Some comments of mine below:
1. I have driven a Bolero for 30000 kms and many many Mahindra Jeeps before that - cannot estimate the number of Kms driven.
2. Driven several Scorpios including the old Gen and my newer Gen one AND the latest gen one - maybe around 15000 odd kms or so total over the last few years.
3. Now I ve also TD'd the Xylo and can clearly see progress as outlined in my earlier post.
I ve put feedback on Scorpio handling on several other threads and beg to differ in some ways with what is said below by BHP1.
1. Braking - you cannot just jam the brakes on this vehicle and expect the vehicle to stop. Pumping the brakes a bit while braking and at the same time, shifting down a gear or two is a better way to slow down from speeds over 80Kmph. Better to use the gears always. ABS is a huge necessity on vehicles as big as Scorpio, especially on wet road conditions. The seat belts are very adequate to keep one firmly locked in. However a 3 pointer harness seat belt would be excellent.
2. Body roll is expected to an extent with a vehicle with such a high CG. (Does anyone here seriously think that a "foreign" Land Cruiser/ Land Rover does not have any body roll??- Please think again!!)
Therefore one cannot drive it like one would, a sports sedan. However, even in the back seat, when the passengers are strapped in properly, there is a marked reduction in being "thrown around". After all, the vehicle does come equipped with three seat belts in the back and these ought to be used by passengers.
3. Driving position: I am 6ft 2 inches tall and yes, compared with my Bolero the Scorpio has a little less legroom. But I would NOT say the driving position is as bad as is made out below, provided of course one is strapped in properly.
4. By placing some reasonable ballast/ load in the rear of the Scorpio and/ or travelling in it with 4 passengers plus assorted golf bags/luggage etc, I have clearly seen that the vehicle sits very well on the road even while taking curves etc.
5.But here I repeat - you cannot expect to drive at speeds more than 120 MAX MAX unless you want a tension filled/ uncomfortable drive. After all, driving is meant to get you comfortably to your destination and the comfort of your passengers plays a very large part, as does a sense of "responsibility" towards other road users. And we know very well that our highways, however great they may be now when compared with the past, are nowhere near the highways abroad. Consequently one needs to drive accordingly. IMO the optimum speed for Scorpio on highway is 90-110kmph. This is very comfortable, controllable and certainly helps save/ maximise Fuel efficiency as well.
6.Last but not least, one is NOT supposed to "fling" such vehicles around curves, either on the plains OR in the hills, unless one secretly harbours a death wish of some kind. After all, lets not ever forget in our enthusiasm for driving and showing off our various skills, that in all these vehicles, we are riding on a combination of rubber, carbon black, metal and AIR - namely, ones wheels & tyres!
All I wish to say at the end of these points is that with each subsequent effort by Mahindra's, we are seeing considerable improvement over the last generation of their vehicles. There is no reason to suppose this progress will stop. As the country, environment, expectations and "education" of vehicle users/ buyers/ road users improves with time, we will keep receiving better things from indigenous manufacturers like Mahindras. Having grown up with old CJ 500 jeeps, Ambys, Fiats, Standard Heralds and so on, I do believe the Indian vehicle situation has come a long way in the last 12 years or so - more progress made in the last decade than was made over the last 50 years of Independence!
Therefore, lets all of us stop "pontificating" and move on with life.
Cheers
[quote=bhp1;1151842]
Why would you not admit that Scorpio is unsafe?
I have driven Scorpio for ~ 2.5k kms., its good to drive, etc. but braking is pathetic, handling is bad, body roll is exceptional, driving position makes one feel as if in case of an accident or heavy braking, driver would fly off the front glass. Otherwise too, its built is not crash worthy.