I was an air fryer skeptic until I tried this model with its hidden gadget
Design and setup
Compared to other basic air fryer models, the Ninja Foodi dual basket air fryer is a hefty machine. I won't go so far as to write it off as an eyesore, because surprisingly, even with its enormous size, it doesn't look that bad. Plus, its flat top surface doubles as a mini shelf for spices or random other knick knacks. And while I eventually came around to its size, it still takes up a lot of precious counter space. So I have to dock some points.
Its interface is fairly intuitive, although I would suggest checking in with its manual to really understand how to use all of its settings. Buttons for its special smart finish and match cook settings, along with its six cooking modes — air fry, bake, roast, reheat, air broil, and dehydrate — are prominently displayed front and center. You can manually control the temperature for each mode but there are restrictions. For example, the air fry setting doesn't go below 300F. I understand this is for safety reasons, but it was frustrating when I wanted to hard-boil eggs at 270F.
On one side of the machine sits the meat thermometer probe (a great hidden feature), which I found to be a clever placement — hooray for machines that include built-in storage for additional tools. There's a plug-in next to the left basket, where a meat dish is intended to cook if you're looking to use the probe. The top of that particular basket has a small divet where the wire is supposed to go, so it doesn't get crushed when it's closed.
Additionally, the baskets have a capacity of 5qt, making a total of 10qt. They felt a bit small in comparison to my Cosori's 6qt basket, but in the end, they were spacious enough for every dish I prepared. I generally did like that there were two separate baskets that both conveniently included crisper plates and a removable tray that allowed heat to circulate around food to create a crispy texture.
One feature that I missed from my Cosori was its 'shake' timer, which allows you to program a basket to alert you when it's time to flip or shake its contents for more even cooking. Of course, the simple solution for this is to set a separate timer for the Ninja foodi.
Cooking
Packed with six different cooking modes, the Ninja foodi could be an easy replacement oven for those living in a place without one. I personally favored the air fry and reheat modes, as I don't often need to do much more than that, as I prefer to defer to my oven when possible.
To put the smart finish technology to the test, I cooked pork chops and fries. On the left side, I baked the pork chops, using the probe thermometer to alert me when they hit the desired medium-well-done temperature I was looking for. (I followed the manual's suggestion to reduce the temperature by 25 degrees when converting traditional oven recipes.) On the right side, I air-fried waffle-cut fries.
After programming both baskets at different temperatures and cook times, I let the machine do its thing. It started by cooking the pork chops. Then, when just 15 minutes remained on the clock, the fry side kicked in, so that both could finish at the same time.
Once the timer went off, the pork chops were perfectly cooked, but the fries needed a little more time, likely because there wasn't enough room in the basket to cook them in a single layer. By the time dinner was served, everything tasted solid. The fries were nicely crispy, though slightly overdone in some spots. And the pork chops turned out a bit drier than they would've been if I had cooked them in the oven, but still flavorful.
This was definitely a trend I noticed whenever I cooked meat in the air fryer — it tended to lack that juice I usually get from oven or stovetop cooking. Though honestly, an air fryer would never be my first choice for cooking meat, anyway.
Its reheat setting was nifty and convenient when I needed to warm up a pesto chicken sandwich and didn't want it getting soggy in the microwave. However, admittedly, I had no idea how long or at what temperature to set it, so it also came out a bit crispier than intended.
After cooking several more dishes, I started to realize that Ninja's air fryer might be a bit more powerful than my Cosori. The temperatures and cook times that worked perfectly in the latter usually needed some tweaking to get right in the foodi. But with a little more time — and a few minor adjustments — this will become an indispensable kitchen companion.
Cleaning
This machine is one of the easiest things to clean. The baskets are made of a certain non-stick material that makes it quite easy for you to wash away any mess, either by hand or in the dishwasher.
