Motorheads into American brands are locked in a three-way battle: Ford, General Motors, or Chrysler Corporation. Whether it’s muscle cars, old, lifted trucks, or even modern American cars, most enthusiasts fall into these camps. But there have always been outliers. And in the truck and SUV world, many are International Harvester fans. That’s right, this tractor brand built light-duty pickup trucks and “Scout” SUVs until the 1970s. Today, VW has bought the nameplate for a line of EVs and is hoping a touch of retro soul will be enough to win buyers.

I grew up with International Scout SUVs because my dad was a big fan of the brand. He had a KB-series pickup truck when he was young and always kept an old Scout SUV around the farm for off-roading and plowing. So when I heard VW was reviving the name for a line of EVs, I was cautiously optimistic. Then I heard the automaker had struck up a technology-sharing deal with EV startup Rivian. I worried the new Scout would just be a rebadged Rivian. VW has finally revealed the upcoming Scout line. And I have good news and bad news.

The bad news is the Scout Terra pickup truck and Traveler SUV look suspiciously like Rivian models. Rivian is a buzzy EV startup that had the first truck to market (the R1T) and now has a trendy, boxy SUV (the R1S). These are engineering-forward vehicles built in Illinois and targeted at outdoor enthusiasts. And they have unabashedly futuristic styling.

Both Scout models have some retro styling, especially around the grille and rear window. But overall, they are sleek, futuristic vehicles decked out in LEDs. For some reason, the industry seems to think this is how EVs must look (take, for example, the F-150 Lightning with its full-width LEDs). Scout had an opportunity to break the mold but decided not to.

Here’s the good news. Under the hood, both Scouts have a distinctly retro personality. They are big, boxy, body-on-frame vehicles. They have a solid rear axle and mechanical locking differentials. For a couple of EVs, their engineering is nearly as much a throwback as the Jeep Wrangler.

VW went with some other cool throwbacks. In the frunk, you’ll find a tire compressor with an analog gauge. The roof features an overhead console with an old-school compass and physical switches to activate the lockers. And of course the SUV has a full-size spare tire carrier on the rear bumper, in front of a two-piece tailgate. It even has a retractable soft-top roof panel. I love these touches. Scout obviously studied the success of the G Wagon, Jeep Wrangler, and Ford Bronco.

My two favorite things about the Scout lineup are: 1) It will be available with a gasoline-powered range extender, so you can fill it up at the pump when you can’t find a charger. 2) Volkswagen is targeting a $60k MSRP. This is a distinctly “retro” approach to electrification, and forms the soul of the Scout project. In a world of $100k EVs with no range extenders, this vehicle is sorely needed.

That said, Scout is doing little to differentiate its styling from its Rivian cousins. There is an opening for a square-body EV, painfully vacant now that Bollinger is pivoting away from passenger vehicles. And VW is obviously not seeking to fill that opening with its Scout.

Check out a review of the new Scout’s design in the video below: