VW’s bakkie business is transitioning. The global vehicle giant has shown more commitment to electrifying its product portfolio than most German automotive brands.
Despite being late to the market, VW’s Amarok double-cab has become a highly regarded product. Often classified as the most authentic representation of a leisure double-cab bakkie.
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The second-generation Amarok is a joint-venture project with Ford, using a Ranger platform. Changing R&D demands and challenging budget conditions have forced VW to partner with Ford, in its bakkie and van business.
Reviving an iconic 4×4 name
A segment of huge potential for all vehicle manufacturers, is the battery bakkie market.
Buyers are willing to pay a premium for battery-powered double-cabs, evidenced by the robust demand for Rivian’s RT1. Ford has followed with an electrified version of its F-150, which is incidentally the world’s best-selling vehicle.
And VW? The business managers in Wolfsburg aren’t going to allow all these high-margin battery bakkies to happen without a VW option.
Although powertrain and specification details have not been confirmed, VW has announced that it will be assembling a new range of full-size battery bakkies, within four years. Marketed under the Scout nameplate, these bakkies will be larger than an Amarok, with significant off-road ability.
The Scout name will be familiar to old-school off-roaders. International marketed a hardcore two-door Jeep rival called the Scout during the 1960s and 1970s.
How big will the power unit be?
The latest battery pack currently used by VW, is a 95kWh unit, with 93.4kWh of discharging capacity. That is quite a bit smaller than Rivian’s 135kWh pack in the RT1, or Ford’s 131kWh battery, used by the F-150 Lightning.
A clue to the Scout double-cab’s off-road focussed design is clear in VW’s first sketch of its new vehicle range. Note the tapered bumper, which creates a huge departure angle, measured from the rear tyre surface to the Scout double-cab’s bumper snag-point. That should give VW’s battery bakkie excellent terrain conquering ability, on very rocky trails.
When is the Scout double-cab due? VW’s says the delivery timeline to market is scheduled for 2026. As with most new double-cab bakkie platforms, there will be an SUV version of the Scout too, with the weatherproof load capacity afforded by a tailgate.
