TEXT & IMAGES: Scout Motors
e’re all drawn to the outside of a vehicle because first impressions count. But what’s inside is just as important. Because once you’re settled into your seat and the door closes, your vehicle becomes a cocoon.
It’s a refuge from the outside world, an insulated environment that, at minimum, should keep you comfortable, alert, and safe. But we believe it can be more: it can be a space that inspires, delights, and connects us.
For the interior specialists on the Scout Motors design team, it was an unusual challenge to design the insides of the Scout® Traveler™ SUV and Scout® Terra™ truck concepts.
The first Scout vehicles had bold and simple cabins—a fact not lost on Dwayne Jackson, Scout Motors’ VP, Interior Design. “It’s very organized in the Scout II,” he notes. “It was very ‘horizontal’ in its elements, creating light and shadows within the topology of the interior.”
"Everyone thinks differently than they did back in the 70s and the 80s when the Scout II was around..."
It’s tricky to build on that design heritage because times have changed. “Everyone thinks differently than they did back in the 70s and the 80s when the Scout II was around,” says Jackson.
In the 21st century, designers must wrangle with multiple constraints, and not just the obvious ones of popular taste, safety regulations, and material costs. Today’s vehicles, especially electric ones, have a dizzying array of functions—and therefore require more controls.
"I found inspiration by taking some of the cleanliness of the original truck, and making sure that it still feels mechanical in this new world."
This was an issue that Zachary Whitaker, Chief Interior Designer, had to tackle. “I found inspiration by taking some of the cleanliness of the original car, and making sure that it still feels mechanical in this new world. With screens and everything becoming digital, it’s important to have that ‘tactile’ feel still.”
The buck stops with Chief Design Officer Chris Benjamin, who knows the forces that must be balanced. “Being a startup but having heritage is a unique position to be in,” he notes. “We respect the fact that we come from a very rich history. We want to create a vehicle that is a modern statement and will look fresh on the road—five years, ten years from now.”
The Traveler SUV and Terra truck will offer an engaging, inviting space for owners—whether at work or play. Watch Forging The Future: Episode 2 to see how the team worked through this unique challenge.
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