[veyron1]

Originally Posted by suman

Do tell us......

as you wish, sirjee;

THE GOOD...: to begin with, a startling treatment has been given at the rear, both mechanically and aesthetically; the tail lamps look pleasing, and is a vast improvement over the previous "bubble" units. it seems like mahindra is "rear-oriented", as the next big step in the form of the 5-link rear suspension seems to be a drastic improvement over it's leaf-springed variant too. the ride quality is a MAJOR improvement , and no "bouncing" effect from the predecessors experienced here; ride quality is still is a shade below safari DICOR, though. the steering has been weighed up quite a bit, and feels a LOT better, with nicer feedback and better effort (the scorpio scores over the DICOR in handling) ;all of which means that the scorpio is a much more stable car now, and takes speeds upto 140 kmph with confidence, MUCH unlike it's predecessor; i could't judge the remaining 20 kmph, however, as i didn't get enough roads. the engine, as before, is it's plus point.



THE BAD....: ill-fitting trims, panel gaps, factory-spec rickety fittings and that awkward adjustment lever placed BESIDE the steering wheel (which has to be moved up/down) for adjusting steering rake, are a few of the gawky stuff. and hey, guess what- no engine-bay light for a 9-lac rupee car; it's still a damn dealer fitment for 400 bucks. no power mirrors either. still. wasn't this supposed to be the "improved" scorpio...? and oh yes, no split/dual A/C as O.E either; another company-endorsed dealer fitment; the good thing is, at least you don't loose warranty if you opt for these fitments...and yeah, the hood scoop is just a ornament (D-U-H). and oh- almost forgot. the sliding rear-seats, although a revelation, still doesn't hide the fact that there isn't much space inside. the 3rd row occupants would keep their orthopaedics busy if the 2nd row was to be moved all the way backward. still, sliding the rear seats back DOES free up a little space though. the legroom is marginally better, although not in the same ballpark as the DICOR.







THE UGLY....: now here's a googly; the brakes used to fade before, and were not your best of buddies under panic/high speed braking. but at least the pedal had bite and feel- the wheels used to shed speed from the first 20 mm of pedal travel- a phenomenon much like the qualis (ever tried braking below 20 kmph on the qualis? i'll bet that you'll lock the rear 9 times out of 10 if you try pushing the pedal farther than 2-2.5 cms.). but now, it's become slightly hairier; suddenly, brake fade and lock-up isn't the issue. the pedal just keeps inching towards the floor, with no signs of speed retardation whatsoever...!! the efficacy of the rear LSPV is of serious doubt to me.of course, i'm pushing the envelope a li'l bit, but the "improved" brakes seem to have lost their bite, and the pedal play is a lot more than it's predecessor. i couldn't check out brake fade over a long distance- but harsh/high speed braking is still not it's forte'. and the brakes DO fade after repeated use...

all in all, is the improved scorpio crde good? yes. is it better? definitely. is it the best? well, not quite. the scorpio is still no all-rounder; space is still an issue, rear seat comfort isn't the best, the quality could be better, and hey- while we're at it, why isn't a borg-warner (optional), offered as a variant? the dealers still claim HUGE waiting periods for the 4x4, and guess what- they're manually engaging 4x4 mechanisms.

but still, the scorpio is the most practical MUV you can find for this sorta money....

[BUSA]

Nice review there Veyron!

I was shocked today to see a Safari Dicor with markings showing that its being tested but then it was a Left Hand Version. Safari DICOR is being exported. I am pleasantly surprised.

I saw there of them but could manage a pic of only one:-

[soccer]

I would vouch for every word that Veyron1 has put in his review. Except for the sliding seat and a better rear suspension as tested on city roads. there really nothing new to it. The larger tail lights too have come rather late. Even small cars had larger tail light than the Scorpio & they really should'nt take credit for it.

The Safari is a genuine SUV or ATV ( All terrain Vehicle ) and its Ad too, reflects its true nature. An off-roader in the truest sense and the scorpio can't come anywhere closer to it. In its present form I would rate the Scorpio more as a glorified Car than a SUV.

The SLX test driven by me yesterday at India Garage was mostly in the Cubbon Park area and frankly I couldn't feel the difference between the old and the new. Lets see, the dealer has promised me give me a long test drive on the highways. I have already earmarked the route , which I have tried and tested with the Safari.

[Rodeo]

Tata's engine's are still not very reliable... i would stay away from Tata... I have experienced owning Tata vechicles...

[bigman]

Originally Posted by BUSA

Nice review there Veyron!

I was shocked today to see a Safari Dicor with markings showing that its being tested but then it was a Left Hand Version. Safari DICOR is being exported. I am pleasantly surprised.

