My dad currently has the WagonR. Its about 7 years old now. He is a photographer hobbyist so does a lot of riding into the forests and no road territory every week end for the past 4 years. You won't believe what that car can handle. It is still in one piece
and he does not find any car that seem to fit his needs better. His car got stuck only once in a hole just the size of the wheel which he and his friend solved by applying manual force in one direction.
My point is that farm track driving and a bad roads are something most of our cars can handle if it has a stiff suspension and a medium ground clearance. Keeping this in mind i can see the SX4 will easily fit your requirement. If you are not in need for a 7 seater car your parents are bound to be happy with SX4 as it has a lot of car like traits and still can match an average SUV in off-road performance. The SX4 hip level is also lower which will make getting in and out easy(very good for older people) as compared to the Scorpio. It also has most of the safety equipments like the Airbags, ABS, Pre-tensioner etc which is worth the investment. In city conditions SX4 out performs any SUV with its higher than normal car seating position, light EPS, definitely lighter clutch and manageable car like dimensions(psychological).
The only defect of the SX4 is that it does not have a diesel engine.
On the other hand Scorpio is also a good SUV.