After simpler recipes, I washed both baskets and crisper plates in the sink with warm water and soap. But when it came to cooking a more messy meal or when I felt it required deeper cleaning, I used the dishwasher, and it came out spotless.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Geeky Gadgets
41 minutes ago
- Geeky Gadgets
iPhone 17e: Is This Apple's BIGGEST Gamble?! (Crazy Leaks Inside)
The iPhone 17e, anticipated to launch between February and May 2026, is shaping up to be a noteworthy addition to Apple's lineup. Positioned as a budget-friendly alternative, it continues the 'E' series' mission of delivering essential features at a more accessible price point. Designed for first-time iPhone users, businesses, and those who prioritize simplicity over advanced features, the 17e is expected to refine the balance between affordability and functionality. Here's a detailed look at what leaks and rumors suggest about this upcoming release in a new video from Matt Talks Tech. Watch this video on YouTube. Building on the iPhone 16e The iPhone 16e, introduced in early 2023, marked a significant shift in Apple's approach to budget smartphones. Replacing the SE line, the 16e adopted a more modern design and updated hardware while maintaining a focus on affordability. It introduced several features that struck a balance between cost and performance, including: An A18 chip with one core disabled to reduce production costs. with one core disabled to reduce production costs. A single rear camera, optimized for everyday photography. A 60Hz OLED display , a notable improvement over the LCD screens of older budget models. , a notable improvement over the LCD screens of older budget models. The Dynamic Island , previously exclusive to premium iPhones. , previously exclusive to premium iPhones. An action button for customizable shortcuts. for customizable shortcuts. A USB-C port, aligning with global industry standards. Initially priced at $599, the 16e saw discounts that brought its price down to $499, making it an attractive entry-level option. Its success has paved the way for the iPhone 17e to build upon this foundation, offering incremental improvements while retaining its core appeal. What's New for the iPhone 17e? The iPhone 17e is expected to stay true to the 'E' series' focus on affordability while introducing modest updates. While the overall design philosophy is likely to remain consistent with its predecessor, several potential enhancements have been rumored: New color options , including the popular Product Red, to appeal to a broader audience. , including the popular Product Red, to appeal to a broader audience. Possibly an A19 chip , though Apple's history suggests this may be reserved for flagship models. , though Apple's history suggests this may be reserved for flagship models. Continued absence of advanced features like ProMotion displays, which remain exclusive to higher-end devices. These updates suggest that the 17e will refine the formula established by the 16e, offering a reliable and cost-effective option for budget-conscious buyers. While it may not introduce new innovations, its focus on practicality and value ensures its relevance in Apple's lineup. Apple's Staggered Release Strategy The iPhone 17e's anticipated launch reflects Apple's broader shift toward a staggered release strategy. By introducing 'E' models in the spring and reserving flagship launches for the fall, Apple aims to sustain consumer interest throughout the year. This approach also allows the company to cater to different market segments more effectively. The 'E' series plays a pivotal role in this strategy, serving as an accessible entry point into the Apple ecosystem. By offering a budget-friendly alternative, Apple can attract new users while maintaining clear distinctions between its entry-level and premium offerings. The 17e is expected to strengthen Apple's position in the budget smartphone market, reinforcing its commitment to serving diverse consumer needs. Challenges and Uncertainties Despite the excitement surrounding the iPhone 17e, several uncertainties remain. One of the most significant questions is whether it will feature the A19 chip. Historically, Apple has reserved its latest processors for flagship models, making it more likely that the 17e will stick with the A18 chip or a slightly upgraded version. Additionally, while new color options and minor design tweaks are anticipated, the overall design is expected to remain largely unchanged from the 16e. This conservative approach underscores Apple's focus on cost management and maintaining a clear identity for its budget models. By prioritizing affordability and essential features, Apple ensures that the 17e remains accessible to a wide audience without compromising its core values. The Bigger Picture: Apple's Product Strategy The iPhone 17e represents more than just a single product; it is part of a broader trend in Apple's evolving product strategy. By refining the 'E' series, Apple is laying the groundwork for future models like the iPhone 18e. These devices are expected to continue prioritizing affordability and essential features, making sure their appeal to a wide range of consumers. The staggered release schedule also allows Apple to balance innovation with accessibility. By catering to both high-end and budget-conscious consumers, Apple can maintain its competitive edge across multiple market segments. The 17e will play a crucial role in this strategy, reinforcing Apple's commitment to serving diverse consumer needs while sustaining its reputation for quality and reliability. Below are more guides on iPhone 17e from our extensive range of articles. Source & Image Credit: Matt Talks Tech Filed Under: Apple, Apple iPhone, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Inside Roger Federer Inc – where business never stops booming
Inside the 1886 Club, a ritzy pop-up cabin on the banks of the Savannah River in Augusta, Roger Federer was holding forth for Mercedes-Benz private clients hand-picked to savour a 'once-in-a-lifetime' Masters experience. While this year marked his first visit to Georgia, he felt instantly at home, with both the man and the setting symbolising an aesthetic universally admired and yet impossibly out of reach. He sauntered on stage for an obligatory interview about his career, but what mattered most to the audience was that he had turned up in the first place. Such is life in his rarefied air: a realm where, beyond the niceties, all anybody wants to do is bask in his glory. Even two and a half years into retirement, Federer exerts the same effect wherever he goes. Crowds do not swoon over him at a Coldplay concert in Zurich because of his talents on percussion, or go giddy at the 24 Hours of Le Mans over his dexterity with the ceremonial flag. They acclaim him purely as the ultimate sophisticate. It promises to be the same at Wimbledon over the next fortnight: Federer will be there, the All England Club confirms, but for the third straight summer not to coach or to commentate, merely to grace the place with his presence. When you are a personal friend of the Princess of Wales, the club's patron, and when you can reduce Centre Court to raptures just by arriving in the royal box in a beige suit and polka-dotted tie, who needs to work for a living? It is this strange alchemy on which a suite of luxury sponsors have leapt, transforming the most stylish player of his age, indeed any age, into the embodiment of opulent allure. Just as Anna Wintour, Vogue 's departing queen bee and a self-confessed Federer groupie, demands that he sit next to her at catwalks, so Mercedes supply him with their latest supercar every six months, calculating that the very sight of him at the wheel will provide that extra assurance of quality. Except it is not just a product he is selling, but an entire way of being. His vast endorsement portfolio – spanning everything from Rolex watches to Lindt chocolate, Sunrise mobile networks to Jura coffee machines – stands as testament to his ineffable Swissness. Even the country's department of foreign affairs describes how Federer's ambassadorial virtues are rooted in an image of 'grace and refined excellence'. What makes him unassailable as a brand magnet, though, is his astounding longevity. By the time his 10-year contract with Uniqlo, the Japanese clothing giant, expires in 2028, he will have been out of the game for over half the deal's duration. This was a problem for Nike, his backers for two decades, who believed that he retained his value only for as long as he actively competed. By contrast, Tadashi Yanai, Uniqlo's founder, envisaged his seamless evolution from eight-time Wimbledon champion to middle-aged mannequin. And he was prepared to reward him as such, to the tune of £22 million a year. It is an agelessness inconceivable with any other icon. In 2019, the year Federer reached the last of his 10 Wimbledon finals, he recorded annual earnings of £68 million, with 92 per cent of that amount derived from his commercial tie-ups. Nobody else on the global sporting rich list – not Lionel Messi, not Cristiano Ronaldo – could hold a candle to this proportion. LeBron James was the closest, on 59 per cent. As a gentleman of extravagant leisure, Federer's status as king of the billboards has become only more bulletproof. In 2023, he collected £81 million despite having hung up his racket the previous year. The pattern is paradoxical: at the same time as Federer claims to feel ever further removed from his feats on court, the world's most prestigious labels can hardly wait to renew their