I have been test driving the M&M vehicles since a few years and very recently took a test ride of the Scorpio VLX AT. After several months of tracking comments on MS, to be honest, I was also very apprehensive of how acceptable an Automatic from an Indian manufacturer might be! And therefore, had set my expectations from the vehicle/test ride very low. But honestly, I was more than a bit surprised. After the exchange of pleasantries with the SKS dealer at the RBANMS grounds, I took to the steering wheel right away. The positioning, height of the gear stick and the length of the throw were just spot on - where I wanted it - ensuring minimal discomfort to the driver.
Somehow, the angled gear stick provided in the manual Scorpio never felt that way - and I had begun to regard it as more of a tummy trimmer. Second, the gear shift between P, N, D, R etc. felt effortless. In relative comparison, operating the gear stick of the manual Scorpio, esp. on our roads that are liberally peppered with humps and potholes, required better preparation on my part, to carry a tube of Moov/Dynapar gel prior to the drive. Not to say that the automatic system provided is state-of-the-art, but it fits the need well and is comparable to similar 3rd gen. systems that you can find on any Renault, Vauxhall, Kia, Peugot, Fiat, etc. I inquired about the origins, and surprisingly received a prompt response from the M&M exec within a couple of days that the auto-gearbox was sourced from ATW - a fairly well known and reputed manufacturer in the west - that has maintained an A+ rating with BBB Accreditation for a good while. The rating agency also suggests Zero complaints for this product over a 36-month period - which is additionally re-assuring.
Coming to the ride - as we moved off with the Scorpio that was parked in the hot sun, the ac brought down the cabin temp to comfortable levels in a few minutes, though I wished it would have been a little less noisy in the process. In some of the premium segment cars like Skoda, I guess they have multiple vents and also ensure that the blustery force of the air is not directly upon the driver/passenger, so the cooling effect is better, quicker and almost silent. Probably a bit too much to expect from the Scorpio, I guess.
With the gear shift engaged in Drive, it is now really a joy to drive this beast of a vehicle around. Power steering is spot on and you can twist and turn or zip away the Scorpio at ease. In the narrow bylanes surrounding the RBANMS grounds, I felt this vehicle is easier to drive around than a M-800/Santro. A drunkard drawling his way in the middle of the road refused to give way on giving a beep and I quite casually angled the vehicle around him at 40km/hr. The Scorpio obliged dutifully with hardly any grunt. As we passed by, I could see the drunkard’s eyes pop out and he acknowledged! I took a short lap followed by a longer lap and missed the gate on return, so enjoyed taking a third lap. The seats are comfortable, all-round visibility is good, the electric ORVMs help in ensuring that you do not tread on other’s toes in a traffic jam, the suspension soaks up the innovations on the road quite well, and reversing/reverse parking is a breeze.
Now coming to the pick-up - in comparison with the manual Scorpio, some might say that the automatic is - to quote a negative connotation - sluggish. But I would like to call it ’gradual/refined’. The AT is a 6-speed variomatic with peak torque tuned to kick-in above 2000 rpm. So those who might be used to suddenly surging forward in 2nd gear with a manual Scorpio might be disappointed. However, I personally feel that 2nd / 3rd gear is not the stage to race the vehicle in. If one gets a good stretch of free road/highway, by all means move into the higher gears steadily and experience the full power of the vehicle to zoom. The AT’s performance should in no way be diminished in comparison to the manual Scorpio if good driving habits are used.
Leg room: The vehicle I used for the test ride was a 7 seater with 3rd row rear-facing seats. That meant that the 2nd row seats were fixed and could not be pushed back. So I thought that the 2nd row passengers might be uncomfortable if the front seats are pushed fully back. This is true. However, due to the high riding position, at 5’9", I did not find the need to push the front seats all the way back. So, in my specific case, either adults/kids seated in the 2nd row would have had adequate leg-room. I checked this out for myself and found it acceptable. There is the option however, to consider the 8-seater, with which the 2nd row could be pushed back too, in which case the 3rd row passengers would certainly get uncomfortable. So I guess one needs to find out which option is most suitable for your family, by trying it out yourself.
Other refinements: Leather seats, better quality plastics, better quality gear knob, HVAC and an in-built Sat-NAV are desirable and should be offered as standard on the AT.
Price: Impressed with the test ride for bettering my expectations, I came and sat down with the dealer’s team and obtained a copy of the brochure with the price list. And this is where I was a bit stumped. At 13.84 lakhs on-road(incl. the ins. discount of Rs.20k), the AT is certainly pricey. Over in the UK, a Nissan X-Trail - rated as the best SUV in Europe on price/performance is available for £15500/- on-road - around Rs.11lakhs. Probably, the high import content of the Scorpio is responsible for the steep increase in the price for the AT model. So I would have to plan better for this budget and hopefully M&M would also be able to get some help from the govt in the forthcoming 2010 budget.
The Indian govt. should bring down the import duties on auto components and parts and create a level playing field between domestic and FDI/foreign manufacturers of auto parts. That way Indian car manufacturers will be able to benefit from quality parts, designs, possibly technology transfer in manufacturing and mfg. processes and setup intl. quality export hubs, in the process generating employment of scale as well. I would however, continue to support high import duties to be imposed on fully built up vehicles, new/pre-owned - so that we do not become a dumping ground.
In summary, with the Scorpio / AT, I would suggest that this vehicle has certainly come of age and is well groomed to join the tarmac on international roads. All the best to M&M on its international foray.