an EV was designed around how people actually want to use a vehicle, and not what some software engineers and “UX stylists” think. Bravo.
Please make RHD. Please make RHD. Please make RHD!
To fit with the ‘back to the old ways’ body-on-frame physical-switches aesthetic, the conversion will consist of a giant chain behind the bulkhead connecting to the still-in-place LHD column, a maze of linkages to the original pedalbox, and wipers just left in the original LHD sweep 😉
“The Volkswagen-funded Scout brand is bringing back a truck and SUV marque that has been dead for over 40 years …”
Not to be pedantic but Scout was never a brand or a marque, it was a model.
These are cool, so far. I bet they’ll be expensive.
Dear god they’re going to sell assloads of these things.
There is no way this thing will have enough batteries to get 350mi of range with those aerodynamics at only $60k. If we assume it has a battery just under 100kWh like current mainstream 2-row CUV EVs, I’d predict a maximum of 250mi on the EPA cycle; entry level class packs (~65kWh) would struggle to reach even 200mi.
Fortunately, it solves this problem with the range extender, which *must* be available at launch if they don’t want it to flop.
The only way it succeeds with an EV only initial launch is if they manage to get very cheap solid/semi-solid batteries which allow for a much larger battery capacity, which I admit is a possibility given Chinese automakers have started putting them in production cars, but am skeptical that it will trickle down to VAG in time for 2027.
The $60K model won’t get that range. Or have those wheels/tires. Or that roof. Or those seats. Or have the range extender. That model will be $100K.
Yeah, unfortunately, I think you’re on the money.
Battery tech is advancing rapidly. By 2028, it could be possible to meet those numbers. But with today’s tech, you’re right.
External door handles are nice IF they are mechanical.
Front Bench seat option is nice.
Range Extender option is nice
Mechanical locking differentials are better than the brake vectoring crap a lot of 4X4s come with now instead, but I’ll bet they’ll still be electrically actuated locking diffs.
NACS is nice.
I don’t have much faith in the column shifter, it doesn’t look like it has tactile positions, so it probably works like the Prius shifter.
I don’t get them going with a solid rear axle AND air suspension. If they went with the air suspension with all independent suspension they could increase the ground clearance on demand all around, instead the rear axle will have the same ground clearance no matter what the air suspension is set to.
The frunk looks very small, like golf bag on it’s side small, yet you got a hood that’s very long, also I don’t see an external frunk latch, so it most likely is either electric or it opens up like a regular hood, which kinda defeats the purpose of a frunk.
I don’t know what all the final roof options will look like but the electric sliding soft top seems meh. It’s basically a heavy duty curtain, why does it need electric actuation?
The front tiedowns are inboard and fairly close to the windshield for my liking, but I hope it works out for them.
I never heard anything about air suspension on the front or rear wheels. In their renderings of the chassis, however, there were visible coil springs on the rear suspension, the front springs were not visible.
I hope you don’t think adjustable height air suspension is somehow mutually exclusive with a solid axle suspension.
I did.
I don’t think height adjustable air suspension is mutually exclusive with solid axles, rather I know that with sold axles the axle clearance doesn’t change, so you’re still bashing just as much shit with the axles as you would without air suspension.
With independent suspension all around you leave a clear path down the middle for you to go over things like rocks and such that with solid axles you’d otherwise hit with said solid axles.
I’ve spent most of my life around 2nd Gen Range Rovers with air suspension, a Disco with air suspension, and an LR3 with air suspension. The LR3 is the best of the bunch by far with it’s independent suspension all around.
Gotcha, you just meant adjustable height ground clearance. Solid axles don’t have adjustable ground clearance, they’re just good all the time. 😉
Independent suspension certainly has its advantages, particularly for clearance, but almost every vehicle which has four wheel independent suspension has extremely horrible flex, which is a big problem. Watch some videos of Humvees rock crawling vs solid axle Jeeps rock crawling and it becomes obvious why a really good all around offroader will always have at least one solid axle.
For dedicated off roaders I agree that solid axles are the way to go. That being said for street legal vehicles that IF used off road are mostly soft-roaders height adjustable independent air suspension is the way to go IMHO.
For the Scouts I think if they really wanted to have a solid axle they should have made it plural, same goes for independent suspension, but one of each is the worst of both worlds. I’ve been saying for a bit that Ford should make a new LR3 with the Bronco by making a rear drive variant of the independent suspension Dana 44, putting in the back of a Bronco, and giving it height adjustable air suspension.
