- This project is dependent on the availability of a body-on-frame platform.
- Audi boss wants a true off-roader, ‘otherwise it doesn’t make sense.’
- The Volkswagen Group’s new Scout brand could provide the hardware.
It’s hard to believe it’s been 16 years since Volkswagen launched the Amarok, and there’s still no SUV equivalent. This body-on-frame truck is still sold in Latin America, but VW has no intention of making it a rival to the Mercedes G-Class. It also seems highly unlikely that the second-generation model will turn out to be a Land Rover Defender competitor, considering the newer Amarok is essentially a Ford Ranger in a new skin.
However, the VW Group does not reject the idea of an off-roader. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner told Australian magazine Car Sales the company is open to actual 4x4s, but only under certain conditions. Top executives at Ingolstadt explained that this had to make financial sense, and effectively ruled out the expensive costs of developing new architecture:
‘If we’re doing something like that… it makes sense to do it on an existing platform. No decision has been taken yet… but it certainly fits the framework we have in mind. You need an authentic platform in this segment, otherwise it doesn’t make sense.’
Photo by: Audi
Although largely forgotten, last year’s Q6 E-Tron Offroad showed Audi was interested in entering a segment it hadn’t tackled before. Although the portal-axle concept was based on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE), Döllner wanted a ladder frame setup if it was to take on the G-Class and Defender. BMW may also be getting in on the action, with a powerful SUV expected to launch towards the end of the decade.
It makes sense for Audi to dig deeper into the VW Group’s parts by using Scout Motors’ new body-on-frame architecture. The Terra pickup truck and Traveler SUV will enter production next year as electric vehicles, with a range-extending gasoline engine option. With Döllner explaining that Audi’s production model has yet to be greenlit, we wouldn’t expect to see one any time soon. Even if approved, it is unlikely to debut before around 2030.
Photo by: Audi
While purists might scoff at the idea of an off-road car, the company boss sees things differently: “The positive thing about the Audi brand is that almost every segment can be thought of.” With the Quattro playing such an important role in the company’s heritage, a high-riding model capable of tackling rough terrain doesn’t seem too out of place. If it does arrive someday, it will almost certainly cost more than the sub-$60,000 the Scouts charge for Travelers.
Meanwhile, Audi will expand its SUV lineup in a different direction. It’s finally following the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS with the three-row SUV we’ll see this year when the Q9 is officially launched. The next-generation Q7 is also scheduled for 2026, so there are other priorities for now.
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Source: Audi
Motorcycle Pickup1: The VW Group is in dire need of a decent off-road vehicle, and a revival of Scout Motors isn’t happening any time soon. A more luxurious option wearing an Audi badge to pick up where the first-generation Porsche Cayenne left off makes a lot of sense, considering how the rugged SUV niche has exploded in recent years.
However, the project appears to be still in its early stages and may not come to fruition at all. If the Scout’s rebirth proves successful, the VW Group could be pushed to improve the formula with a luxury offering from Audi.
