Team-BHP > Team-BHP Reviews > Official New Car Reviews


Reply
  Search this Thread
206,284 views
Old 15th February 2018, 18:28   #1
Senior - BHPian
 
blackwasp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Navi Mumbai
Posts: 2,966
Thanked: 26,228 Times
2018 Mahindra Scorpio Facelift (140 BHP) : Official Review

The 2018 Mahindra Scorpio is on sale in India at a price of between Rs. 10.0 - 16.1 lakhs (ex-Delhi).

What you'll like:

• Same popular SUV package, now improved in the 2018 avatar
• Robust, abuse-friendly build & construction
• Aggressive front-end styling. Has good street presence
• mHawk turbo diesel is a jewel of an engine. 140 BHP tune even more so
• Finally gets a 6th gear, although only on the higher variants
• 2014 chassis update did improve its road manners
• The Scorpio enjoys strong resale value in the used car market
• Features: 6" touchscreen, reversing camera, auto-headlamps & wipers, cruise control…

What you won't:

• 16-year old body shell shows its age. The Scorpio feels outdated in many areas
• Ride quality is far from plush. Still gets bouncy, bumpy & shaky
• Surprisingly limited 2nd-row legroom in an SUV of this size
• Fit & finish leave a lot to be desired. Rough edges are plentiful
• 4x4 on the top S11 variant only (was earlier available in the cheaper S4 too)
• Higher trims are overpriced & dangerously close to the superior XUV500
• Niggles & issues, as reported by existing Scorpio owners
• Mahindra's after-sales service quality is a hit or miss. It remains a gamble


Last edited by Rehaan : 16th February 2018 at 14:53.
blackwasp is offline   (41) Thanks
Old 15th February 2018, 18:28   #2
Senior - BHPian
 
blackwasp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Navi Mumbai
Posts: 2,966
Thanked: 26,228 Times

Since the Mahindra Scorpio has already been reviewed by Team-BHP, this report will only focus on changes made to the facelift. To read the full official review, click here.


Last edited by GTO : 15th February 2018 at 18:36.
blackwasp is offline   (16) Thanks
Old 15th February 2018, 18:29   #3
Senior - BHPian
 
blackwasp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Navi Mumbai
Posts: 2,966
Thanked: 26,228 Times



Mahindra launched the Scorpio back in 2002. During those days, a 2.6L diesel and a 2.1L petrol engine were used to power it. The SUV was an instant hit with the masses & Mahindra kept updating the vehicle from time to time. The first major update came in 2007 when the Scorpio was given the 2.2L mHawk engine. Over the years, the car was given feature additions such as ABS & airbags, a 6-speed automatic gearbox etc. In 2014, the Scorpio got changes to the running gear as well, but the overall look of the vehicle remained unchanged. Among other things, it got a new modular chassis, new front and rear axles and updated suspension components.

For the 2017 facelift, Mahindra has used the engine and gearbox from the XUV500. The 2.2L, 4-cylinder mHawk diesel unit makes 140 BHP @ 3,750 rpm and 320 Nm @ 1500-2800 rpm. While the power figure is identical to the XUV500, the torque is 10 Nm lesser.

The price of the Scorpio has greatly increased over the years. In 2002, it was priced at Rs. 5.50 - 6.35 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai), while the 2014 model was priced between Rs. 7.97 - 12.55 lakhs. This facelifted version sells for Rs. 10.05 - 16.09 lakhs! IMHO, the top variants are too expensive for such an old car. Yet, it is surprising that a car essentially from the early 2000s is selling at a healthy rate of 4,000 units a month. Such is the following the 'Scorpio' brand enjoys.

2018 Mahindra Scorpio Facelift (140 BHP) : Official Review-scorpio.png

The 2017 facelift gets a 7-slat grille that looks very similar to the one seen on the Jeep Compass. A similar grille with 5 slats was also seen on the Mahindra Genio pickup truck (click here to see it). We'll discuss other changes with the pictures below. However, I must say that the exterior fit & finish leaves a lot to be desired. Look closely and you'll notice a lot of rough edges & inconsistencies; it is not even close to Japanese or Korean standards, or even Mahindra's own XUV500. Shut lines are inconsistent, window beadings are ill-fitted and you can actually see exposed screws around the car. Even the paint quality feels mediocre. One definitely expects superior levels of finesse on a car costing 11 - 18 lakhs on the road.

