Stellantis designer Chris Benjamin joins VW's Scout brand

Veteran Stellantis designer Chris Benjamin has joined Scout Motors to lead design for the EV-focused Volkswagen brand that will specialize in SUVs and pickups.

Benjamin, most recently the interior design chief for Stellantis North America, becomes chief design officer at a critical time for Scout, which plans to begin vehicle production at a plant near Columbia, South Carolina, by the end of 2026. The brand said the first retail sales of its electric pickups and SUVs will start soon after. He has officially joined the company, a spokesperson said.

VW hatched plans to resurrect the Scout brand in 2022 and establish a firmer foothold in the expanding market for off-road vehicles in the U.S.

Benjamin graduated from Detroit's College for Creative Studies. He launched his automotive design career at Mercedes-Benz. After that, Benjamin did design work for BMW, Volvo and Stellantis, where he spent time in Europe and the U.S.

He will report to Scout Motors CEO Scott Keogh.

In 2011, Benjamin was part of the inaugural class of Automotive News Europe Rising Stars.

"Chris' work is prolific. For nearly 25 years, he has brought to life vehicles that stand out on the road," Keogh said in a statement. "His thumbprints are all over many of the most beloved off-road vehicles in the market today. I am confident that Chris will build on that experience as he defines the next chapter of design for Scout and electric utility vehicles."

Benjamin, in a statement Tuesday, said Scout's classic vehicles have always "exerted a magnetic pull" by creating "the archetype for the modern SUV in the '60s" and proving "that a daily driver could also be a weekend adventurer."

His primary task is to balance Scout's iconic heritage styling with the "innovative possibilities that electrification" presents.

"With the base of inspiration that Scout offers," he said, "what we are dreaming up will be beyond special."