Refanged and more sting in its tale

In the decade since the Scorpio was launched, Mahindra & Mahindra’s (M&M) automotive division has gone from being a niche, utilitarian sports utility vehicle manufacturer to a multiple SUV maker with global ambitions. In the interim, it has acquired new businesses and brands, entered the two-wheeler space, forayed into making cars etc., but it has still stuck to its core strength in making SUVs that Indian buyers want.

The Scorpio was the catalyst of that change. With its break-away design and build quality, the Scorpio changed the image of M&M overnight. But two generations since its launch in 2002, the Scorpio had lost its sheen a bit and the competition has, of course, joined the party with their own compact SUVs. Buyer expectations have changed too and it is showing in M&M’s SUV sales numbers which have been stagnating or slipping depending on the model.

So, the new generation Scorpio has made it just in time and M&M says that it has gone the whole hog and changed the vehicle inside-out.

The new 2014 Scorpio takes the tried and tested route to woo buyers in this segment with its aggressive front design. An upright grille with fangs instead of the old, simplistic slats, oversized headlamps with dual projectors and a LED brow that creates a new signature at night complement the stance of the new Scorpio. The S10 variant that you see in these pictures also gets an air scoop on the bonnet. A new chunky front fender merges into the side cladding and the flared wheel arches on either side.

The almost wicked front design of the Scorpio is the most stand out feature of its exterior design. The roof panel and the doors have been carried over by M&M engineers and the rear too seems over familiar due to the overall design of the tail-lamps being similar to the outgoing model. The windows, the stepped up roof design and the vertical hatch door design have been trademark elements in the Scorpio since its launch.

At the rear of the new model, the transparent tail-lamps now feature coloured LEDs and a two-tone rear appliqué which enhances the visual width of the Scorpio. Two points about the design that we would like to point out here – one the matt-finish plastic for the rear appliqué may not age well and the 17-inch alloy wheels, though interesting to look at, don’t exactly seem the best fit for the Scorpio.

The overall fit and finish quality of the new Scorpio’s exterior is certainly an improvement over the outgoing model, though we felt that it could have been even better. The plastic panel gaps and the shut-lines could have been tighter. With the new suspension layout in place, the vehicle could have also been lowered a bit more, currently the gap between the wheels and arches is still huge, even after the 17-inch alloys.

The interior of the new Scorpio is, however, a more significant upgrade. The choice of materials feel more upmarket, and the general finish quality has made the cabin plusher and elegant, unlike the previous model’s utilitarian focus. Small chrome elements, a dual-tone dashboard, a new blue backlit instrument cluster and information display are all features that add to the feeling of being in a better vehicle. Depending on the variant, there are quite a few more creature comforts that have been added like automatic climate control, 6-inch touch-screen infotainment system, cruise control and steering mounted control buttons. Some of these elements seem to have been borrowed from the XUV500. But, unlike the larger SUV, which has a number of storage options, the Scorpio is missing anything special in this department, except the cell-phone holders in the second row.

The front seats are wide and well bolstered and the rear bench also offers decent thigh support. But there are a few ergonomics issues like the near impossibility of reaching the driver seat height adjustment handle because there is no gap between the seat and the door panel. The third row foldable jump seats also don’t get any seatbelts.

The new Scorpio looks over familiar in its exterior design and it might be tempting to dismiss this as a facelift, but there is much more to the vehicle under its skin. The most important change in the Scorpio is the new chassis and suspension set up. Featuring an all-new, hydroformed, modular chassis, which is much stiffer than the previous model’s frame on ladder chassis, the new Scorpio’s handling is expectedly improved. The same chassis is expected to form the basis for other future vehicles from Mahindra. The new chassis is not dramatically lighter than the previous one though. The Scorpio’s track has been widened, but the wheelbase remains the same as the old model. Together with the new, suspension and anti-roll tech the Scorpio doesn’t roll or pitch as much as the outgoing model did. Compared to the older version, there were also fewer occasions when the tail would step out and had to be wrestled back into line while cornering hard in the new Scorpio.

The two engines on offer in the new Scorpio are both the same diesel burners in the same state of tune from the outgoing model. One is the 2.5-litre, m2DICR offered in the S2 variant and producing 75bhp of peak power and 200Nm of torque. And the other variants get the more refined 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine. This mill produces the same 120bhp of peak power and 280Nm of peak torque. What is new to both the engines is the addition of the 5-speed gearbox from the XUV500 with ratios that have been tuned for the Scorpio. The mHawk in S10 variant we test drove felt comfortable in both city and highway conditions. There is a bit of turbolag, even though it has a variable geometry turbocharger. But, though peak torque kicks in at 1,800rpm, there is enough pulling power to exploit for quick overtakes even on city roads. It is a relatively refined engine and doesn’t get too noisy except at high revs.

The new Scorpio is a big step up from the previous model. Mahindra should have used the opportunity to redesign and visually differentiate the model even more than has been attempted.

Scorpio fans will certainly easily find reasons to upgrade. But finding new buyers in big numbers will be a task for Mahindra, especially in the city. There is no dearth of buyers wanting the SUV ownership experience in the city; it is just that they are increasingly choosing compact SUVs.

Suburbia will still be excited by the Scorpio and even more so by the fact that the prices for the new model have been retained at almost the same level as the outgoing model.

COMMENT NOW