The Scorpio is available in 4 trim levels - S3, S5, S7 and S11. Like the pre-facelift version, it is sold with a choice of two diesel engines. The S3 base variant is powered by the agricultural 2.5L, 4-cylinder m2DICR motor, while the S5, S7 and S11 variants get the 2.2L, 4-cylinder mHawk engine. The S7 variant gets a choice of either a 120 BHP or a 140 BHP state of tune. The top-end S11 variant gets the engine with 140 BHP on tap and an optional 4x4. Enthusiasts will be saddened by the fact that the 4x4 is no longer available in lower variants. The Scorpio comes in four seating configurations - 7SF (7-seater with side facing 3rd row), 7CC (7-seater with captain chairs in the middle row), 8-seater (front-facing 3rd row) and 9-seater (3rd row is a bit wider to supposedly accommodate 4). The S3 & S5 variants are available in 7SF & 9-seater configurations, the S7 in 7SF & 8-seater configurations, and the S11 in 7SF, 7CC and 8-seater layouts. Our test vehicle was a 2WD S11 7SF.

One must keep in mind that the superior, far more contemporary XUV500 costs just Rs. 1 lakh (approximately) more. Unless you explicitly need a body-on-frame SUV or proper 4x4, we strongly recommend the XUV500 over the Scorpio.

So, what's new on the outside?

At the front, the Scorpio gets a revised grille, new bumper with a reworked air dam, a new silver skid plate and redesigned foglamps:


At the back, the SUV gets changes to the tailgate and bumper, extra bits of chrome, revised tail-lamp clusters and a new wiper:


Like most facelifts, changes to the side profile are limited to the new alloy wheels. Over the years, the Scorpio has retained the same overall design, which has lead to easy recognition of the car. It is impossible to mistake it for anything else on the road:


The best angle to view the Scorpio from. The front end looks more aggressive now:


The rear is nowhere as appealing as the front though:


Radiator grille loses the chrome strip running along its top edge. Floating slats with chrome inserts have been replaced by 7 chrome slats giving the grille an uncanny resemblance to that of the Jeep Compass:


Honeycomb pattern air dam grille is replaced by stepped horizontal slats. Black plastic insert above the grille is new. Silver plastic skid plate is restyled as well:


Marginal changes to the headlamps - clear lens blinkers & more prominent chrome highlights (see earlier design here):


New circular foglamps get black housings with large chrome inserts. Most BHPians will agree that the chrome treatment is overdone, but the aam junta will love it. The throw of the foglamps is adequate and the area close to the front of the car is illuminated sufficiently:


Redesigned 17" alloy wheels with 5 thick spokes. 235/65 section Bridgestone Dueller HT tyres are retained:


Top-end S11 variant gets ORVMs with integrated turn-indicators. They are India-friendly and will move the other way if a biker sideswipes them. Still not electrically foldable though! Rain gutters on a 16-lakh rupee car sold in 2018? Yikes - they truly show the body's age:


Left fender sports mHawk and D140 branding. Detailing of the mHawk badge has changed with the "Hawk" moving above the lettering. Turn-indicator is no longer present. Look closely and you will see an oval-shaped cutout where turn-indicator would have been. Lower variants continue to sport their turn-indicators here:


The design of this black plastic panel (behind the 3rd-row window) has been tweaked. See the earlier one at this link. Mahindra calls this part the "air extractor":


Wraparound tail-lamps retain their shape. However, instead of the clear lens covers, they now get red ones. The reversing lamps at the bottom of the clusters now get clear lenses, instead of the bluish ones seen on the outgoing car:


Large black applique on the tailgate has been dropped. Number plate is now housed directly on the tailgate:


Traditional rear wiper is replaced by an aeroblade unit:


Number plate housing gets a thick chrome garnish along its upper edge. Also notice the neatly integrated reversing camera under the Mahindra logo:


Reversing camera is available only on the S11 variant. It is smartly concealed and along with the parking sensors, a boon while parking in tight spots:


Only 2 parking sensors at the back instead of 4 like the outgoing version. Parking sensors cover the corners adequately and the reversing camera helps. The rear step is no longer a part of the bumper; it juts out from underneath the bumper! Unlike the earlier car, this one feels well built and doesn't flex when someone stands on it. Exposed rear tow hook is located on the left:

Last edited by Aditya : 19th February 2018 at 11:44.
blackwasp is offline   (31) Thanks
Old 15th February 2018, 18:29   #4
Senior - BHPian
 
blackwasp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Navi Mumbai
Posts: 2,966
Thanked: 26,228 Times

So, what's new on the inside?



