[shatrughna]

Initial ownership impressions updated :

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post1759597

Originally Posted by shatrughna

I got the vehicle finally delivered at doorstep on 26th Feb and pretty happy with it. Had taken it for a test drive -approx. 400kms and back from there just now. Will post it in the appropriate forum soon.

And after posting it will post a link here as well.

[4x4addict]

Congrats Shatrughna:

To be honest, I wanted the AT 4x4, but was a bit skeptical about the service/support issues from Mahindra given the low volumes I expected the AT to sell, but was pleasantly surprised to see 4 ATs in a tier II town like Kottayam in Kerala. If Kottayam has 4 AT in the lot, I suspect big cites have a lot more. I feel the dealers will obviously get trained up and experienced in servicing the Automatic. My next SUV from Mahindra will surely be an AT.

[Samurai]

Does AT need any special servicing? My Santro AT is almost closing on 7 years and not once it has been touched by Hyundai A.S.S, they are scared to touch it. Not a single issue so far.

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Does AT need any special servicing? My Santro AT is almost closing on 7 years and not once it has been touched by Hyundai A.S.S, they are scared to touch it. Not a single issue so far.

AT does not need any special servicing but just in case there is an issue the tech needs to know how to diagnose and fix an AT transmission as the internal are completely different from manuals. With Hyundai, they have been offering the same 4-Speed model across their product range in India and abroad for many years so the knowledge of the service start to diagnose and repair will be much better in my opinion. I doubt your average Mahindra technician will know how to repair an auto transmission. I think you will need someone from the company to step in. I can only imagine the Mahindra tech opening up an AT and staring at it in bewilderment and slowly learning on the job with your AT !!

[shatrughna]

Thank you 4X4 addict. AT Scorpio is definitely worth its value. I too was skeptical but nevertheless went for it considering the ease of driving. 6 speed AT in Mahindra lacks a bit of initial punch as that in Santro's 4 speed AT- but that could be more because of the difference in vehicle and engine(petrol v/s diesel). Santro is more responsive as compared to Scorpio.

The Scorpio AT when driven sedately feels very smooth- and noiseless, jerk free. Santro AT when driven in kickdown mode- full throttle has its punch and fun factor . Scorpio AT - I tried a bit to feel it in kickdown mode- but somehow didnt get the kick much except for too much of engine growl - rpm climbs gradually and not immediately. (Santro has no tacho, but the engine growl is instant). This could be also because of good sound insulation in Scorpio and the engine being absolutely new- may be it will show its true colours after 1st servicing or so.

My Santro AT is 2 y.o. at approx. 14K kms and Laura AT is 1 y.o. at approx. 24K kms. Actually, if I recall the fun factor in stock condition- Santro AT takes the cake, next is Scorpio AT with a narrow margin and then Skoda AT- it somehow felt underpowered and unresponsive in stock condition. Now that I have pumped it up with a bit of performance mods - story is altogether different.

6 speed AT definitely would help FE on highways, since, actual gear in which car would be running is not displayed - I had to guess more often by looking at the tacho and actual speed. at 2K rpm- max I got was 100kmph which I figure should be top gear and similarly mostly it was at 80 plus which should be 5th, 60plus could be 4th and then 40 could be 3rd at same rpm.
Any other way to figure out the actual gear ?

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

Congrats Shatrughna:

To be honest, I wanted the AT 4x4, but was a bit skeptical about the service/support issues from Mahindra given the low volumes I expected the AT to sell, but was pleasantly surprised to see 4 ATs in a tier II town like Kottayam in Kerala. If Kottayam has 4 AT in the lot, I suspect big cites have a lot more. I feel the dealers will obviously get trained up and experienced in servicing the Automatic. My next SUV from Mahindra will surely be an AT.

Originally Posted by Samurai

Does AT need any special servicing? My Santro AT is almost closing on 7 years and not once it has been touched by Hyundai A.S.S, they are scared to touch it. Not a single issue so far.

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

AT does not need any special servicing but just in case there is an issue the tech needs to know how to diagnose and fix an AT transmission as the internal are completely different from manuals. With Hyundai, they have been offering the same 4-Speed model across their product range in India and abroad for many years so the knowledge of the service start to diagnose and repair will be much better in my opinion. I doubt your average Mahindra technician will know how to repair an auto transmission. I think you will need someone from the company to step in. I can only imagine the Mahindra tech opening up an AT and staring at it in bewilderment and slowly learning on the job with your AT !!

[pramods]

Here are my FE figures
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/1721740-post100.html

I realized if you are running above 100kmph then 6 gear hits at 120+ only and that's where the FE goes done, its better to run in around 80-90kmph with lighter right foot to get better FE, I am trying to figure out the actual FE by doing this for last full tank, and it seems to be going well for FE, I have hit the half mark by 280km, but would report back by next filling.

-Pramod

[shatrughna]

To attain higher gear faster, I try another method climb up speed gradually and after every 20 odd kmph higher speed, remove foot from pedal, once rpm goes down , it indicates higher gear, then again repeat the steps. I saw that for speeds upto 100kmph - rpm varies from 2000 to 3500+ - while pressing the accelerator paddle constantly. Once the speed is attained and retained at that level, slowly the rpm crawls back to approx 2000. It didnt go below 2000rpm when speed was around 1000kmph and this is how I assumed, that this must be top gear(6th). Now I will test it same way at 120+ as you have indicated and will see if it indicated better rpm to speed ratio. at 2000 rpm - 100kmph indiates 1:5, if it improves at 120kmph then that should be an indicator that this should be 6th gear.

Will look forward to your inputs- pls update when data is ready.

Originally Posted by pramods

Here are my FE figures
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/1721740-post100.html

I realized if you are running above 100kmph then 6 gear hits at 120+ only and that's where the FE goes done, its better to run in around 80-90kmph with lighter right foot to get better FE, I am trying to figure out the actual FE by doing this for last full tank, and it seems to be going well for FE, I have hit the half mark by 280km, but would report back by next filling.

-Pramod

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

@Shatrughna how are the brakes of your scorpio AT?

Spike

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by pramods

...I realized if you are running above 100kmph then 6 gear hits at 120+ only and that's where the FE goes done, its better to run in around 80-90kmph with lighter right foot to get better FE, I am trying to figure out the actual FE by doing this for last full tank, and it seems to be going well for FE, I have hit the half mark by 280km, but would report back by next filling...

Pramods,

(feedback based on my 2.2 Safari) What I have noticed is that if you run the vehicle at speeds varying from 80-100kmph (where the RPM, which is the main key, is slightly shy of 2000 or 2000) you get the best KMPL. I reckon these engine are at the optimal performing range there. Go beyond 2000RPM and it is a fast track down for the FE. But then, some KM's of spirited drive in a long trip will not make much of a difference.

Another advantage of the 80-100kmph driving is the your get more time to react or take evasive action for road surprises - translates to lesser braking / need to change gear, etc.

Originally Posted by shatrughna

To attain higher gear faster, I try another method climb up speed gradually and after every 20 odd kmph higher speed, remove foot from pedal, once rpm goes down , it indicates higher gear, then again repeat the steps. I saw that for speeds upto 100kmph - rpm varies from 2000 to 3500+ - while pressing the accelerator paddle constantly. Once the speed is attained and retained at that level, slowly the rpm crawls back to approx 2000. It didnt go below 2000rpm when speed was around 1000kmph ( HW: )and this is how I assumed, that this must be top gear(6th). Now I will test it same way at 120+ as you have indicated and will see if it indicated better rpm to speed ratio. at 2000 rpm - 100kmph indiates 1:5, if it improves at 120kmph then that should be an indicator that this should be 6th gear.

Will look forward to your inputs- pls update when data is ready.

Ok, the 6th gear and AT at work here, so this is all together a different ball game. But I still think that the RPM of 2000 should be the working range.

And Shatrughna, caught you on the typo!

[pramods]

Shatrughan, I tried that, the RPM after 100kmph+ will go on increasing and then changes to 6th gear, once the change happen the RPM comes back to some where 2.3K RPM, I noticed the speed to be in range of 120kmph when this happens try and let me know too, I am still learning the AT tricks to utilize the gearing to max. I have done 3K till date.

-Pramod

[ananth_iy]

Pramod,

Have you figured out the Uphill and Downhill mode - this is supposed to alter the gear shift schedule based on the gradient. I have found one place where it really works and another where is seems to suck.

When I am on a steep downhill, the vehicle doesn't keep gaining speed, it just seems to hold speed - I am talking still in D and not in M mode. That really saves me the need to apply the brakes

But what I didn't like is it seems to take even small inclines (as less as 5 degrees) as uphills and then I suddenly find that the vehicle is not shifting from 3rd to 4th at 45kmph anymore but holding in 3rd and that is really irritating me.

What's your experience?

[pramods]

I did not notice this, may be because all the uphill and downhill that I tried were difficult and more so on offroad scenarios and I tried them in 4H or very stiff one in 4L, next time I will try to see this, but if works as experienced by you I believe that's what it should be may be they configured it very aggressively rather than doing lots of number crunching to figure out what load what angle and so on. Now I am curious to experience this uphill and downhill mechanism!!

-Pramod

[tanwaramit]

how about climbing flyovers ? Does it work like this on the flyovers too ?

[ananth_iy]

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

how about climbing flyovers ? Does it work like this on the flyovers too ?

It does, but as I am reading the feature I am realizing that there are multiple technologies at play here - there is also a feature called a fast-off mode that holds the current gear for a preset time in case we let go of the accelerator pedal.

To summarize, now there are four tehcnologies at play (at least)

1) the basic shift schedule for an automatic - common for all AT
2) the shift schedule based on the stepping on the accelerator - common for all ATs again
3) the holding of gears in case of sudden release of accelerator
4) the shift schedule based on the gradient

In case we are trying an overtake on a flyover 2,3 and 4 could all be applicable.

I have to do some more experimentation

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Does AT need any special servicing? My Santro AT is almost closing on 7 years and not once it has been touched by Hyundai A.S.S, they are scared to touch it. Not a single issue so far.

Remember, this is a Mahindra AT . IIRC, they had improved on the software control part, and released some kind of update for older Scorpio ATs.