Personally I’ve seen stock Pinzgauers do plenty of crazy off roading and they are independent suspension all around, it’s just a matter of design.
Also another thing I noticed with Solid Axle vehicles is that they have excessive drag in deep snow, as your axles gotta push away all the snow in front of them in order to get through it, however with the independent suspension all around vehicles it’s less of an issue because the diffs are tucked up all nice into the body most of the time, only the suspension arms gotta push snow.
I also vacillate back and forth between thinking an independent front/solid rear is the worst of both worlds and the best of both worlds. For serious offroad use it is definitely a terrible way to go(toyota guys are wrong when they say otherwise) but for typical use involving only occasional offroading it has some serious advantages.
They probably really didn’t want to do a solid front axle, because the considerable unsprung weight of an integrated motor/axle is considerably more of an issue on the front.
Ford already has an independent 8.8 rear end, I have also thought that an IRS Bronco would be awesome. I was rather disappointed that the Bronco R didn’t have dune bashing long travel independent suspension all around.
By the way, any chance you could help me find where they talked about air suspension? I’m still having issues finding it.
Right? My GX460 has solid rear axle and air suspension.
edit: oops, sorry…should have kept reading
Air suspension could be for leveling the body when near payload capacity.
The solid rear axle helps with those big payload and tow ratings, the wheels stay perfectly aligned. IRS will splay like a dog in heat when you put load on it.
Independent suspension can definitely be designed to have zero camber curve(camber change with suspension travel), and there are definitely high GAWR independent suspensions(Hummer EV, HMMVW). But a heavy duty independent rear is definitely a lot more expensive and complex than a solid axle.
I’m guessing the EREV was a late breaking change of plans. Good for them
Dodge wants it’s fascia and taillamp styling back.
Rivian wants it’s truck’s sheetmetal back.
The world needs more bench seats.
Buttons and big grabby door handles are Good Things.
Nothing says “Steal My Spare” than an external spare tire carrier.
Not to mention the spare tire carrier swings exactly the wrong direction for loading from the curb when parallel parked.
“The Perfect Car” is not an SUV, nor is it a Truck.
“The world needs more bench seats.”
The reason there aren’t more is because all front seat passengers have to receive airbag protection, and it’s been very rare that an OEM has bothered to engineer one that would cover the middle passenger. I remember Cadillac at one time touted their “Airbank” bag many years ago for their six-passenger DeVille models. For all I know, that’s the only example of a center passenger airbag that existed.
I think it was Ford in the 90s that bragged about center seat protection for airbags. Taurus maybe?
Rear (head restraints) and side impact safety have furthered cemented it, I’d say. Especially now that some vehicles are coming with a center-mount side impact airbag between the front seats.
If they put the hinges for the spare tire carrier on the left side, you’d say that they were on exactly the wrong direction for walking from the driver’s door around to the back. There’s a reason that every single spare carrier is hinged on the passenger side. Every Jeep, Bronco, Blazer, ect.
Has anybody here ever heard of spare tire theft? Maybe only if you live in the hood? One tire does not have a high resale value, stealing it would not be very profitable.
When I sold Troopers and Rodeos many more years ago than I’d like to admit – They opened from the curbside for the every reason I explained.
Just because everyone else does it wrong….
Bench seats are good for, among other things, putting baby seats in the middle – where you can’t have a functional airbag. So you won’t forget there’s a baby in the back seat.
And because the front center seat is seldom used – it’s easy to install storage beneath a flip up seat or within a flip-down backrest/armrest.
Um, didn’t they open the other way because Isuzu is a Japanese company, and (at the time) they designed their vehicles for the Japanese market first, and everywhere else second? Thus for the Japanese (and Australian, and South African, and British, and …) market their spares opened towards the curb just like everyone else?
I’m not getting into the argument about which way is better, just pointing out that Isuzu may not have been the intellectual geniuses you think they are.
Isuzu sold a lot more Troopers in the US than Bighorns in Japan.
And I’d be willing to bet a more Troopers were sold in all RHD markets combined than in the US, plus their home market (where all of the design, engineering, & manufacturing staff are) is RHD. It may not have been the overall majority, but a 40% (guesstimated) stake is still going to have a lot of sway, especially when you are a part of that 40%.
Heck, for all we know, Isuzu didn’t care which side the spare went on, so they just flipped a coin to decide. The point I’m getting at is that you’re asserting your own perceptions as fact, without anything to back it up with, and there are other very simple answers to why they may have done it the way they did.