Like the exterior, the interior of the Scorpio has been mildly refreshed. The car gets new black artificial-leather upholstery, blue trim on the doorpads, a revised center console, a new gear knob and a sunglass holder. Additionally, the infotainment system now doubles up as a display for the reversing camera. A couple of storage spaces have been added as well, while the 12V power outlet has now moved ahead of the gear lever.



Steering is now leather-wrapped:


Front doorpads are identical in design to the old car's. However, they get blue fabric inserts instead of grey:


A closeup of the blue fabric insert. It is scooped out so you can easily put your arm on the armrest below. The S11 variant gets an "auto window roll up" feature. Whenever the Scorpio is locked using the remote, the driver-side window automatically rolls up (if open):


Front seats are draped in black faux leather upholstery instead of the grey fabric used earlier. This goes well with the black & beige theme of the interior. Blue fabric inserts are carried over from the pre-facelift model; they look out of place here!


While the black colour might be a downer to some, the fact remains that it will be easier to maintain than the earlier light coloured fabric. The light upholstery in the old car was easily soiled, whereas this new dark one should be easy to keep free of stains:


A closer look at the art-leather upholstery. The quality of material is nothing to write home about; it is budget grade. While it feels abuse friendly, it doesn't suit such an expensive car:


Like the dashboard, the center console retains its overall design. However, it does get a couple of additional storage spaces:


Infotainment system is unchanged, but with the addition of the reversing camera, it now doubles up as a display for the same. The display quality is average. Additionally, as the screen sits low on the center fascia, you need to look down to keep your eyes on it during a parking manoeuvre. Camera has adaptive guidelines, which give you an indication of the vehicle's path with the steering wheel turned:


While reversing, if an obstruction is in the way, a nifty distance counter is displayed at the top right. This feature is actually very useful to gauge the distance between the car and object accurately as most reversing cameras are wide angle & distort the view:


Reversing camera can be turned on while driving forward to keep an eye on the traffic behind. The camera can be switched off by touching the "exit" tab on the touchscreen:


Slim storage space at the base of the center fascia where you can place your mobile phone. 12V power outlet (lit in blue) is now located to the left of this space (instead of the lower left corner of the gear console):


New 6-speed gear knob is leather-wrapped. It is decently sized and good to hold. Like before, the gear lever dances around. Slotting into reverse requires you to shove the lever to the extreme left, and then upwards. It took me a while to get used to it. Be sure that the intended gear (i.e. reverse, not 1st) is engaged before getting your foot off the clutch:


Center console of the 4x2 is better as it now gets a rubberised mat to cover the blank area where the 4x4 control would've been (earlier version here). Mat can be used for placing odd items or a smaller smartphone. The cubby hole and bottle holder next to the handbrake have been retained. These storage spaces are even more important when you consider that the front door pockets are small and difficult to access when the doors are closed:


Roof-mounted sunglass holder gets a soft lining to protect your shades from scratches:


Like the front seats, the rear bench is identical in design to the outgoing car's. It gets the same black faux leather upholstery with blue fabric inserts. In an SUV as big on the outside, rear legroom is rather limited:


Rear doorpads retain their design and storage spaces. Like the front doorpads, they get blue fabric inserts:


A look at the 3rd row seats with the black upholstery. Our test car came with these side facing seats:

Last edited by GTO : 15th February 2018 at 18:34.
blackwasp is offline   (23) Thanks
Old 15th February 2018, 18:29   #5
Senior - BHPian
 
blackwasp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Navi Mumbai
Posts: 2,966
Thanked: 26,228 Times

Driving the 2.2L mHawk 140



The base S3 variant of the Scorpio is powered by a 2,523 cc, 4-cylinder m2DICR turbocharged diesel engine. It produces 75 BHP @ 3,200 rpm and 200 Nm of torque @ 1,400-2,200 rpm (ARAI fuel economy rating = 16.01 km/l). Clearly, this stripped down variant targets the budget, rural & commercial markets.

The outgoing Scorpio's engine tune is available on the two mid variants – S5 and S7. The 2,179 cc mHawk diesel with a variable geometry turbocharger produces 120 BHP @ 4,000 rpm and 280 Nm of torque @ 1,800-2,800 rpm. It's a jewel of an engine with good driveability, power, fuel economy and refinement. The ARAI fuel economy rating for this unit is 15.37 km/l.

The same engine is offered in a higher state of tune in the S7 & S11 variants. It now gets a new Borg Warner turbocharger (same as XUV500). The mHawk140, as it is called, puts out 140 BHP @ 3,750 rpm and 320 Nm of torque @ 1,500-2,800 rpm (ARAI fuel economy rating = 15.01 km/l). It is paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox. This engine and transmission are borrowed from the XUV500. While the power figures of the two siblings are identical, the Scorpio makes 10 Nm lesser. In the Scorpio, peak torque is also produced at 100 rpm lower than the XUV500. With the increased power and torque, the Scorpio now gets improved power-to-weight and torque-to-weight ratios of 77 BHP / ton and 177 Nm / ton respectively as against the 66 BHP / ton and 155 Nm / ton of the 120 BHP version.

Like before, you do not need to press the clutch to crank the engine. Simply turning the key brings the engine to life. After a disturbing vibration on start-up, the diesel's clatter settles down and eventually displays its more refined side. Engine noise isn't intrusive at idle. At cruising speeds, the engine is barely vocal. The motor has an extremely refined nature on the move. Only once the revs cross 3,000 rpm does its sound filter into the cabin. The engine note is actually likeable, and isn't tractor-like. While cruising on highways, noise from the road, engine & wind are within acceptable limits. However, a certain hum & vibration are felt throughout the cabin when you lug the engine (this could be noticed in the older Scorpio too). Don't drive at too low an rpm in too high a gear.

The versatility of the mHawk is impressive. Despite the higher state of tune, the Scorpio has retained its superb driveability. Turbo lag is well-controlled and the mHawk offers excellent urban driveability. Forget downshifting for speed breakers, you can drive off from a standstill in 2nd gear itself! The engine is that tractable! 3rd gear can be used as an automatic to potter about in the city all day long. You'll never complain of the low-end torque of this engine. The Scorpio even climbs the city's flyovers in 4th gear without breaking into a sweat (no downshift required). Throttle responsiveness is good and all it takes is a gentle tap on the accelerator to commute around the city.

The mHawk diesel feels equally at home whilst cruising on the highway. It now has more grunt across the rev range and feels livelier than the 120 BHP variant. Overtaking is a breeze, thanks to the punchy mid-range. The engine revs up to a maximum of 4,800 rpm and is rather free revving by diesel standards. Power-shift the Scorpio and there's adequate torque to make the wheels spin in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear!!! Of course, like most other diesels, it's best to stay clear of the redline, upshift at lower rpms and enjoy the torque instead. In 6th gear, 100 km/h comes up at 2,000 rpm & 120 km/h at ~2,500 rpm (both are 400 rpm lower than the 120 BHP version). Let's face it, this SUV is going to see a good amount of highway cruising and the 6th gear has made the touring experience that much more relaxing & frugal.

The 6-speed gearbox has well-defined gates, although they are placed far apart. However, the reverse gear is located to the left of the 1st and engages without any locking mechanism – neither a collar nor any lifting ring as found in some other cars. This causes the shifter to hesitate slotting into both - reverse and first. Be sure to double-check what gear you are in when executing parking manoeuvres. It remains a notchy unit and will dissuade you from upshifting aggressively. A big downer is the excessive vibration felt on the gear shifter - it is always moving. Whatever the speed or driving condition, the gear lever is continuously shaking & dancing. Drive over rough roads and you'll see the lever shake as the transmission moves about on its mounts. In our test car - the clutch was on the heavier side and the travel was long as well. You don't want such a clutch in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Mahindra should have kept it lighter.

Further, vibrations can be felt on the clutch. These are directly proportional to the engine rpm. Combined with the off-center ABC pedals and the lack of a dead pedal, it didn’t offer a fatigue-free ride to the driver. The cruise control can be engaged between 40-100 km/h to slightly mitigate this problem on the expressway.

Micro-Hybrid Technology (Note: nothing 'hybrid' about it): Come to a halt, engage neutral and you'll see the start / stop light on the instrument cluster blink thrice. After this, the engine switches off to maximise fuel economy. This happens every time you come to a stop (say, at traffic lights). The electrical system is still working, but obviously the air-con compressor is deactivated. Any driver input on the pedals and the engine fires up again. This start / stop operation is far from seamless; the entire cabin vigorously shakes when the engine turns on & off. It can get very annoying. Because the air-con compressor switches off, the cabin can also get hot on a sunny day. No, I'm not a fan of this Micro-Hybrid feature at all, and am thankful there is a button to switch it off. That said, there isn't a doubt that this system automates what a lot of commercial / fleet drivers practice manually. It's made the job easier for them. They'll probably keep the feature activated at all times.

'mHawk 140' badge on the engine cover. 2,179 cc, 4-cylinder diesel engine has a new variable geometry turbocharger and produces 140 BHP & 320 Nm of torque:


New state of tune increases the power-to-weight ratio to 77 BHP / ton from the earlier 66 BHP / ton:


Coolant reservoir has been moved to the center of the engine bay:


Turbo sits on the left side of the engine. Turbo lag is very well controlled. Mahindra has tuned this engine perfectly:


Ride & Handling

In the 2014 update, we observed that ride quality had slightly improved from the first-gen Scorpio. It's no longer as bumpy as the older car was, and the suspension is far more liveable. However, the ride quality is far (read = F-A-R) from what you'd call plush. Cars like the Duster, Safari Storme & Hexa are in a different league altogether. Even at 40-50 km/h on a city road, you can feel the suspension doing its work. There is always a little up & down bouncy movement; the Scorpio never rides flat, whatever the surface. You're always well aware of the road conditions underneath as you feel the smallest of undulations & imperfections. Sharp, deep or tall bumps are prominently felt inside the cabin. The 17" wheels with shorter sidewalls could be a contributor to this ride. On uneven roads, passengers are jostled about significantly side-to-side, and there is a lot of lateral movement experienced inside the cabin. This lateral movement can make passengers very uneasy. It must be noted that, as with some other body-on-frame SUVs, the ride does get better with load / more passengers onboard. The suspension is robust too and you'll never slow down for rough roads at speed. If you're absolutely keen on ride comfort, a 15" rim swap is a great idea. The 15" size is the most common with UVs and there are plentiful alloy / tyre options in the after-market. For the record, the Scorpio's base S3 variant rides on 215/75 R15 rubber and should offer significantly superior comfort levels.

Mahindra has retained the anti-roll bar at the rear and made some tweaks to the multi-link coil spring suspension to improve the Scorpio's road manners. Within the city, it's an absolute breeze to drive. The tall driving position, responsive engine and the fact that every other car seems to make way for you makes things easy. The Scorpio definitely feels nimbler than the unwieldy Safari in urban confines, yet far bulkier than the likes of the Creta. Out on the highway, straight line stability is satisfactory. It doesn't feel nervous cruising at 120 km/h on the expressway. Yes, handling is safer than what it used to be. Don't get carried away though. The Scorpio is still a top-heavy SUV and you must exercise caution around corners. Even as a passenger, you can feel its top heaviness. While the Bridgestone Dueller HTs offer satisfactory grip levels in dry & wet conditions, you still don't feel confident enough pushing the car due to its bumpy and unsettled behaviour. The rear especially gets jumpy over broken roads. Drive safely & conservatively, as you would with most other body-on-frame UVs. This breed of vehicles is very easy to topple in an emergency manoeuvre and it's very difficult for the average driver to regain control once the limits are exceeded. Monocoque SUVs like the Duster and Creta will run rings around the Scorpio.

The hydraulic power steering requires some effort at parking speeds, yet it's light enough on the move within the city and you won't have complaints on this front. Out on the expressway, it weighs up nicely and doesn't feel nervous. There is a certain amount of play at the dead-center position...always a good thing in such vehicles (helps reduce twitchiness at high speeds).

The Scorpio is capable of handling abuse from rough & inexistent roads. It's easy to see why the vehicle is so popular in rural India. If you like touring to remote areas and need the capability, a 4x4 variant is available. You can have a bit of fun with the Scorpio 4x4 through mild off-roading conditions like muck, sand etc. and some obstacles of medium-difficulty levels. It's no hardcore offroader like the Jeeps & Gypsies though, and the 4x4 electronic switch is known to be troublesome. Do note that the Scorpio 4x4s turning radius is bigger @ 5.65 meters. Sadly, the 4x4 variant is now only offered in the top S11 trim.

The Scorpio's ground clearance remains unchanged. Officially, it is rated at 165 mm, but the clearance below the axle is 209 mm! To escape the higher excise duty on cars with a length >4 meters, ground clearance >170 mm and engine capacity >1500cc (related news article), Mahindra has probably added some part, like the easily-removable stone guard of the XUV500. We took the Scorpio through some rural roads and, needless to say, it didn't scrape anywhere at all.

Mahindra says that they have updated the braking system (bigger disc, bigger brake pads, bigger calliper and a new Bosch ABS 9.1 system). The pedal has a slight play at the beginning; the initial 10-15% of the brake pedal feels loose and the actual brakes are applied only after this. In terms of capability, they do the job and that's it (nothing exceptional). What some people will find disturbing is the nosedive under braking. Even at sedate city speeds, you will notice this trait. If you happen to brake hard at speeds beyond 100 km/h, the hazard lights momentarily come on (panic brake indication feature).

Last edited by GTO : 15th February 2018 at 18:33.
blackwasp is offline   (26) Thanks
Old 15th February 2018, 18:29   #6
Senior - BHPian
 
blackwasp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Navi Mumbai
Posts: 2,966
Thanked: 26,228 Times

Other Points

• Thanks to Shubham Yadav for sharing with us the first uncamouflaged images of the car.

• Standard warranty of 2 years / 75,000 km. Mahindra now offers an extended warranty up to 5 years / 1,50,000 km (highly recommended).

• Service intervals remain unchanged - after the initial 3 services at 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000 km, service intervals are 10,000 km / 1 year apart.

• Available in 4 variants - S3, S5, S7 & S11. S7 variant is available with 120 & 140 BHP engines, while 4x4 variant is available in the S11 only.

• We're unable to understand why Mahindra has given the 140 BHP tune only on the higher variants. Why not make it standard? Why complicate the offerings so much ? Further, it's not like the Scorpio's S5 variant is cheap. Even the TUV300 recently got the mHawk100 as standard across the range (mHawk80 has been discontinued).

• Rs. 30,000 price difference between the 140 & 120 BHP tunes on the S7. You get a 6-speed gearbox too. Totally worth it IMHO. That's the price of a good aftermarket remap and as we all know, factory horses are factory horses.

• All variants other than the base S3 get dual airbags & ABS as standard.

• Finally, lane change indicators have been provided!

• Despite its age, the Scorpio still gathers attention. We were frequently asked about the car when we went on our drive - especially towards the rural areas.

• The Scorpio is one of the most lucrative targets for car thieves. Here are some experiences shared by BHPians - Link 1, Link 2, Link 3 & Link 4. We recommend getting additional security for your car. More info here.

• S11 variant is available in 4 colours – Pearl White, Napoli Black, Molten Red and Dsat Silver. Other variants do not get the Pearl White shade - they get a regular Diamond White instead.

• Even after spending over a million bucks, you don't get a key with integrated lock / unlock buttons ! Separate remote feels like an after-market part. The red button is used for SOS / panic alarm function:
blackwasp is offline   (33) Thanks
Old 15th February 2018, 18:51   #7
GTO
Team-BHP Support
 
GTO's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Bombay
Posts: 70,335
Thanked: 298,732 Times
Re: 2018 Mahindra Scorpio Facelift (140 BHP) : Official Review

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Official Reviews Section. Thanks for sharing, Kanad! Rating thread 5 stars.

The Scorpio's is an intriguing success story. At the time of its original launch, it was a well-deserved smash hit. Heck, for another decade, it earned its sales. But today, the Scorpio feels so old & outdated. Not to forget, it's gotten very expensive too (fully-loaded 4x2 costs 17 big ones in Mumbai ). Sure, the Scorpio still has amazing street presence, a sweet diesel motor, proper 4x4 (not relevant to most buyers) and a robust body-on-frame build. But unless you specifically need the latter 2 points, I don't see any reason for one to pick the Scorpio over the way superior & impressive XUV500 or Hexa. If there isn't a need for the 3rd row of seats, even the Creta is a formidable competitor. With the Scorpio, you have to make many compromises.

That said, on a recent holiday when I needed a self-drive SUV, I rented the Scorpio over the others. I wanted 7 seats, sure, but the c-h-a-r-a-c-t-e-r was a big draw as well (related post). Was my choice for a rental, but wouldn't be one for ownership:

Last edited by GTO : 15th February 2018 at 19:06.
GTO is offline   (32) Thanks
Old 15th February 2018, 19:28   #8
Team-BHP Support
 
CrAzY dRiVeR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Bangalore / TVM
Posts: 17,126
Thanked: 73,295 Times
Re: 2018 Mahindra Scorpio Facelift (140 BHP) : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by GTO View Post
The Scorpio's is an intriguing success story. At the time of its original launch, it was a well-deserved smash hit. Heck, for another decade, it earned its sales. But today, the Scorpio feels so old & outdated.
Goes to show that once you earn Indian hearts and establish a product - success is guaranteed even if you relatively take it easy. Many such examples starting with the humble Honda Activa. Competition including siblings would have inched way forward in the game - but the masses still flock to purchase the tried and tested old workhorse.

That said, credit to Mahindra for keeping the Scorpio relevant with the times. Its been fighting in the market for way more than a decade now and still in the news with small updates. That's how a sub-brand is built.

Mahindra needs to seriously rethink their product strategy though, as they have completely failed to capitalise on the brand success of the Scorpio and XUV5OO to a myriad of other products and sub brands that they've launched over the past decade.

PS - If my memory serves me right - the last time I used a Scorpio was back in 2009 and it was a king of the road back then. Not looking forward to fresh experiences though - seeing the way it performed in the crash tests - its not like the Scorpio is built to a small budget anyways at 17- 18L!

Last edited by CrAzY dRiVeR : 15th February 2018 at 19:42.
CrAzY dRiVeR is offline   (10) Thanks
Old 15th February 2018, 20:11   #9
Senior - BHPian
 
srishiva's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Bengaluru
Posts: 4,375
Thanked: 2,256 Times
Re: 2018 Mahindra Scorpio Facelift (140 BHP) : Official Review

I think its still one of those with a brute SUV looks from yester years. But for someone who needs a vehicle for practical use, it might not really make sense.

Given the height of the vehicle and the suspension and ride, they should atleast give ESC and such features to make it a little safer. Or do they have any of these ?

Last edited by srishiva : 15th February 2018 at 20:12.
srishiva is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 15th February 2018, 22:41   #10
BHPian
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: bangalore
Posts: 381
Thanked: 473 Times
Re: 2018 Mahindra Scorpio Facelift (140 BHP) : Official Review

The bottles in the front door cannot be accessed without opening the doors and this hasn't been fixed since the inception of Scorpio shows the extent to which Mahindra have been milking the Scorpio in terms of cost cutting. Same body shell which not only looks dated but is a huge concern in terms of safety too. Scorpio is really overpriced currently and there are far more comfortable, accomplished and spacious alternatives available at relatively cheaper price points.
needforspeed88 is offline   (5) Thanks
Old 15th February 2018, 23:46   #11
BHPian
 
The Brutailer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: -
Posts: 566
Thanked: 1,434 Times
Re: 2018 Mahindra Scorpio Facelift (140 BHP) : Official Review

Looks good but is crude and dangerous to corner, is what I infer from this review. I've never liked any Mahindra product (except for Thar, but then again it's a Jeep clone).

Scorpio is one of the cars which I once said would rather roll over and pretend to be dead instead of attack a corner. Well, all this time and that statement is still relevant.

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Brutailer View Post
Price Scorpio a little less and take it head on to the likes of overgrown hatchbacks like Ecosport and brezza. Make it more dynamically polished.

In front of duster, the Scorpio would rather roll over and pretend to be dead than talk about ride and handling.

Tata has taken the game way too F-A-R for Mahindra to catch up. Other manufacturers were always more advanced than our homegrown players. Thankfully, Tata joined the 'other manufacturers club' long back.

Mahindra though, is still stuck.

Last edited by The Brutailer : 16th February 2018 at 00:03.
The Brutailer is offline   (5) Thanks
Old 16th February 2018, 02:40   #12
Senior - BHPian
 
sajo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Pune
Posts: 2,625
Thanked: 1,152 Times
Re: 2018 Mahindra Scorpio Facelift (140 BHP) : Official Review

The Scorpio M2DI variant should be the largest contributor to sales by far, going by the number of spottings of new Scorpio on the roads. It has everything the rural Scorpio buyer wants, the badge, looks, white color etc. I guess about 3500 of the Scorp's monthly ~4k sales would be from this single variant alone. I expect the same trend to continue.
The base variant is ~11.5L On road in Pune, while the next highest variant with the better engine is ~13.5L , approximately a 2L rupee difference, one which average layperson will not be able to justify.

PS : The 4x4 variant in Pune is a whopping 18.64L Rupees!
sajo is offline   (6) Thanks
Old 16th February 2018, 09:42   #13
BHPian
 
ShubhamGhute's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Pune
Posts: 73
Thanked: 199 Times
2018 Mahindra Scorpio Facelift (140 BHP) : Official Review

Fantastic review of the robust truck! Scorpio has been around since 2002 which transfers to 16 years of life. To put things in better way, when scorpio was launched in 2002, Toyota had its Qualis on sale and today we have Innova in its 2nd gen after 1st gen innova having 3 facelifts till 2016. Continuous evolutionary updation (nothing revolutionary) has helped scorpio to hide its age well. But given the options available at today’s point of time I see no reason to buy a scoripio.
A person requiring 5 seater has options like Creta/Ecosport/Nexon/Duster and person requiring 7/8 seats has comfortable Innova and Hexa to choose from (Base/Middle variants). Scorpio has awful build, poor ergonomic interiors, crude ride quality and almost ‘nil’ safety standards Sure, it now comes with ABS and Airbags but what about structural rigidity and sorted road manners? Its high time Mahindra gives scorpio a much needed revolutionary upgrade.

Last edited by ShubhamGhute : 16th February 2018 at 09:51.
ShubhamGhute is offline   (3) Thanks
Old 16th February 2018, 10:10   #14
BHPian
 
Nissan1180's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: .........
Posts: 672
Thanked: 2,160 Times
Re: 2018 Mahindra Scorpio Facelift (140 BHP) : Official Review

Scorpio is a very powerful brand. Unfortunately, Mahindra does not seem to think that quality, finesse and ergonomics are important considerations for the Indian car buyer. Walk into the showroom and you will be able to spot bumpers that are painted in a slightly different shade, plastics that are as hard as what you get in a 4 lakh ruppee car and driver ergonomics that have been consistently inconsistent, especially for drivers whose legs are long. These things could have been pardoned in 2002. But 15+ lakhs for a car with a grainy paint finish on the bumper? Instead of using the legacy to create an international brand (Subaru Forester, Ford Explorer are good examples to compare with), they ensured that it can be perceived as a mediocre product made in a developing country even today. But all said and done, they make tonnes of money selling it here since the fixed costs have already been recovered, and our country keeps buying cars like the Bolero and Scorpio despite the availability of alternatives.

Last edited by Nissan1180 : 16th February 2018 at 10:11.
Nissan1180 is online now   (5) Thanks
Old 16th February 2018, 10:20   #15
BHPian
 
SubodhRage's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: BGLR/DEL/MEX
Posts: 34
Thanked: 114 Times
Re: 2018 Mahindra Scorpio Facelift (140 BHP) : Official Review

I haven't spoken my opinion in many cases due to the sole fact that it didn't make much of a difference; other people who shared my opinion had already stated that out and therefore, I didn't to make a point.

But here in this case, Id like to. The model, Scorpio is a 1.8T machine and despite all that weight and SUV-ish structural chassis, it still manages to score 0-star safety rating. Now being a 1.8T behemoth that it is, how much do you think can the seat-belts, airbags and other safety feature help ?

I may sound a bit harsh considering that my claim is based on a 2016 NCAP safety rating, but the reality is that Scorpio is still selling like hot cupcakes endangering lives.
SubodhRage is offline   (2) Thanks
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks