Put in 5 ½ years slogging & sweating. add to it whopping 550 crores of rupees worth research and you get the Scorpio. Though the Scorpio borrows a lot of its architecture from its brethren it still comes as a breath of fresh air in the highly competitive Utility Vehicle market. With this vehicle Mahindra sheds (almost) its veteran boxy looks and gives a car like refined trim to the vehicle.
As for the looks, be it the prominent nose or the chubby side panels , the large plastic bumper or the classy front 7 slat grille it packs a punch. As for the rear “it has a love it or hate it” element attached to it . Some may find the rear tailgate a bit too boxy and typical Mahindra style. As for me it’s just fine. Over all I think it has an appealing design which any way you look at it won’t let you down.
The interiors of the vehicle really makes one drool shamelessly. Be it the two tone plastic dashboard , the fabric inserts on the door panel or the full cloth upholstery it’s as good as it can get. Add to that a neat instrument cluster sporting white dials , a well illuminated climate control with rotatory knobs along with a KENWOOD stereo, well placed power window switches all add to the charm. The in cabin lighting is decent and so is the driving position. It offered a generous head and legroom to a 6 footer like me though it still could have been better, its about 750mm font legroom & a decent 800 mm at the rear i.e maximum. If at all I could point out a flaw it has to be the lack of decent utility storage space for personal items, like coin holders, sunglasses and stuff .It provides good all round vision except for the rear . This lack of clear rear visibility nearly caused me to bump into a Maruti 800 which to be seen has to be a good distance behind the Scorpio. Getting in and out of the vehicle is okay, without the regular twisting and twitching. Interiors earn a decent 8 out of 10 from me.
I test drove the Scorpio equipped with a 2600 cc turbocharged diesel engine which pumped out 109 horsepower at 3800 rpm. The engine developed in partnership with AVL of Austria offers a decent 26 kgm of torque at 1800 rpm according to the Mahindra representative who accompanied me .Though the performance was very commendable, I felt that it lacked the refinement of the Qualis .The turbocharged engine helps delivering a good on road feel . The gearshift felt a bit notchy but I was told that the conventional 5-speed gearbox would not have the problem after it had been through a few more shifting & changing drills. I still have my doubts .The speed sensitive power steering performs well and really makes it a treat to drive.
As for the ride quality the vehicle was very stable at around speeds of 80-90 Kmph and even managed a few slight road curves without fish-tailing much. The suspension felt good but did not have the feel of the vehicles with independent suspensions .Potholes and sudden bad patches were easily dealt with at high speeds with a bit of side to side bouncing and swaying .I believe that the vehicle has its limitations on uneven surfaces at high speeds, well which vehicle doesn’t , I suppose the Scorpio though not by much would loose out to Gypsy King in off road handling .But still it dishes out an overall above average performance, its more of the city than the rugged terrain though it should easily handle the occasional off road drives. Mind you I only tested it on a few bad patches that are a part and parcel of our roads. But I remain firm in my conclusion.As for the mileage the company claims a average of 9-10 Kmpl with the AC full blast . Which I think is pretty acceptable considering its heavy and macho build.
So far as the safety goes only the side impact beams mounted on doors and the retractable seatbelts are worth mentioning.The other safety features are pretty conventional. The price is the best part of the vehicle starting from 5.5(approx.) for the base model to about 6.35 for the top end complete with pwr windows, pwr steering , central locking , is a real tempter .All in all the vehicle rally packs a knock out punch and is highly recommended. Though with a few very minor shortcomings it offers a really good value for your money.
But if you are a real performance seeker just wait for the RENAULT powered 116 bhp petrol engine Scorpio which even I am dying to get my hands on.