Volkswagen Scout utes target Australia after US launch

Volkswagen’s new Scout off-road brand is eyeing Australia as a future market for its electric and hybrid utes and SUVs, with potential flow-on implications for New Zealand given similar market preferences and right-hand drive requirements.

Scott Keogh, global boss of Scout, says Australia is “on the list” for the brand’s Terra ute and Traveler SUV models, which are due to launch in the United States in 2027 with both battery electric and range-extender hybrid powertrains.

“Certainly, Australia’s on the list. Obviously, we’re not naive. We see the market in Australia. We see you like these sorts of pick-up truck, get-outdoors, can-do kind of vehicles,” Keogh told media on the sidelines of the Munich motor show.

However, he says Scout must first establish itself in North America before considering export markets.

“We want to nail America and Canada. Those will be our first markets. And then after that, we will look to other markets,” Keogh says.

The Scout vehicles revive a brand last marketed by International Harvester from 1961 to 1980, with Volkswagen acquiring the rights in 2020 as part of its purchase of truck maker Navistar.

Strong early demand signals market appetite

Both the Terra ute and Traveler SUV will offer customers a choice between pure electric power with a claimed 563km range, or a range-extender hybrid system providing 240km in electric mode and 805km total range with the petrol engine charging the battery.

Keogh says the brand has collected between 130,000 and 140,000 refundable pre-orders, with customers “leaning heavily” towards the range-extender option.

The vehicles are being developed on an all-new platform not shared with other Volkswagen Group brands and will be manufactured at a purpose-built factory in South Carolina capable of producing 200,000 vehicles annually.

Electric versions claim 0–60mph acceleration in 3.5 seconds, while towing capacities range from 3175kg for the SUV to 4535kg for the ute. Both models feature genuine off-road capability with solid rear axles, mechanical front and rear locking differentials, and front sway bar disconnect systems enabling 45-degree gradient climbs.

Right-hand drive capability built in

Crucially for potential Australian and New Zealand markets, Keogh confirms the groundwork has been laid in the vehicle design for right-hand drive conversion once Scout is ready to expand globally.

“We’ve spoken to Australian executives. They’ve told us about the opportunity. We know the market. We’re not naive to global markets,” he says.

The South Carolina manufacturing location also provides logistical advantages for potential exports, with Keogh noting the “megaport there in Charleston” means “no issue on the logistics side of the equation to get this thing moving.”

Volkswagen Australia has previously expressed strong interest in the Scout vehicles. In 2022, former Volkswagen Australia commercial vehicles boss Ryan Davies said the company would be “incredibly interested” in bringing the vehicles to local showrooms.

“If [Scout] determine that they want to build a right-hand-drive variant, I guarantee you I’ll be on a plane straight over there to spruik the case for Australia, because that’s a pretty exciting product,” Davies said.

While Keogh would not commit to specific timing for global expansion, he says Scout’s measure of success in North America will be “a fully utilised factory, a loved product and a loved brand.”

Manufacturing is scheduled to begin in late 2027, with Keogh suggesting any expansion discussions will only occur once production is underway.