I have been using the Scorpio for the last 2 years, having bought it second hand, it had 50000 on the odo then and now its 76K. I was so keen on getting an SUV that I sold my new Indica quite in a hurry.
My experience with the Scorpio has so far been good. Just to make the following notable points for any future buyers considering scorpio:
Safety:
The first reason I chose scorpio is the safety. There are good things and bad. But the good things far
outweigh the bad things.
Good Things:
a) The first situation is finding yourself in collission course with a tipper truck on a two lane highroad.
Whenever you look at a crash video you can see that they routinely test by crashing into a blockade that is bolted to the floor and the vehicles entire front rams against it . This enables the crumple zone of the vehicle to be activated and take up much of the shock. But the reality in Indian roads is quite far away from that. Most of the accidents happen not between cars but between a car and a heavy vehicle( and among heavy vehicles). The reason for this is quite not clear for me. The truck or bus does not come with a crumple zone and hence its your cars zone that should absorb the shock, but here is the problem, the typical heavy vehicle in India provides a "crumple-against obstacle" at a height that is hip level from the ground. This is where the chassis of the truck is positioned and if a sedan should ram against it, the bumper and the bonnet would go clear beneath it and the obstacle will hit the A pillar directly causing the crumple zone to be useless. Whereas, the crumple zone of the scorpio would not suffer from this disadvantage.
Even though now they are making low bumpers in trucks mandatory, there is still a lot of older vehicles that go around without such bumpers. So in the unfortunate event of finding yourself poised against a heavy vehicle on a highway you are relatively safer than in a sedan.
b) The second potential situtation is is finding yourself cut off from the world with the water all around you, that is in a typical monsoon day in India. The diesel engine of the scorpio, the height of the air intake and the torque to pull out from the deep muddy troughs provide reasonable safeguard that you reach a medical facility in case of an emergency during a really rainy day.
c) The third potential danger is the number of Suvs around owned by politicians and the like that makes you pretty insecure in a sedan, should they decide to revv their mammoths a bit harder.
d) Other Safety advantages
i) The Scorpio is a very good handler for its size with wide tyres and stance.
ii) The Scorpio gets its due respect from bully truckers and its commanding height helps overcome glare from the oncoming traffic and see ahead.
Bad Things:
But there are also some flip sides against this.
But I would suggest never rev a scorpio beyond 80 kmph except on an express highway for the following reasons:
i) The scorpio pikup got only 2 stars in the European crash test.
ii) Adding a bull bar to your scorpio badly compromises its safety.
iii) Mind the ground clearance of the front axle is very low, as low as a small car, so you cannot negotiate deep slush or rocky terrain in a scorpio.
iv) The great weight of the scorpio brings with it great inertia and hence too high speeds could consume the limited crumple zone without decelerating sufficiently.
v) The scorpio does not come with dual circuit braking( quite strange since even basic vehicles like the tata 407 has it). So if you should develop a leak in any one part of the braking system, God save you. I had this experience once. actually.
vi)The scorpios braking was never rated to be good in any case.
vii) The stout A pillar of the scorpio hinders seeing whatever comes from the side.
viii) Its height makes it risky to ride in narrow streets since you cant even see small kids or pets that might get in your way so a very good mirror arrangement would help.
Overall its safest on the highroad at 80 kmph and not so much in the city or on the expressway.
2.Economy:
The Scorpio has a very frugal Engine. Mine is a 2610 cc Engine one. I got over 16 kmpl on the highway and 12 in Chennai. You can try some serious hyper miling with the Scorpio. Because of its huge torque you need hardly rev beyond 1800 rpm and can make an interstate journey without even the turbo kicking in at all. It gives most mileage at 70 -80 kmph however, owing to its air resistance. But for seven people and if you try real heard to keep looking at the rpm and the speed and keep the right gear you are gonna have one of the cheapest modes of transport on the planet.
In the city, the scorpio enable hypermiling by two means. One its height enables you to look over the cars ahead and micro conrol your speed, secondly you can affford to accelerate really slow without the cars and autos honking behind you, because you effectively block their view and tehy are not aware that you are using the open space before you to save fuel:)
- Comfort and Looks:
Needless to say the Scorpio has great looks all around, The comfort is quite about how you take it. The ac and ergo is quite ok. But the height makes the vehicle top heavey and it bounces about on uneven surfaces. Bounces in the sense no sharp bouncing just the springy feel you get aboard an air suspension bus or a train. So its not uncomfortable, may be bothersome. On the other hand the long suspension travel enables you to cruise over the bad roads and small speed breakers as if they dont exist. which most of our roads have barring the golden quad and the corridors.
- Drivabiliy:
The length is compact, the turning radius excellent, engine is responsive, the nvh sweet, ac brilliant, the brake and steering feel good, but you wonder why this thing has to be so wide while driving in city. Also you might get irritated.with the lack of visibility owing to its height and stout pillars.
Overall:
Overall I would recommed the scorpio to any person but not as an extreme performer but as a vehicle of character with all its pros and cons. With great power comes great responsibility so drive carefully and safely.
Thanks
Prem