Volkswagen Group plans to revive the Scout off-road badge to capture a greater share of the giant U.S. light-truck market, one of the industry’s most loyal customer bases.
VW, one of the biggest global automakers, but with a relatively small U.S. sales footprint that has tilted toward an expanded light-truck lineup in recent years, plans to introduce a new Scout electric SUV and electric pickup, The Wall Street Journal reported late Tuesday.
VW’s management board is expected to meet and approve the plan on Wednesday, the paper said, citing people familiar with the meeting. Scout will operate as a separate unit of VW Group in the U.S. alongside the company’s other brands, the paper said.
VW is prepared to initially invest $1 billion in the Scout project, the Journal said, and would later seek other investors.
VW, which gained a following in the U.S. with the Microbus and Beetle, has struggled with how to enter the U.S. pickup market, long dominated by the Detroit 3. It also lacks a bonafide off-road SUV such as the Jeep Wrangler or Land Rover Defender.
