[turbo]

Originally Posted by vivekgk

Ah, Not Quite. Let's take a look at the pricing, fresh off CarDekho.com
Attachment 2157446

Scorpio S11 is the absolute top variant.
The base model is Scorpio S5.
Its a full 5 lakhs cheaper.

[mr.sinha]

Love my 2014 4WD black Scorpio LX and wouldn't trade it for any other vehicle in the sub-20L range. I got mine for a little under 12L. Have driven it to the remotest of places in Ladakh, HP, Sikkim and Arunachal over the years, and drove up to Sandakphu in 2015 where the roads were very rough and steep uphills 6 years ago. The abuse that this vehicle can take is amazing. This also included a few off-roading trips in Bengal where it almost went head-to-head with the Willys, Thars and Gypsys.
Been to multiple long road trips to North Bengal, UP, Orissa, AP with my family with no complaints. The vehicle has behaved perfectly on all my trips till date, with absolutely no trouble.
All it requires is regular maintenance, and recently some change in side panels for some rusting issue due to mud and debris accumulated behind the front mudguards. Inanimate though it is, if you love it, it will love you back.
Overall I am one of many superbly satisfied customers of Scorpio, and will definitely consider buying the next gen Scorpio when its time to switch due to the stupid 15-yr rule (even though I have maintained mine in pristine condition till now), or unless the new Thar comes out with a 4-door option before that.
I believe Mahindra has created a real winner in this vehicle which will be difficult to replicate. May the Scorpio live on for a few more decades.

[dark.knight]

There are 3 icons of the 2000s, the tallboy hatchback called Santro, the half level above Swift and the SUV Scorpio.

The Scorpio defined the segment above Bolero, and both kept the cash registers ringing for Mahindra with the 1-2 punch of urban-rural coverage. The tail-lamps of the Scorpio are so iconic that locally made buses used that exact spare-part fitted to their rear.

It is also the car that took over the mantle of the goon's car from the Omni, and conveniently it was light enough that it took off into orbit after a mere bullet-hit, Rohit Shetty took full advantage of that.

Jokes apart, it served the purpose for its time, it was spacious, reasonably comfortable and well enduring, and like it's brother the Bolero, easy to repair after a session of rock-climbing, streaming and sand ratting. Like the Omni, it has no challenge with respect to getting your money's worth and thus the sales.

[Rev4×4]

The reason : same as everyone else has stated
Cult following
Ruggedness and off-road capability
Good resale value
Can be modified to QUITE a bit of extent
But even after that, I belive it's time for it to go and be replaced with something safer, better dynamics and a bit less 'crude' (I know it's part of the cars ruggedness, but it feels weird since it's 2021)
When sitting in the car, even as a passanger, you don't get the sense of security or the refiness as in an XUV, which just feels more stable, especially at speeds and has better driving dynamics too.

[NiInJa]

The Scorpio for Mahindra is what Pulsar 220F is for Bajaj. There is a reason why both of them sell in respectable numbers even today despite better and safer options.
- Over the years, the niggles have been sorted or workarounds have been found to deal with them
- Being old school, maintenance is easier and cheap
- FNGs have good knowledge of this vehicle as it has been around for a long time
- A huge aftermarket accessories and parts collection
- They both look and feel big, something we like (myself included), considering the price point, they sort of compete with Fortuner and Endeavors in the 'feel' aspect

[vivekgk]

Originally Posted by turbo

Scorpio S11 is the absolute top variant.
The base model is Scorpio S5.
Its a full 5 lakhs cheaper.

Actually the base model is the S3+. It is a full 6 lacs cheaper. Please go through my previous post fully to understand my point.

[purohitanuj]

Have been driving an AT Scorpio for last 5-6 years. I regularly do very long highway runs (700-900km One way) and believe me when I say that nothing else in segment can do things which a Scorpio can. Trucks / Buses /Cars will give you way on a single light flash.

Have you seen massive x 2 speed breakers on NH8? All cars rubs underbelly as a gesture to such roads, but Scorpio can glide over them.

I don't remember looking "down" at road to navigate road perils; it also means I can focus ahead on the road itself.

The massive torque allows the Scorpio to pick up pace very quickly. I generally drive at 90KM/Hr but I can quickly reach to that speed from, say 40KM/hr. It is very hard to pick a new car other than Scorpio as the only logical choice is Ford Endeavour.

