- Scout Motors reveals that former Stellantis designer Chris Benjamin will take up the top design role at the EV startup.
- Benjamin has worked for Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and BMW, in addition to Stellantis brands, during his nearly 25-year career in the industry.
- The Volkswagen-backed EV brand says the first production units of its planned models will debut in 2026.
Scout Motors is just getting started, with Volkswagen working to bring back the dormant brand as an electric SUV and pickup maker. The opportunity to start from a clean sheet while seeking to recapture the aesthetic of the past in a way that would appeal to wider modern audience is at once exhilarating but also daunting, with quite a bit riding on the success of its first models as the Volkswagen Group attempts to bottle up some of the Jeep magic.
Just who will get to lead the team tasked with sketching out the reborn brand's design language? The guy who led the interior development for the latest Jeep Grand Cherokee and the new Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer lineup.
Scout Motors revealed this week that Chris Benjamin will assume the role of Chief Design Officer. He will bring plenty of experience to the role, having worked for Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo, and Stellantis, after graduating from Detroit's College for Creative Studies. Benjamin's last posting saw him leading interior design at Stellantis in North America, having worked for Ram, Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler brands. He held that post at Fiat Chrysler, and then Stellantis, from 2015 to 2021.
"Chris' work is prolific. For nearly 25 years he's brought to life vehicles that stand out on the road," said Scout Motors CEO and President Scott Keogh, who played a key role in bringing back the brand. "His thumbprints are all over many of the most beloved off-road vehicles in the market today. I'm confident that Chris will build on that experience as he defines the next chapter of design for Scout and electric utility vehicles."
Bringing back a beloved SUV and truck duo in the age of electrification won't be an easy task, especially in the second half of the decade, by which time quite a few automakers will have fielded competitors in these segments. Scout will benefit from the VW Group's platforms and technical expertise, but much will depend on the company being able to capture an audience with unique exterior design and interior features—something Rivian has shown to be paramount.
"I've been fortunate in my career to shape many off-road focused products that appeal to a broad range of Americans," said Benjamin. "Classic Scout vehicles have always exerted a magnetic pull on me. They created the archetype for the modern SUV in the '60s and proved that a daily driver could also be a weekend adventurer."
As Scout's early teaser sketches have shown, the new EV maker will first aim to launch a four-door SUV and a four-door pickup with a longer wheelbase, embracing the chunky styling of the very last International Scout models that were on sale through the 1980 model year. In that sense, it will effectively try to replicate Rivian's debut lineup, before moving on to other likely segments.
But one major difference is that Scout will not seek to occupy the same price range as Rivian—the new brand is eyeing more affordable territory—true to its rugged roots.
Of course, Jeep won't be sitting still either by 2026 when it comes to electric and electrified models. Three years from now, Scout should have plenty of competition.
"My task now is to balance the iconic design language of the past with all of the innovative possibilities that electrification unlocks," Benjamin added. "With the base of inspiration that Scout offers, what we're dreaming up will be beyond special."
Will Scout's planned models overlap with too many competitors by 2026, or will the brand be able to offer something unique that current EV makers may not? Let us know what you think.
Jay Ramey grew up around very strange European cars, and instead of seeking out something reliable and comfortable for his own personal use he has been drawn to the more adventurous side of the dependability spectrum. Despite being followed around by French cars for the past decade, he has somehow been able to avoid Citroën ownership, judging them too commonplace, and is currently looking at cars from the former Czechoslovakia. Jay has been with Autoweek since 2013.