associations with him. Central to this phenomenon is the fact that he remains untouched by scandal. While Tiger Woods, the one athlete who could once rival him for corporate pulling power, was torpedoed in 2009 by revelations of serial infidelity, Federer has endured as the safest of bets, with no lurid entanglements and no skeletons lurking in the closet. He and his wife Mirka, a Slovak-born former player briefly mentored by Martina Navratilova, have been inseparable since they shared their first kiss on the final day of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Even the symmetrical make-up of their family, with two sets of twins – the girls, Myla and Charlene, were born in 2009, with boys Leo and Lenny arriving five years later – resembles a work of precision engineering. There is such a premium on putting Federer's face to anything that he has amassed £29 million simply for promoting Barilla pasta. His apparent absence of any culinary credentials was no impediment to him signing on the dotted line, earnestly announcing in 2017: 'Pasta has been a part of my daily life for so many years that this partnership was a natural.' The most eye-catching expression of this alliance came when, after Italy's lifting of its most severe lockdown restrictions in 2020, he travelled to a small Ligurian town to engage two girls in a socially-distanced game of rooftop tennis. Although it made for a sweet advert, it still seemed miraculous he was banking an eight-figure sum for this. As Andy Roddick told Federer's biographer, Christopher Clarey: 'The thing I'm most jealous of is not the skill and not the titles – it's the ease of operation with which Roger exists.' Federer's smooth adaptation to alien environments was on full display last year at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, the smallest of America's Ivy League universities, as he gave the graduation speech. The appearance was not without design: Isabella Godsick, the daughter of his long-time agent Tony, was among the graduates. In his address, delivered in a priestly robe befitting his investiture as a 'doctor of humane letters', he sought to dismantle the popular notion that everything he did was effortless. 'I spent years whining, swearing, throwing my racket,' he explained, 'before I learnt to keep my cool.' When eventually he mastered this art, making it seem as if the most outrageous shots could be conjured without a bead of sweat, his cachet in the eyes of the wealthiest suitors increased exponentially. The young firebrand who, in 2002, was offered a relatively meagre £440,000 annual retainer by Nike had morphed by 2010 into the calm connoisseur, a human advertising hoarding for the highest-end companies on the planet. Today, the vast industry of Roger Federer Inc. continues to thrive, peddling the seductive myth that you too can be like Roger, eating the same exquisite confectionery and sipping the same Moët champagne. Just as he did with his single-handed backhand, an art exhibit in itself, he is curating a style built on an elusive ideal. To study him up close is to see how assiduously he maintains his own mystique, treating his thousandth sponsor meet-and-greet as if it is his first. In Augusta, he patiently made each of Mercedes' top-tier clients feel like the most important person in the room. You wonder, however, if this life of schmoozing the high-rollers can sustain him indefinitely. Is it making him, dare one say it, a little listless? There was a suspicion of this at the Masters when, tiring of being asked about the verdant fairways, he said: 'Enough already with the golf. Seriously, I would love to start playing tennis again two or three times a week, getting myself back on an exhibition court, maybe filling up a few nice stadiums around the world. The training, I miss it a bit, to be honest.' When Federer announced he was retiring with his usual immaculate choreography, a script with the 'RF' logo on his desk and replicas of Wimbledon's golden Challenge Cup in the trophy cabinet behind him, he made an emotional promise to his fans, declaring: 'I will never leave you.' In a sense, this pledge has yet to be fulfilled. Yes, he has had various valedictions at Grand Slam tournaments, but none with a racket in his hand. The only exception he made was for the Princess of Wales in 2023, as the two exchanged groundstrokes in a video acknowledging the Wimbledon ball boys and girls. Federer's caution has been due largely to the fragile condition of his left knee, which deteriorated to such an extent in his later years that his swansong, in doubles with Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Laver Cup in London, looked precarious until the last minute. According to Roddick, he was suffering so much at the 2021 event in Boston that his crutches were being hidden from public view. The pathos of that ending has kindled an intense public appetite for him to return, even in the hit-and-giggle exhibition format. As Roddick puts it: 'Everyone wants a chance to see him one last time. He was hurt, we got him for a doubles match, and then that was it. It doesn't feel like enough.' A persuasive argument, of course, is that Federer owes his disciples nothing, having elevated his craft to such an unheard-of standard that his footwork was likened to Nureyev's and his artistic vision to that of Picasso. How much more breathless adulation does anyone need? The issue is that the demand to see him don his tennis whites again, even at almost 44, is off the charts. When he embarked on an express circuit of Latin America in 2019, he banked £7.7 million in six days, packing out stadiums from Santiago to Quito, Mexico City to Buenos Aires, with the fervour around his Argentina date compelling Diego Maradona to tell him: 'You were, you are, and will always be the greatest. There is no other like you.' All this was accomplished without Nadal, his perfect foil, across the net. As soon as they joined forces in Cape Town in 2020, in aid of Federer's foundation, the occasion drew over 51,000 people, the largest attendance ever recorded for a tennis match. You can imagine the rock-star reception they would attract if they decide, as men of independent means, to head out on the road for a reunion tour. This is why the idea holds such appeal for Federer, who, for all his sincere efforts at humility, has an acute appreciation of his worth. The grandeur of his entrances at Wimbledon in 2009, when he would peel off a multi-pocketed military jacket to reveal a diamond-white waistcoat with a golden Nike swoosh, still constitutes perhaps the most ostentatious flex in sport. The Laver Cup, which he conceived both as a tribute to past legends and as tennis's answer to the Ryder Cup with its 'Europe versus World' dynamic, could hardly be called an exercise in understatement either. The lavish spectacle, with non-playing team members watching courtside on leather banquettes, smacks of a giant 'RF' trade fair, with fan zones dedicated exclusively to approved sponsors hawking Federer's cars, Federer's clothes, Federer's sunglasses. Even the deckchairs were emblazoned with Swiss marketing. Federer has been desperate to imbue the event with passion and sporting significance, to the point of once instructing Alexander Zverev, in full view of the cameras: 'I want a fist pump or a 'let's go', every f------ point you win. And every point you lose, you f------ take it.' The irony was that he had never acted this way in team sport before, even when flying the flag for Switzerland at the Davis Cup. It illustrated the hollowness of the enterprise, with Federer trying to make a spectacle that essentially meant nothing look as if it meant everything. It is the fundamental problem with the Laver Cup, as it rolls on to San Francisco in September: that for its pretensions to be sport of substance, it serves little purpose beyond burnishing Federer's cult of personality. The pity is that he still resists any shift into television commentary, where he could offer a degree of technical expertise unparalleled in the booth. He has admitted that he did consider it, only shelving the plan when he realised how critical he would have to be of the players. Perhaps his most impulsive move was to decide, six years ago, to invest in a then little-known Swiss footwear company called On, whose creators first experimented by crafting shoes from lengths of garden hose. Federer called them to arrange dinner, clarifying that this time he was seeking not sponsorship but a personal investment. Having negotiated three per cent equity, he used his international profile to turn a Zurich start-up into an £8.2 billion behemoth, with its own limited-edition range christened 'The Roger'. When On was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021, 31.1 million shares were sold at £17.47 each, giving Federer a stake worth £262 million – nearly three times the total he amassed in 24 years as a tennis professional. It is at this point that you wonder if Federer's life is celestially ordained, with even his rare gambles somehow striking gold. The reality is more that he understands, better than just about any sports star in history, what his strengths are and exactly how he can monetise them. Even in elder statesman mode, he is tennis's version of an omniscient being, hovering above all he surveys. Whether it is using shoes to catapult himself towards billionaire status, or enlisting singer Ellie Goulding to sing at his last match over a video montage of his greatest hits, Federer is the man who orchestrates his own drama, who writes the scripts of which nobody else could dream.
