A key design leader for Jeep-parent Stellantis in North America who helped shape the interior look of vehicles such as the company’s high-end Wagoneer has been snagged by Volkswagen’s electric off-road brand, Scout Motors.
Chris Benjamin, a vice president of interior design at Stellantis, has been named chief design officer for Scout. Benjamin’s design role at Stellantis included work with the Chrysler, Ram and Dodge brands, in addition to Jeep.
Scott Keogh, Scout’s CEO and president, said Benjamin, who spent more than 10 years at Stellantis and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and worked with several other automakers previously, could be expected to bring a keen vision to Scout’s products in light of his accomplishments.
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“Chris’ work is prolific. For nearly 25 years he’s brought to life vehicles that stand out on the road,” Keogh said in a news release. “His thumbprints are all over many of the most beloved off-road vehicles in the market today. I’m confident that Chris will build on that experience as he defines the next chapter of design for Scout and electric utility vehicles.”
In a recent LinkedIn posting, Benjamin called his time at Stellantis and FCA “a transformative period, where I was fortunate to have the honor of shaping the direction of Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Chrysler interiors with a world class team of designers.” He noted that he’d recently decided to take on a new challenge outside of Stellantis in a note of thanks to his team.
In the news release announcing his new gig, Benjamin said “classic Scout vehicles have always exerted a magnetic pull on me. They created the archetype for the modern SUV in the ‘60s and proved that a daily driver could also be a weekend adventurer. My task now is to balance the iconic design language of the past with all of the innovative possibilities that electrification unlocks.”
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Benjamin, a graduate of the College for Creative Studies, lives in metro Detroit and is a native of New York and Miami, according to the release.
Prior to his time at Stellantis/FCA, he worked at Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volvo.
It wasn’t immediately clear who would fill Benjamin’s spot at Stellantis. Messages were sent to two spokespeople.
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The move by Scout, a U.S. subsidiary of Stellantis rival VW, to tap into Detroit Three talent as it builds its operations is likely being watched by those automakers. Scout earlier this year announced plans for a $2 billion EV plant on 1,600 acres near Interstate 77 in South Carolina, with vehicle production expected by the end of 2026.
That plant, which aims to resurrect the iconic Scout name for its “next generation trucks and rugged SUVs,” has the potential to create 4,000 or more permanent jobs and produce more than 200,000 vehicles annually, according to Scout.
Free Press auto critic Mark Phelan has called VW’s move to revive the International Scout brand a “potential stroke of genius that should cause sleepless nights for executives at Ford, Jeep, Chevrolet and GMC.”
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber.