Team-BHP - Mahindra Scorpio facelift spotted testing. EDIT: Launched at Rs. 9.97 lakhs

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Originally Posted by shashanka (Post 4234665)

And this is what I find baffling. Despite the genuine appreciation that the Storme 400 has acquired from enthusiasts across the board, why are the sales figures so dismal? This I feel is the reason why M&M has gotten away with the Scorpio without any major upgrades since the last one in 2014. If it had faced heat in the market-place from the Storme 400, the picture would have been different.

The Scorpio would have still ruled the roost. Here are a few reasons:

1. The Scorpio commands a much greater brand value for the masses compared to the Safari which has been famous for its niggles, low reliability and high maintenance costs thanks to the mistakes and attitude of TML till the V-400.
2. The Scorpio has spread its brand reach by having the right model mix in place, right from the M2Di to the S10 4WD which the Safari never could/did. There is Scorpio for everyone.
3. The Scorpio has always come loaded with features that appeal to the masses, the list is long and matters a LOT to 90% of the customers. The Safari has been bare bones, boring and bland to the masses.
4. Both Mahindra and Tata have a taxi image, BUT, while Mahindra has manufactured reliable and dependable taxies (Bolero, Scorpio and to some extent the Xylo), TML has been plagued with issues with the Indica, Sumo/Grande, Aria & the Nano.
5. The Safari was always a 5 seater whereas the Scorpio, by moving its middle row slightly forward, managed to be a successful 7/9 seater for the masses.
6. Due to its demand, pricing and reliability, the Scorpio has had amazing resale value throughout its life and continues to hold it. The Safari is a depreciation disaster.

The Safari claimed/tried/was positioned to be a luxury SUV without any "customer oriented" luxury to speak of (features, service, reliability, resale) except product concept while the Scorpio was positioned as a young, new-gen, feature rich vehicle and it successfully delivered it on most counts.

There are many more interesting reasons but these should suffice for the moment.

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Originally Posted by n.devdath (Post 4235629)

The Scorpio would have still ruled the roost. Here are a few reasons:
1. The Scorpio commands a much greater brand value for the masses compared to the Safari which has been famous for its niggles, low reliability and high maintenance costs thanks to the mistakes and attitude of TML till the V-400.
2. The Scorpio has spread its brand reach by having the right model mix in place, right from the M2Di to the S10 4WD which the Safari never could/did. There is Scorpio for everyone.
3. The Scorpio has always come loaded with features that appeal to the masses, the list is long and matters a LOT to 90% of the customers. The Safari has been bare bones, boring and bland to the masses.
4. Both Mahindra and Tata have a taxi image, BUT, while Mahindra has manufactured reliable and dependable taxies (Bolero, Scorpio and to some extent the Xylo), TML has been plagued with issues with the Indica, Sumo/Grande, Aria & the Nano.
5. The Safari was always a 5 seater whereas the Scorpio, by moving its middle row slightly forward, managed to be a successful 7/9 seater for the masses.
6. Due to its demand, pricing and reliability, the Scorpio has had amazing resale value throughout its life and continues to hold it. The Safari is a depreciation disaster.
The Safari claimed/tried/was positioned to be a luxury SUV without any "customer oriented" luxury to speak of (features, service, reliability, resale) except product concept while the Scorpio was positioned as a young, new-gen, feature rich vehicle and it successfully delivered it on most counts.
There are many more interesting reasons but these should suffice for the moment.

Hi devdath,
You have re-iterated my faith in the Scorpio (my 12+ year old is still going strong - "nothing else will do"!) and thank you for enumerating the long list of positives! I still find it amazing that M&M got it so right first try out of the box - and like good wine it just gets better & better with time!

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Originally Posted by shashanka (Post 4234665)

And this is what I find baffling. Despite the genuine appreciation that the Storme 400 has acquired from enthusiasts across the board, why are the sales figures so dismal?

To understand this, you only need to look at the evolution of the Tata Safari and the Scorpio. Once was launched with a powerful 2.6 Liter DI engine which made 105 bhp/26 KGM Torque. The other had a 1.9 liter IDI engine that made 90 bhp and 20 kgm Torque.

One kept getting upgrades to engine and interiors, while the other languished. The so called engine upgrade was a Tata 407 engine with a common rail pump which is essentially the 3.0 Liter DICOR engine.

Tata's essentially killed the Safari brand by ignoring it, whereas Mahindra continued to invest in the Scorpio brand by continuously enhancing it.

BTW the Storme was launched, Tata had pretty much killed the Safari. Although the Storme was launched on a newer platform, the body was essentially the same and I guess most people would just look at it as Safari Mark - II.

Even now, if they can launch a 4WD Storme with Automatic, like the Scorpio, I think it will find homes.

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Originally Posted by pgsagar (Post 4233959)

I fully agree with you. It's peerless. You have either SUVs above it or SUVs below it but nothing quite like it in the same price bracket. Although I have been waiting very eagerly for Tata Nexon, I would also like to check out new Scorpio. And if it comes with Aisin AT box and price doesn't go up considerably, then I will have a tough time deciding between the two.

Scorpio's shape is just right for me. Not too boxy like Bolero/TUV300 or too curvy like XUV500. It's actually a bit of both. Well, more boxy with just slight curves here and there. Beauty of ladder on frame SUVs is, you can customise by adding lift-kit and big-wheels.

Nexon is finally out, great looks, bordering on to the compressed version of Evoqu but a disappointment for sure if you look at it as a SUV.

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Originally Posted by m_upreti (Post 4237511)

Nexon is finally out, great looks, bordering on to the compressed version of Evoqu but a disappointment for sure if you look at it as a SUV.

I know comparing Nexon to Scorpio or TUV500 is not right. But what I meant was I want to weigh all three options, as launches of all these three vehicles look to be weeks apart, if not days. These three will also be priced within 3 lakhs of one another, with Nexon being smallest and cheapest. And another major difference is, Nexon will be AMT while the other two would be Aisin AT boxes, hopefully.

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Originally Posted by 4x4addict (Post 4236671)

To understand this, you only need to look at the evolution of the Tata Safari and the Scorpio. Once was launched with a powerful 2.6 Liter DI engine which made 105 bhp/26 KGM Torque. The other had a 1.9 liter IDI engine that made 90 bhp and 20 kgm Torque.
One kept getting upgrades to engine and interiors, while the other languished. The so called engine upgrade was a Tata 407 engine with a common rail pump which is essentially the 3.0 Liter DICOR engine.
Tata's essentially killed the Safari brand by ignoring it, whereas Mahindra continued to invest in the Scorpio brand by continuously enhancing it.
BTW the Storme was launched, Tata had pretty much killed the Safari. Although the Storme was launched on a newer platform, the body was essentially the same and I guess most people would just look at it as Safari Mark - II.
Even now, if they can launch a 4WD Storme with Automatic, like the Scorpio, I think it will find homes.

(This maybe majorly OT, and I'm hoping that it slips past the mods!)
You are probably right. I have mentioned this elsewhere in the forum, that TM seems to have a mild case of "death wish" somewhere in their set-up! For an organization to take the bold step of launching the Nano (a splendid effort in my book) and then to leave it in a half-baked state of development, apparently because of the initial error of calling it the poor man's car! - well, to me that smacks of very poor judgement to say the least.

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Originally Posted by RavenAvi (Post 4280402)

Clearest shots of the nearly-uncamouflaged upcoming Scorpio facelift, courtesy my good friend Gautam from Mumbai.

What I can guess from these spy shots,

-Gunmetal or golden color (similar to verito vibe) alloys
-Cosmetic changes to front and rear bumper
-Grill have wider teeth with holes, something similar to their Imperio
-Maybe interior changes, touchscreen infotainment, and a few more gimmicks.

Side profile is okayish, but expecting more from M&M this time. The entire body of Scorpio is almost the same since the launch. Doors though decently heavy don't give the premium feeling (S10 4x2 retails for about 16 lac OTR). Interiors are way too bland for a million plus rupee car. At least introduce newer interiors with better materials for S8 and S10. The car feels purely mechanical to date, though it is a nice vehicle. It was a good buy when it was VLX not S10 and retailed for around 12 lac OTR. Sadly, not anymore. Hope M&M are bringing in a major upgrade to this once loved by all SUV which rained gold for them.

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Originally Posted by PrasunBannerjee (Post 4288006)

The car feels purely mechanical to date, though it is a nice vehicle. It was a good buy when it was VLX not S10 and retailed for around 12 lac OTR. Sadly, not anymore. Hope M&M are bringing in a major upgrade to this once loved by all SUV which rained gold for them.

And therein lies its simplicity. Easy to run and maintain. Yes, prices have gone up but when we compare with over-priced Dusters and Cretas, we find that we get lot of car for what we pay. I also hope they throw in aisin AT box seen in XUV. I'm split between new Scorpio AT, New TUV300 plus( only if it comes with bigger engine , bigger wheels and AMT) and Nexon AMT ( yet to be out ).

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Originally Posted by pgsagar (Post 4288294)

+1. It is a simple, rugged animal that lasts forever (my 12+ year old Glx 2.6 turbo is still going strong & I've no intention yet, of disposing it off). I too am hoping for the new AT box, but I'd hesitate before plonking my hard-earned on the TUV300 - only because of its wheel-spin issues. And since it seems to be basically an issue to do with suspension suppleness & wheel articulation, I had hoped that M&M would have sorted out the issue by now (in an otherwise perfectly acceptable & respectable SUV). Rather than go in for an MLD, which in any case, would require attention after the vehicle has run the mandatory no. of kms.

Regarding the Nexon, I'll join the SUV enthusiasts corner - either provide an AWD option or just call it a wannabe SUV/ hatch-on-stilts. No self-respecting SUV runs on FWD.

Mahindra Scorpio facelift to be launched by mid-November.

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The camouflaged Scorpio facelift indicated that the new model might get redesigned headlamps, new grille, reworked tail lamp unit and subtle changes on the rear door. This time around, the Indian utility car manufacturer is expected to offer the latest seven-inch infotainment system with Android Auto, Car Play as well as Mahindra developed Eco Sense smartphone applications. However, this might be limited to the top-spec variant only.

link

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Originally Posted by dZired (Post 4207267)

Media reports are also pointing towards some tweaks to the powertrain of the SUV. According to speculations, the current 2.2-litre, four-cylinder mHawk powerplant will be retuned to develop around 138 BHP - 20 BHP more than the current model. Torque figures are also expected to be altered.

Source: Autocar India

Confirmation of the same;

Power bumped up to ~138 BHP, 20 BHP more than the current model
New S7 variant in the nomenclature