[SukhamritR]

Mahindra Scorpio is an amazing vehicle and is the best example of a value for money product.

I have driven all generations of this vehicle for various lengths of time and am amazed with the refinements Mahindra has done to it and still managed to keep the prices competitive.

I own a 2013 BS3 4x2 mHawk VLX and have driven it beyond 2 lakh kilometres in the last 8 years. The vehicle has never let me down and has borne all kinds of abuse it has been subjected to. The vehicle is light on the pocket to maintain and has a good network of service centres.

Back then it cost me around 11 lakhs and had features which vehicles even double it’s price didn’t offer. There is a sensor for almost everything. TPMS, rain sensing wipers, auto headlamps, voice prompt for open doors, handbrake, and seatbelt, etc. And even though these were not something which I was looking for in a car, each of these have made the experience of driving more fun and relaxed. Now I don’t enjoy driving any other car if these features are missing.

The mHawk is an amazing engine and responds to even slight taps regardless of what rpm it is currently at. It makes overtaking a breeze and lead to more confidence while driving. The seating position is excellent and gives the driver a commanding view of the road. Very few vehicles can match this.

I agree that the middle row has it’s flaws. TBH all vehicles this size have that problem. I have company fitted captain seats in the second row and the last row (which can be easily removed) has been taken out and this gives me a boot as big as a pickup truck. This arrangement suits me coz mostly I require 3 or 4 seats only. It allow as me to carry as much stuff as I would need without having to ever think twice.

The suspension is able to handle all kinds of terrain. The car is stable at all legal speeds and even beyond if need be. My stock tyres lasted me a cool 1.20 lakh kms and I replaced them with the same make. The second set is still doing good duty. This long life according to me is thanks to the TPMS coz I have always been able to maintain appropriate tyre pressure and never have been stranded coz of a flat tyre.

I think I will stop here coz this is turning into an ownership review 😁

But am sure that by reading this much anyone would understand how Mahindra has managed to sustain the sales numbers.

[UP!!!!]

We owned Mahindra Scorpio SLE during the period of 2009 - 2017 and clocked around 120K kilometers during this period.

Ohh boy, what a machine it was. mHawk engine was a bliss and joyful to drive.

While we sold it in 2017 and since then my Ford Ecosport is performing the same duty flawlessly but every time I see another Scorpio on the road (which is very common in North India), I miss it to the core.

Scorpio has another level of charm in Northern part of India which can only be replicated by Fortuner which costs almost 2.5x of Scorpio.

[IP_Man]

Scorpio has Jeep's DNA in the design. Look at that short and too much vertical windscreen. Almost non protruding weird looking dash. when door closes, it becomes difficult to adjust driver's seat. Big SUV but cramped space inside. Unstable body structure.

Against all these odds it is selling well. Why? Is a mystery for me because much more car like and better looking Tata Safari did not sell well.

Majority of the sell of scorpio is in rural and semi rural area may be the reason buyers ignored the ergonomics flaws and considered utility value of this SUV. Lack of competition is another reason for its success.

[GeeTee TSI]

It would have been interesting to see the Scorpio take the Elk test I guess it wouldn't have mattered in its success path.

Impressive that it came with an automatic transmission option way ahead its time

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by IP_Man

Against all these odds it is selling well. Why? Is a mystery for me because much more car like and better looking Tata Safari did not sell well.

Majority of the sell of scorpio is in rural and semi rural area may be the reason buyers ignored the ergonomics flaws and considered utility value of this SUV. Lack of competition is another reason for its success.

Design, Drive train, Price - that is what established the brand. I have read somewhere that they sold it at a loss in the beginning. News was that M&M was preparing a Pajero clone at that time.

This is not a Scorpio phenomenon but as you travel from city to Village, you will start seeing a lot more M&M badges the further you move into small towns and villages, especially if they are near a mountain or places with poor road infrastructure. So Mahindra can sell you a tractor, a Bolero pickup and a few Utility vehicles and crossovers within the same brand.

[VKumar]

Late to the thread, when in PGDM, I did a project on SUVs by Mahindra, for which I collected entire sales figures since 2011 for Mahindra SUVs and their competition - a special thanks to T-BHP monthly sales figure threads, which have the data since over 10 years well preserved.