Auto Car
an hour ago
- Auto Car
Everything you need to know about Scout, VW's new 4x4 brand
Terra pick-up and Traveler SUV will form the new Scout EV line-up Close It would be easy to dismiss Scout Motors as yet another retro revival, a way of trying to attach some emotion to new electric vehicles by sticking a nostalgic logo on the bonnet. Or even as just another new Volkswagen Group sub-brand designed to protect the conglomerate's share in the tough North American market. Dig beneath the surface, though, and Scout is far more interesting – even if it isn't a brand too well known to UK readers, and one that, for now, won't be sold here. For one thing, what's not to love about a retro-styled Jeep Wrangler rival? For another, the unusual set-up of Scout could have a significant influence on the future development processes of one of the world's biggest car firms. Scout Motors isn't technically a Volkswagen Group brand: it's an independent stand-alone company based in the US but owned by the VW Group. While Scott Keogh, boss of Volkswagen USA, also serves as CEO of Scout, it otherwise has its own staff and facilities. It is, in effect, a start-up created purely to make a new line of highly capable off-road EVs. 'The intent is to combine an American start-up – speed, innovation, ingenuity, adaptability – with the backing, scale and money of one of the world's leading manufacturers,' explains Ryan Decker, Scout's strategy boss (and employee number one). 'Nobody has really done that before.' But this is an electric vehicle start-up housed in some nostalgic wrapping. A quick history lesson may be in order first because, despite its name, the original International Scout was very much an American machine. It was developed by International Harvester, a longtime US manufacturer of agricultural and construction vehicles that in the early 1900s expanded into light trucks and pick-ups. With the Jeep CJ gaining popularity in the 1950s, the Indiana firm decided to develop its own four-wheel-drive recreational vehicle. The Scout 80 arrived in 1961 and was sold in various forms across two model generations until 1980. Even if the name isn't that familiar, chances are the model's styling would offer a familiar ring of Americana. International Harvester slipped into decline in the 1980s, with its various divisions sold off. The truck and engine division was eventually rebranded as Navistar, and in 2021 it was bought by Traton, the VW Group's heavy commercial vehicle arm. That also gave VW the rights to the Scout model name. Here's where it comes full circle: Volkswagen USA spotted the incredible popularity of the Jeep Wrangler and retro-infused off-roaders such as the revived Ford Bronco, and it wanted a piece of the action. So in 2022 it decided to create its own start-up to produce one – and it just so happened the company now owned a brand with its own rich heritage. 'To be a start-up, but to have the heritage and legacy of a really cool brand that has a passionate fanbase and can evoke nostalgic memories, is really unusual,' says Decker. And while it's been 45 years since a Scout last rolled off the production line, he insists the name is still known to US buyers. 'Some guy came up to me earlier today and told me his grandfather had a Scout they used to go on fishing trips in,' continues Decker. 'Having that as your starting place to build a brand from, how special is that?' Last year Scout revealed two concept models: the Terra pick-up and the Traveler SUV (named after old Scout variants). Few details have yet been divulged, but there's talk of 1000lb ft and 350 miles of range, rising to 500 miles for the range-extender, and 0-60mph times under 3.5sec. This is where Scout really diverges from VW Group models: they won't be built on a shared EV architecture, such as the now well-established MEB. Instead, if you want to offer genuine off-road ability with the chops to take on a Wrangler on the trails, you will need a ladder-on-frame chassis – and, as Scout technical chief Burkhard Huhnke notes, 'there's no body-on-frame platform in the entire Volkswagen Group – so we have to start from scratch'. Huhnke's appointment as technical boss encapsulates Scout's ethos: he has spent much of his career at the Volkswagen Group but was most recently technical chief at the now-defunct EV start-up Fisker. The brief he was given was simple, he says: 'The target is to become the benchmark in the off-road segment.' To do that, the new Scout vehicles won't just be styled like the original. 'The Scout was a working horse in the past,' says Huhnke. "'It was the eight-days-a-week vehicle that could go off road but you could also do your daily business in. 'Off-road capability means it needs to be very different. It's very simple: I get targets from an engineering perspective. We're focused on ability, on approach angles, the torque, weight distribution, everything. We're working on an e-beam and a special axle design. We have 35in wheels. You have to have the sway bar disconnect. But we can combine the tradition of an off-road car with the innovations of an electric vehicle, and we can see a real sweet spot.' Scout vehicles will be offered with electric or range-extender powertrains. They will be 'software-defined vehicles', designed around advanced computer systems that allow for over-the-air updates and the like. Huhnke describes it as 'heritage combined with innovation'. That innovation will be seen in both the pure-electric powertrain and the range-extender variant that Scout is working on. Huhnke is proud that the latter – which drives the wheels with an electric motor but features a small combustion engine used to charge the battery – is the firm's own development and intellectual property. He says: 'We're not a guinea pig for the Volkswagen Group to try this out; it's where we see our biggest opportunity.' It's about that go-anywhere, off-road brief, and providing functionality in remote places where EV charging infrastructure might not be the best. 