VW Readies Scout, but Will It Be as Pricey as Rivian?

• VW shares new teaser image of 2026 Scout SUV EV, which it plans to produce alongside a four-door electric pickup.

• The automaker has launched a website for Scout enthusiasts ahead of the first appearance of the SUV in concept form in 2023.

• Scout EVs will be produced stateside, with VW now working on setting up the new automaker.

Volkswagen has revealed the first teaser image of its upcoming battery-electric Scout SUV, which it has spun off into a separate brand for electric 4x4s. It offers the latest (though still largely obscured) glimpse at the vehicles it has in the works, including an SUV and a pickup.

The version VW is previewing with this teaser is the SUV, which you can tell by the length of the interior in the image, stretching all the way to the D-pillar. It's a good bet the Scout SUV will have three rows as an option, even though in an earlier teaser the SUV had a wheelbase far shorter than that of the pickup. (Still, if a Tesla Model Y can offer three rows, at least on paper, a Bronco-sized SUV can surely manage a similar feat).

Simultaneously, Scout has launched an official site and forum for fans, even though the brand's first model won't arrive on sale for another three years or so. Scout is set to launch in 2026 if all goes according to plan, but we'll see the first concept in the metal in 2023.

And that plan is for Scout to play the part of Rivian or Jeep in Volkswagen's lineup, offering an authentic and electric 4x4 experience that's quite different from what the current VW dealership has in stock, while tapping into International Harvester history.

"The Scout enthusiast community has preserved Scout heritage. Since 1980, these owners and fans have kept Scout alive," said Scott Keogh, CEO of Scout Motors.

Keogh, the former president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, played a pivotal role in launching the brand after having come across a classic Scout 4x4. The rights to the company were bought by VW in 2021.

Scout EVs will be built stateside instead of Germany, as there's still the Chicken Tax to address when it comes to the four-door pickup.

The Scout brand should offer VW an opportunity to obtain a slice of the 4x4 EV segment that should be quite more populated by 2026 than it already is. Rivian staked a claim to this outdoor enthusiast base early but clearly occupies a higher price point while still sitting below the GMC Hummer, positioned pricewise in the stratosphere.

Scout is expected to be positioned far more accessibly, competing with future electric Jeep models and future Rivian offerings as well. And it will arrive at a time when access to EV chargers in state and national parks should be a bit better than it is today.

"We're excited to be a part of the community and want to foster interaction and exchange as we reimagine this American icon," Keogh added. "We started this forum to nurture an open dialogue with our community members, to hear what they expect in all-new Scout vehicles, and to build a central location where past, present, and future Scout enthusiasts can come together as one."

Will Scout be able to get a slice of the electric 4x4 market when it arrives in 2026, or will Jeep and Rivian dominate that category by then? Let us know in the comments below.