It has been almost 2 years(and 22, 000 K.M) since the day(Jan 2008) I purchased my Scorpio2.6 CRDe Lx Variant from Mohan Motors, Kolkata. I waited this long to give a fair feedback on the car, or you may say, to avoid the "My car is da best!" syndrome. Before I jump into the pros and cons of this car, let me clarify that I’m not an automobile expert; so my saga would be from a layman’s view.
Positives: 1> The first and foremost thing one would notice while driving a Scorpio is the solid feel it gives. The car has got a perfect balance and the Turbo charged CRDe engine does wonders. The pickup is excellent and as per my limited observations on the surrounding traffic, only a Toyota Innova can beat this car in terms of pick-up.
Even at speed higher than 120 KMPH (@Newtown Rajarhaat bypass) , it stays firm on the road and still no lack of power felt. 2> The surrounding fiber made body bumper gives it a muscular look as well as acts as a great protector against body scratches. Even in case of a lateral close shave, this part act as a shield over the body. 2 years in city traffic and no major scratch on the body of your car...Howz that? 3> Mileage is a big concern for the Indian buyers like us.
Initially my car used to give me 8+ without A/C in city traffic using the Hi-speed diesel. At that point, never had the heart to check the mileage of a whole trip with full A/C. Then I did some research on this on the net, consulted the service advisor from Mohan Motors. I found out that the main culprit is the driving pattern of my chauffeur, who used to drive in a jack-rabbit style.
Trust me, if one can avoid this, keep the gear changes to minimal (now that’s a problem in city) and inflate the tires regularly (every 15th day), he/she can get some good results. For me, it turned out to be 10.7+ (without A/C) and 9.2+ (with A/C) in Kolkata city traffic (if you are from Kolkata, you can read this as a mix of B.T Road, Jessore Road, VIP and Rajarhaat Bypass). Not bad for an SUV, I guess! 4> Apart from saying that it has got a strong external built, do I really need to say something about how it looks? To me, it simply rocks!
Negatives: 1> Ran 19, 000 K.M and I’d to get my clutch and pressure plate replaced. The service advisor claimed that the avg. life of a clutch module is 40, 000 K.M and this untimely damage was due to "clutch riding". Frankly, I’m not too convinced on this as the only persons who drive the car are my chauffeur and myself. Did anybody else face this issue with this car? 2> What’s common between Driver side seat inclination lever, Plastic covering on Sun visor’s metal axis, a minor gear clamp (located underneath the car)? All of these broke within one year of the purchase.
The latest addition tonight is a broken driver side mirror axis. I was closing the windows when the mirror got struck and before I could react and stop, it broke from the axis. A mere pressure from the glass window breaks the axis joint made of some kind of alloy. Funny...huh! FYI, the new Scorpio2.2 mHawk is not much better in this regard...one of my relatives bought one 2.5 months back and already the cruise control lever is gone! Now let me be very clear on this. I have a family of 3 adults and NO child and none of us likes partying in the car! Naturally, something tells me that the quality of the materials used to fabricate all the above mentioned parts are highly questionable. I really do hope, somebody from Mahindra notices this before it gets too late!
A few extra points: 1> The power steering is ok. Though it can never be compared with a Honda or Hyundai, but I never felt any big hassle while driving. 2> The gear shaft feels totally different from a hatchback or sedan. It’d require a medium amount of wrist effort to change. FYI, the new Scorpio2.2 mHawk is much better in this regard. 3> The brakes (non ABS) are not that sensitive as in case of a good quality hatchback or sedan. But don’t worry too much as it is not as bad as it sounds. Most likely you’d get used to the brake timing in a few hours. 4> The suspension system has got a lot to improve.
Well that’s all I have for now...Do post your valuable feedbacks!
Regards, Kaustav Ganguly