Image: RONNY HARTMANN (AFP)
The two vehicles will be developed in Graz for 450 million euros by the end of 2026, the “Kleine Zeitung” wrote on Thursday. Magna confirmed the major order in response to APA’s request.
30 years ago, VW had the VW Golf Country developed at Steyr-Puch and produced in small numbers. The two Scout models are larger vehicles: an SUV and a pickup truck. Both cars will have a range of around 650 kilometers (400 miles), the report said. The Scout brand is well-known in the USA because there was already a crossover under this name from the manufacturer International Harvester, which was built between 1961 and 1980 and achieved cult status. In 2020, VW bought the rights to Scout together with the commercial vehicle manufacturer Navistar.
Now the name is intended to bring VW a breakthrough on the US market, where the German car manufacturer still only has a small market share. The five percent should be doubled with the two Scout models. From 2027 onwards, around 150,000 units will be built per year, although not in Graz, but in Columbia in South Carolina. According to reports, Magna would also have liked to take over construction in the USA, but did not get the chance. Scout Motors will be headquartered in Tyson, Virginia.
Magna in Graz will now develop the two vehicles through prototype testing until they are ready for series production. This is the largest development order for the Styrian company to date.
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