Mahindra Scorpio Facelift

The Mahindra Scorpio is a four-wheel drive compact SUV manufactured by Mahindra & Mahindra Limited (M&M), the flagship company of the Indian Mahindra Group. It was the first SUV from the company built for a global market. The Scorpio has been successfully accepted in international markets across the globe.The Mahindra has launched new model of Scorpio facelift with redesigned front and rear fascias and a completely new dashboard.The new model was launched on 26th September, 2014 with completely new looks for exterior and interior of the SUV with more aggressive styling.

SPECIFICATION

• Engine: Top mounted intercooler, Intercooled, mHawk CRDe, 4 Stroke, Turbo charged, DI
• Cubic Capacity: 2179cc
• Max. Gross power: 120 bhp (89 kW) @ 4000 rpm
• Max. Gross torque: 290 N·m (210 lbf·ft) @ 1800-2800 rpm
• Gear Box: 5 speed manual and 6 speed automatic
• Tyres: P235/70 R16, Radial Tubeless
• Front Brakes: Disc & Caliper type, Twinpod & Tandem booster (with anti-lock braking system)
• Rear Brakes: Drum Type
• Fuel Tank Capacity: 60 l (13 imp gal; 16 US gal)
• Fuel Type: Diesel
• Turning circle radius: 5.6 m (18 ft) for 2WD

 The new Scorpio will be available with two diesel engines. The 2.5-litre m2DiCr engine will power the base S2 trim, while the 2.2-litre mHawk mill will power the S4, S6, S6 Plus, S8 and S10 trims. The Mahindra Scorpio S2 trim comes equipped with basic necessities like air-conditioning, power steering, power windows, central locking and 15-inch steel wheels.
The exterior changes are easier to spot. The doors and roof are carried over, but the all-new front end is what gives the Scorpio its new identity. The traditional fan-shaped grille has been replaced by a more striking and modern one with blade-like chrome slats. There are projector headlamps along with attractive LED ‘eyebrows’, and the all-new bumper seems like it is wrapped around a hidden bull bar. The larger 17-inch alloys look great, but the gap in the wheel arches at the rear means the wheels look smaller than they are.

 The Scorpio’s interiors have aged faster than the exterior, so it’s just as well that Mahindra has spruced up the cabin with an all-new dashboard, plenty of exciting features and brand new seats. The dash is a neat, clean and angular design with the top of the dash is finished in matte black and the lower half in a nice shade of beige. The power window switches have been shifted from the centre console to a more handy location on the doors, and the fuel filler cover release is also conveniently located behind the steering wheel and metallic highlights inside the cabin look good. There are, however, some cheap-looking bits, like the door handles that you think might break off if you pull them too firmly, and the plastics are still not up to scratch either. Poorly executed joints and seams tell you that overall quality still isn’t quite up to Japanese standards, but in fairness, it’s a big step up from the earlier Scorpio. 

Features that are sure to impress are the six-inch infotainment touchscreen borrowed from the XUV500, an in-built GPS system, temperature and pressure sensors for the tyres, and rear-parking sensors. Some versions will even get cruise control and steering-mounted controls on the smaller, sportier steering wheel, also very similar to the one in the XUV. Settle down in the driver’s seat and memories of the earlier car’s poor ergonomics come flooding back. There’s no central locking button on the dash and you have to use the lock on the door handle, which is a bit fidgety. Front passengers will miss storage for bottles; there’s one central bottle holder but that space is where you end up keeping your phone or toll change.

M&M has also improved space in the middle row by slimming down the seats and moving them back a bit to carve out more space. The bench seat itself is now more comfortable too, thanks to good thigh support, a high seating position and a finely adjusted backrest angle. The seats, which extend all the way to the doors, are nice and wide, which makes travelling five up fairly comfortable. Our test car came with side-facing jump seats rather than a third row, which isn’t great for safety or comfort, but does the job for short journeys.

The biggest area of improvement, however, is ride and handling. The new chassis and suspension have made a world of a difference to the dynamics of the car. For starters, the ride is better – the stiffer chassis has allowed the engineers to use more supple suspension aggregates. The Scorpio is now really pliant at low speeds and that takes the edge out of the bumps and potholes. The ride is also much flatter and more settled, there’s less pitching and bobbing, and for absolute ride comfort, it comes close to the mighty Innova. It’s only when you gain momentum that this softly sprung SUV has more vertical movement.

it has improved in almost all areas, and that elevates this SUV to an all-new level. Better to look at, better to sit in and much nicer to drive, the new Scorpio, has what it takes to remain the huge success it’s been, especially now that it's been priced almost the same as the outgoing model - from Rs 7.98-11.46 lakh.