Scout has finally revealed its electric SUVs and pickups, the Traveler and Terra, and many people are saying they look like Rivian trucks seen through a retro filter or a cross between a Rivian and a Ford Bronco. While there’s some truth to that, at least visually, they’re also quite different trucks in terms of size, scope, and philosophy.

When the Pathfinder arrives on the market in 2027, it will face direct competition from the Rivian R1S. It should be noted that the Traveler shown at the official unveiling is only the production-bound model (officially designated as a concept by the manufacturer), which is approximately 85 percent complete.

Some things may still change in the three years before going into production. The R1S, on the other hand, has been around for a few years and recently underwent a major redesign to model year 2025.

Size

While the Traveler And R1S may appear very similar at first glance, they actually have quite different proportions. The Scout is the longer of the two overall, with an overall length of 207.9 inches compared to the Rivian’s 200.8 inches, but it rides on a slightly shorter 120.4-inch wheelbase. This means that even though the R1S is shorter, it has more space between its axles, which should give it a roomier interior.

The Traveler is considerably wider than the R1S, measuring 91.6 inches without mirrors. The R1S is almost 10 inches narrower with its mirrors folded, measuring 82 inches wide. To put that into context, the Traveler is even wider than the GMC Hummer EV SUV or Ford Bronco Raptor, which measure 86.5 inches and 86.9 inches wide, respectively.

THE Scout is less than Rivien (76.3 inches versus 77.3 inches), and its ground clearance is also lower (12.1 inches versus 14.9 inches). This is probably the standard steel spring suspension setup. The automaker hasn’t said anything about how much its ride height will vary with the available adjustable air suspension.

Power

You can get the Rivian R1S with between 533 and 665 horsepower in the two-motor configurations, 850 hp in the three-motor version, and the upcoming four-motor variant will have 1,025 hp. The least powerful model can hit 60 mph from a standstill in 4.5 seconds, which drops to 3.4 to 3.5 seconds in the 665-horsepower Dual Motor Performance model. The tri-motor R1S drops below the 3-second mark and the quad-motor will complete the sprint in around 2.5 seconds.

Scout didn’t mention specific horsepower for the Traveler, but all versions will come with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup. The automaker says we should expect torque levels up to nearly 1,000 pound-feet, and the fastest version will be able to accelerate to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.

Range

The heavily revised Rivian R1S includes new batteries with usable capacities between 92.5 and 141.5 kilowatt hours. They offer an EPA range of between 270 and 410 miles, making the R1S one of the longest-range SUVs available today. Because it has a 400-volt electrical architecture, it can only charge at 220 kW, but that’s still pretty fast, and Rivian says you should expect 10 to 80 percent charging to happen between 30 and 40 minutes, depending on battery size.

Thanks to its 800-volt body-on-frame platform (specially developed for the next two Scout models), the Traveler will have a higher maximum charging power of 350 kW. 350 is also the maximum number of miles the traveler will be able to travel on a single charge. Scout hasn’t made any claims about 10-80% charge time, but it should be around 20-25 minutes thanks to its higher charging power.

Scout buyers will be able to specify an optional range extender (a combustion engine which will act as a generator to replenish autonomy on the move), which will bring this figure to 500 miles. THE Ramcharger 1500 the extended-range pickup will be powered by a similar system, but it will have a smaller battery than that the fully electric Ram 1500while the Scout EREV battery will be the same size.

Scout has confirmed that the Traveler will be equipped with a NACS charger, so it will be natively compatible with the Tesla Supercharger network. If you want to charge a Rivian R1S on a Tesla charger, you will need a CCS to NACS adapter to make this happen. Both vehicles support two-way charging.

Towing

Scout says the Traveler will have a maximum payload of nearly 2,000 pounds, although it didn’t provide a final figure, comparable to the R1S’s 1,764-pound capacity. When it comes to towing, the Rivian has the advantage with a rating of 7,700 pounds, which is 700 pounds more than the Scout.

Features

The Rivian R1S is a three-row SUV, so it can carry more passengers than the strictly two-row Scout Traveler. It also has a built-in air compressor which is very handy for inflating the tires after letting out some air to improve off-road traction. Rivians are also known for being very good to drive on tarmac, and with their standard air suspension in its lowest and stiffest setting, they take corners at higher speeds than one might expect .

The Scout Traveler appears to be a more off-road focused vehicle. It will feature sway bar disconnects (like a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco), which allow for better wheel articulation off-road and will help prevent the car from flipping onto two wheels when going over a crest at an angle. The Scout will also feature front and rear mechanical differential locks, like the true off-road SUV it aims to be.

Another cool feature of Scout, which is also a retro touch, is the seat in the front. It was once a staple of older American trucks, but it’s not something you often see in today’s models. Having three people up front will provide a very unique experience, and given its extra width compared to rivals, shoulder room shouldn’t be an issue.

We are very happy that Scout does not require users to use the touch screen to access various functions. Most will have dedicated physical switches arranged in a row below the central display. It will also feature an optional Cabana Top, a retractable canvas roof which, when opened, will give unlimited headroom to both rows of seats.

Price

Scout will adopt a direct sales model similar to Tesla. This means that you will not be able to order a Scout vehicle from a regular Volkswagen dealership. The company wants to directly control the shopping experience and will also provide maintenance and repairs at its own dedicated service centers.

As Tesla And Lucid (and now Scout), Rivian also uses a direct sales model that bypasses the traditional dealer network model and sells vehicles directly to customers.

You’ll be able to buy a Scout Traveler, with the current federal tax credit included, for around $50,000, which is in the same range as gas-powered rivals like the Wrangler or Bronco. Although the price is slightly higher than the $40,000 Scout initially mentioned, this makes these vehicles very affordable for their size.

The range-extender powertrain will add a few thousand dollars to the price, but it’s unlikely to make the Traveler a $60,000 vehicle.

Rivian wants $77,000 for a base R1S, which is eligible for the federal tax credit of $3,750. If the value of the vehicle exceeds $80,000, which will be the case if you want one of the more powerful and longer-range versions, you will not be able to claim the tax credit. The current top-of-the-line variant, the R1S TriMax, starts at $105,900, and the future top-of-the-line quad-motor will likely cost upwards of $120,000.