I bought a Scorpio DX a couple of days back. Points which weighed in its favor are:
Great looks (though Mahindra’s could’ve done a better job for the rear part of the car ... guess, their designers started from designing the front and gave up by the time they reached the rear) ... guess they didn’t believe in modular designs !
Reasonably priced in the category (on road price of 7.25 lacs for DX in Delhi). Qualis and Sumo are no competition in looks. Safari is underpowered.
Very spacious and a great buy as a second car. In the absence of big station wagons in the market (Odessey types), it’s a good substitute for big family outings.
And yeah, in a city infamous for its road rage, I can feel the respect that others give to a larger vehicle on the road. It definitely will help me keep my blood pressure normal.
Bharat Parmar
Writing a continuation of this review 1 yr and 5 months after I bought the Scorpio. Thought it’ll help someone take an informed decision.
I believe Scorpio is a great car (ooops SUV!) for Indian roads and Mahindras understand Indian terrain better than some of the MNCs.
Apart from the regular maintenance challenges, two main electrical components gave up in last 1 year and compared to my other car, Scorpio is a high maintenance car. I didn’t have to pay anything as the components were under warranty but what concerns me most is the fact that I intend to keep this car for 5 years and the level of maintenance required will go up (and not less!). And it’ll hit my pockets as most of these parts will be out of warranty period in a couple of years (or before that).
It makes a hell lot of noise. I can understand the engine making noise but seats and other parts inside the car make all kinds of creaking noises. Haven’t been able to improve things on this front despite mentioning it to the service engineer everytime. I believe all the 2nd and 3rd row foldable seats are culprits ! Mahindras can surely work on this in their R&D.
The customer service standards of Mahindras are high and I’m thrilled with the experience. A part of this wow factor can be attributed to the lower than average standards that I experienced with Fiat (Palio), my first car.
With rising fuel prices, Scorpio IS cost effective ! ... it gives 12kms/litre in city conditions and 14-15kms/litre on highways (I have a Diesel version)
To sum it up, I’m happy with this car and I think its a good buy for the price tag.
Thanks
Bharat