Well, that was part of the dealer training I received when I sold Isuzus- So whether it was that or not….
I’ve owned three vehicles with under body spares, a whittled stick would steal them easy. On the back at least you could use a locking lug nut and make it a challenge
My f150 with an underbody spare doesn’t have a winch. You can remove that spare tire with absolutely 0 tools if you so desire.
Nobody has stolen it though, because a 30 year old single tire on a steel wheel has a market value of approximately $11.95.
That’s more than a methhead gets for some lousy copper wiring.
I had a spare tire stolen from under my Explorer back in the day, and I didn’t realize it until I got a flat. OTOH, I owned two Wranglers and neither suffered spare tire theft, so.
Not to mention, in that other guys scenario where you’re parallel parked, unless you’re lucky and there’s nobody parked behind you, you probably wouldn’t have room to swing it open anyway without hitting the car behind you (Maybe if it’s a really short car behind you?)
You called it in your last article with the possibility of a hybrid. I have to admit that really got me excited, but had to temper enthusiasm.
Now that a serial hybrid is confirmed, though – STOKED.
Reserved!
If they can deliver on these promises this is a truly exciting vehicle, and I say that as someone who doesn’t care about large SUVs or off-roaders! I honestly think that if they get it right these will be bronco killers.
Only if they can get it to market on time and keep the recalls down to two or three a year.
Ok, those ARE cool. Wish there was a SWB 2-door version, though, like the Bronco.
If they offered a 2 door of either one, that would be the tits.
2 Door 3 seater would be pretty damn slick.
I’d probably be reserving this tomorrow if the corporate parent was literally anyone other than VAG.
Given that, it’s probably better to wait and see how much is shared with regular VW models before wasting even $100.
The range extender will be VW-based, so 150 miles may not be the additional range but the engine’s expected lifespan. And the 80% of repairs that can be done outside of a mechanic’s shop will be because things that don’t fail or fall off other vehicles will do one or both and require repair, replacement or reattaching on the fly.
Not sure what this implies. I’ve backed away from VAG products in the past several years because they have turned into Toyota-wannbes (not in a good way), but as someone who long-term owns products from four other major OEMs in addition to a couple VAG products, I’m not seeing the issue. The only one that has caused me serious grief is a GM product.
My experience tells me I’d sooner trust a 10 year old domestic than a brand new VW but I admit that it’s personal bias. Obviously others have had different experiences.
V10omous interested in an electric vehicle? They definitely got something right. Granted the range extender probably helps.
It’s obviously the only reason I’m interested.
I’m not opposed to EVs, I’m opposed to mandates and short ranges.
Just kidding, I get it I’m in the same boat for the most part. You’re a regular poster and I can’t recall you liking an EV in the past, if they won you over even partially, then this might be on the right track
I guess I don’t consider this an EV.
I know the actual operation is different behind the scenes but in practice this is a PHEV.
Depends on how big their range extender generator is. A BMW i3 that can only go 56mph on gas power you definitely would not call a plug in hybrid. This may or may not have enough generator power to do normal driving on gas power.
This, in addition to others, is a big question. Can the range extender run the vehicle at full power and have a tank capable of going 300 miles without charging
My guess is no. If they’re saying it adds only 150 miles of range I think it must be a very small engine that still relies on the battery/electric motors to move the truck.
I’m curious how that will be dealt with. Do you tell the truck you’re planning on towing/doing long distance and it turns on the engine when necessary on the trip?
Thats a good point on the gas only range.
Volkswagen/Scout: Can I copy your homework?
Rivian: Sure, just change it a little bit though, don’t make it too obvious
A gas engine onboard seems like more than a “little change”
Obviously they just copied Rivian. That’s why it has completely different suspension, a totally different type of frame, likely completely different motors to work with that different suspension, and, oh right, a gas engine. Pretty much exactly the same thing.
These ‘X is just Y’ comments always come from people who can’t handle a screwdriver without gouging one of their eyes out, or put gasoline in a diesel car despite the big “diesel only!” yellow sticker inside the fuel door.
Remind me of ‘the Alfa Giulia is just a Chrysler’ morons 🙂
Obviously I was speaking to their exterior design being incredibly similar and not talking about suspension/powertrain which easily objectively identifiable as distinct.
But bravo, give yourself a pat on the back to rebutting the heck out of an argument that nobody was making 🙂
congratulations to david tracy on finding a replacement for his i3 rex