This is how the sales of Scorpio from January 2011 to April 2021 appear like:

• Total Units Sold (January 2011-April 2021): 4,91,767
• Average Sales Per Month (January 2011 to April 2021): 3998 units

If you look at the trendline, it is on a downward slope, but that's absolutely normal. Of course the market volumes have increased and Scorpio hasn't been able to maintain that kind of market share, but now the customers are spoiled for choice, and the Scorpio is actually, ahem ahem - old! But the way this old warhorse has been taking on the rivals in indeed appreciable! It also somewhere shows that how much profits are being made on these front wheel driven compact SUVs by their respective manufacturers. Plastics and features never cost as much as a tech loaded big block with rugged mechanicals do - and see how much Mahindra asks you to pay for the Scorpio even now!

Why people still want a Scorpio? 5 factors IMO:

Engine: Still the biggest pro of Scorpio, it's a shame that the dynamics still don't allow you to fully utilize it, but the engine that comes under the hood is simply mind blowing in every manner. The puny 1.5 blocks may feels good on highways, but take it on a low speed loaded trip, or simply go to hills, and that's when you realize what a difference of two worlds is there between this awesome 2.2 and those economy focussed 1.5s.

Reliability and Ruggedness: I can testify it, we have used the Scorpio in a situation where probably everything else would have given up to those non existent roads. Scorpio used to rally there daily at 50-60 kph (And it lasted 66000 kms in 13 months), other than suspension bushes - nothing else gave up, absolutely nothing. The mechanicals seem to be military grade in terms of ruggedness!

Driving Position: There is a difference between a pseudo SUV and a real SUV. Nothing much requires to be said.

Design: The basic boxy design has been timeless, and Scorpio is an aggressive looking SUV. In fact it's only the SUV looking SUV you can buy under 25 lac today; everything else is a mutated hatchback under this budget, other than a few utilitarian options.

Lack of Competition: If you have 16 lac in hand, and you want the following:

• Seven seats with front facing third row
• Rugged body on frame construction
• Reasonable features and comfort
• Less to no maintenance
• Nice engine
• Macho looks
• Fantastic Resale Value

Just like Creta is having a competition free, free run in its category, same applies to Scorpio; there is no actual competition in sight. With all these requirements, either you get XUV 5OO or Crysta by paying more, if you want to pay less, you can have only Scorpio!

Additionally, even I would like to have one in black, no matter what cons it comes with

[Roshun]

Interesting discussion. I can't quite put a finger on just one reason, but most of it has been covered in this thread. I own two Scorpios now, because when I upgraded, I felt "nothing else would do". My key decision points were the rugged, go-anywhere utility of the vehicle, the gem of an engine, and the absolute value for money at the time.

I bought my first Scorpio in 2006. It is a DX CRDe 4wd - the only affordable, "comfortable" four-wheel drive vehicle available at that price point in time. It cost Rs 9.38 lakh on-road, Delhi. It was my one vehicle for all purposes and has served me brilliantly for over 230,000 Km across India in all road conditions and no-road conditions (including some OTRs). It's currently leading a retired life in Coorg where its 4wd is being put to good use. In terms of maintenance, it has been reliable. Two clutch changes, two suspension overhauls, four sets of tyres, five batteries, one AC compressor, a couple of belts, one alternator change are probably the most expensive repairs it has seen. No major issues otherwise.

I bought my second Scorpio in 2015. It is an S10 4wd. The idea at that point was to replace the first one, but I ended up using both for a short while before the former went to Coorg to my mom. While the S10 cost me Rs 16.4 lakh on-road, It is much better than the former in terms of suspension comfort, handling and refinement, but of course, still rugged and does feel dated now. It's also more plasticky. It has also done a few trips across the highways India, with extensive use of cruise control, as well as some off-road use in snow and sand. Still going strong. But the value for money quotient is reducing with later iterations.

The vehicle also brought me together with a great group of friends (from a Scorpio group we had back in 2006) and thereby increasing its emotional value. While a few have moved on to other vehicles, and a couple are no more, we continue to keep in touch.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by Roshun

Still going strong. But the value for money quotient is reducing with later iterations.

By which you mean the 140ps 2018 one and then this upcoming new Scorpio I suppose? I have a 2015 S10 myself (2wd though) and will be keeping it another few years, but I would like to hear from you what you feel is the reduction in vfm.