'We are customer-centric and listen to their concerns,' adds Huhnke. 'People loved the concept and the BEV platform, but the feedback led us to a range-extender. It's like carrying a charging station with you.' Huhnke is also excited by the potential that an electric vehicle powertrain, with its instant power, torque vectoring and even weight distribution, has for an off-roader. Software development will also be key, and it's notable Huhnke started his automotive career in software and electronics. For that side, the VW Group's recent tie-up with software-focused EV firm Rivian will be a major boost. The joint venture between the two companies is centred on the development of a new zonal software architecture, and Huhnke says that 'Scout will be one of the first brands' in the VW Group empire to use it: 'It will be the most modern architecture, so we'll have full connectivity to the cloud for diagnostics, predictive maintenance and new functions to keep the car fresh.' While Scout has shown concepts of its first two models, production versions are unlikely to appear until 2027 or 2028. Before then, the firm needs to finish development, while construction is also under way on a dedicated US factory in Georgia. Needless to say, not many automotive start-ups can invest in a vast $2 billion (£1.6bn) facility that could employ around 4000 people and produce 200,000 vehicles a year. Aside from the need to finish building that factory, it's a rapid cycle for a new start-up to launch products in, especially given the huge technical demands on off-roaders. 'Being a start-up means we can focus,' says Huhnke, 'and we are laser-focused on two products. 'I don't want to judge traditional car manufacturers, but we can focus on our first bullets without distraction. And by using digital technology and digital twins [testing simulated versions of cars], we can speed up the process.' Conversely, unlike some start-ups with a limited pool of investment, Scout has the luxury of time. Huhnke adds: 'Sometimes you can see start-ups that have to push the product because of cash flow, but we can take time to get it right before it goes to the customer. We can do full-speed development and testing now and really work on the architecture and ability.' Scout won't just work on the models for the next few years, though: there's also a brand to build. Decker describes that process as 'building a community', adding: 'We want to nurture existing Scout fans out there. But we want to make new fans as well.' While he won't be drawn on reservations to date, Decker says the firm is 'happy with where we are' – with the Traveler SUV making up the bulk of buyer interest. He says the focus is on ensuring an ongoing dialogue with the people who have signed up, adding: 'We won't treat them like a marketing database.' Similarly, Decker won't give specifics about any sales or growth ambitions for Scout, but he notes 'the two products we'll launch will cover more than 40% of the US market in terms of revenue and profit pools'. Pricing is expected to start from around $50,000 (£40,000). But beyond a new Jeep rival for the US market, what about that bigger picture? While both Huhnke and Decker insist Scout was conceived purely to fill a business opportunity, its unique set-up and technology could provide lessons and hardware for its Volkswagen parent. 'You never get money for free,' laughs Huhnke. 'Efficiency is key. I've taken the challenge to become a benchmark R&D organisation in the world, from a size and cost perspective. That is an interesting challenge appreciated by our sponsors as well. Of course, we are under observation.' There are already reports that both Volkswagen and Audi are interested in Scout's platform for their own off-roaders, along with hints that the new Scout factory could be used to produce models for other brands while the marque is ramped up. It's certainly an intriguing prospect, and Scout is worth watching because of how unusual it is as a start-up backed by a global car giant. 'You have a bunch of incumbent firms that are 100-plus years old with millions of loyal customers, but they also have a lot of complexity with lots of cars, powertrains and factories,' says Decker. 'Complexity is a challenge to growing a business. On the other hand, you have pure-play start-ups, who can react quicker, but they bring lots of questions. "Will they have success? Will they go bankrupt? Can they service your car? 'If you can take the scale offered by an incumbent and mix it with the enthusiasm of a start-up, think what a superpower that is.' Join our WhatsApp community and be the first to read about the latest news and reviews wowing the car world. Our community is the best, easiest and most direct place to tap into the minds of Autocar, and if you join you'll also be treated to unique WhatsApp content. You can leave at any time after joining - check our full privacy policy here.