I saw there of them but could manage a pic of only one:-

The non Dicor has been exported to a number of countries, so it makes sense to offer the Dicor. The old Safari has been sold in the UK for a number of years. They are not highly rated and depreciate heavily. Today I saw more than 10 brand new Tata pick ups (unregistered) for sale at a place that sells army surplus vehicles. Says it all when your vehicles get dumped at an army surplus trader.

[bigman]

Originally Posted by soccer

I would vouch for every word that Veyron1 has put in his review. Except for the sliding seat and a better rear suspension as tested on city roads. there really nothing new to it. The larger tail lights too have come rather late. Even small cars had larger tail light than the Scorpio & they really should'nt take credit for it.

The Safari is a genuine SUV or ATV ( All terrain Vehicle ) and its Ad too, reflects its true nature. An off-roader in the truest sense and the scorpio can't come anywhere closer to it. In its present form I would rate the Scorpio more as a glorified Car than a SUV.

The SLX test driven by me yesterday at India Garage was mostly in the Cubbon Park area and frankly I couldn't feel the difference between the old and the new. Lets see, the dealer has promised me give me a long test drive on the highways. I have already earmarked the route , which I have tried and tested with the Safari.

Mahindra have never marketed the Scorpio as an SUV. They have always marketed it as a car so it is not a very good comparison.

As for the all terrain ability of the Safari being better, how many people actually use it off road ? I would say that the majority are never used off road and as such it is rather futile using this as a positive point in favour of the Safari.

[suman]

Crisp and objective review Veyron1, answers most of my questions......there was a 25% of me trying to weigh the possibilities of going in for the Scorpio but after reading your review, I'm waiting a while longer for better options!

[sajo]

Originally Posted by BUSA

I was shocked today to see a Safari Dicor with markings showing that its being tested but then it was a Left Hand Version. Safari DICOR is being exported. I am pleasantly surprised.

The other day, I saw three in a row parked just outside the ARAI gates. And they were RHD. It was not heavily camouflaged though, just white tapes over the badges, hood (why?), door handles and the spare wheel. All had MH14 TC numbers.

[Roshun]

Originally Posted by veyron1

all in all, is the improved scorpio crde good? yes. is it better? definitely. is it the best? well, not quite. the scorpio is still no all-rounder; space is still an issue, rear seat comfort isn't the best, the quality could be better, and hey- while we're at it, why isn't a borg-warner (optional), offered as a variant? the dealers still claim HUGE waiting periods for the 4x4, and guess what- they're manually engaging 4x4 mechanisms.

Manually engaging 4x4 mechanism? Are you sure? I was given to understand it's a Borg Warner electric shift-on-the-fly mechanism, as was offered on the old Scorpio and Bolero.

That said, I still like the Scorpio over The DICOR - can't seem to understand the logic of squeezing and reengineering the 407 engine to fit the Safari - especially since it's supposed to be a luxury SUV. Also the Safari's 4x4 mechanism is a bit too fiddly for comfort (one tiny little dial, which you can't notice on the Dash), not to say that it behaves like an elephant having a bath, when subject to slushy terrain.

[GTO]

The Safari is a genuine SUV or ATV ( All terrain Vehicle ) and its Ad too, reflects its true nature. An off-roader in the truest sense and the scorpio can't come anywhere closer to it. In its present form I would rate the Scorpio more as a glorified Car than a SUV.

None of the two are actual off-roaders. They are really incapable of serious venturing on the beaten path.

GTO

[devarshi84]

yes but they are capable enough for those who will take their vehicles off road once in while.

They are more capable than the price we pay for.

[soccer]

You are right about the Scorpio, but I don't agree with you on The safari. Other than the X-trail, Safari is the only suv you could call or use as an off-roader. Recently there was huge Lorry traffic jam of almost 10 Kms or more near Hospet (Karnataka)and nothing had moved for the last 3-4 hours. I ask a local farmer if there was any other route to get away. We could use that route only because we were adventerous and inside a Safari.

Hats off to its performance on that sector. It was great fun. Other than that it is a typical Tata Vehicle with all its rattles.

God bless.

[devarshi84]

tata still has some time to go before their cars quality can be compared to foreign makes.

[soccer]

Originally Posted by devarshi84

tata still has some time to go before their cars quality can be compared to foreign makes.

Tatas can never ever reach that far and I don't think they even intent to. I am sure that day would never dawn when their cars could be compared to the foreign ones.

God bless.

[devarshi84]

Originally Posted by soccer

Tatas can never ever reach that far and I don't think they even intent to. I am sure that day would never dawn when their cars could be compared to the foreign ones.

God bless.

Thats a very negative statement. Please give some facts to base your reasons.