Audi Is Developing A Defender Competitor From The Scout In The U.S. | Carscoops

      The German electric SUV will be manufactured at a factory owned by the new sister brand Scout Motors.

      9 hours ago

      by Chris Chilton

      Audi is introducing its first US-built vehicles to alleviate the impact of tariffs.

      The new range-extended SUV will utilize a Scout platform constructed in South Carolina.

      This Defender-sized SUV is specifically tailored for the American market.

      Audi is intensifying its efforts in the North American market by finally doing what its BMW and Mercedes competitors have been doing for years: manufacturing vehicles within the US.

      The VW-owned luxury brand has already fallen behind in US sales, and its dependence on imports from Europe and Mexico has made it particularly vulnerable to tariffs. To address this issue, it plans to launch a new luxury SUV targeting the Land Rover Defender, produced domestically.

      Developed by Scout

      The forthcoming SUV will be a range-extended hybrid designed with the US market in mind, built locally. However, according to the German website Automobilewoche, this doesn’t indicate that Audi is about to establish a new factory in the US.

      Instead, the SUV will be produced at the Blythewood, South Carolina facility currently under construction by VW-owned Scout Motors, which aims to start producing Scout trucks and SUVs by late 2027.

      Scout, a utility brand created by International Harvester in the late 1950s that had been inactive since 1980, was revived by VW in 2022. It plans to launch two vehicles: the Scout Traveler SUV and the Scout Terra truck.

      The new Scout models feature ladder-frame chassis, marking a first for Audi, and include four-wheel drive systems with genuine locking differentials. Although Scout offers both fully electric and range-extended powertrains, CEO Scott Keogh recently informed Bloomberg that over 80 percent of reservations are for the range-extender variant.

      While the fully electric versions can achieve around 350 miles (563 km) on their 120 kWh batteries, the range-extenders provide approximately 500 miles (800 km) of total range, with only 150 miles (240 km) sourced from their smaller battery.

      What Could it Look Like?

      Although Audi has not yet shared any images of its rugged new SUV and we have yet to spot it in spy photos, the automaker has hinted strongly that a model is forthcoming.

      Earlier in 2025, Audi introduced the Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept, which showcased portal axles and a significantly increased ride height to emphasize its commitment to producing a more off-road-oriented vehicle.

      While Audi based that concept on the Q6 platform, the actual SUV, likely arriving in 2028, is expected to be much larger and almost certainly boxier, as envisioned in these illustrations from @theottle.