[Oreen]

what did you finally buy?
I am in a similar situation right now. I own a Bolero GLX and am looking at the Bolero Storm and the Scorpio LX or SLE.

The Storm is overpriced for the kind of refinement it offers, and to pay 7.91 lakhs for just a crde engine is not justifiable. The braking of the Storm is also suspect (apparently it locks), so if one wants the ABS, it has to be Scorpio SLE.

Am undecided between the Scorpio LX and the SLE. These are my questions:

How is the braking in the Scorpio LX without ABS?
Is ABS something one should go for?
Is ABS from Mahindra trustworthy at all? Their engines are bulletproof, but ABS, cruise control, automatic transmission, micro-hybrid from Mahindra? Would you trust all that to work at all? (same question as would you trust a fuel-injected bike from Royal Enfield or from Honda?)

[raj_5004]

IMO, go for an ABS equipped scorpio only. its a heavy & powerful vehicle & badly needs ABS.

regarding issues, yes i have had the ABS light glowing on 2 occasions, but that was nothing faulty with the functioning of the ABS. it was just a loose connection & cut wire.

[shankar.balan]

A natural upgrade from a Bolero GLX would be the Scorpio. Believe me, you will find a world of difference between the Bolero and the Scorpio.

Bolero Storm is stupidly overpriced. Very powerful engine etc but an ergonomic disaster. Lousy unresponsive controls and lousy brakes too. Yes, at those speeds, despite the upgradation there are chances of the wheels locking. Plus I found the gear shift position really bad and uncomfortable.

Suggest you look for a higher end Scorpio if budget permits.
Scorpio 2.2 Mhawk engine is much more refined. The handling is better in comparison to Bolero though it is a bit top heavy on account of its height. There will be body roll whatever anyone may say. But then you are not supposed to drive a Scorpio the way you would drive say, a Swift/SX4.

Scorpio LX braking is just about OK. I would personally feel a lot safer with ABS especially on highways and on wet road conditions. Hence I would consider a variant which comes with ABS.
I am also quite keen on the version that has the additional safety features like Airbags etc.

Cruise control is a waste of time on our roads and our traffic conditions.

Auto Tranny is a good thing for city driving - no doubt at all about that. I ve driven that Auto Scorp and find it quite good indeed. Its inherently high torque engine enabled me to casually reverse up a pretty steep incline at the dealership. Likewise it climbed peacefully up in Drive mode. But personally I prefer manual gears especially when driving in the hills or on highways.

Micro Hybrid tech is also a good innovation by M&M and as far as I know, works quite well indeed. No one has seriously grumbled or complained about it as far as I know.

If you are not in a hurry, see if you can cajole the M&M dealer or M&M Head office as follows.

1. Preferred Variant and Trim type - LX
2. If at additional cost the following can be added in/ customised for an extra charge - ABS, Airbags, Micro-Hybrid tech.
3. The other electronics are frankly not really necessary.

Well worth a try, if you are willing to give it a shot.

Originally Posted by Oreen

what did you finally buy?
I am in a similar situation right now. I own a Bolero GLX and am looking at the Bolero Storm and the Scorpio LX or SLE.

The Storm is overpriced for the kind of refinement it offers, and to pay 7.91 lakhs for just a crde engine is not justifiable. The braking of the Storm is also suspect (apparently it locks), so if one wants the ABS, it has to be Scorpio SLE.

Am undecided between the Scorpio LX and the SLE. These are my questions:

How is the braking in the Scorpio LX without ABS?
Is ABS something one should go for?
Is ABS from Mahindra trustworthy at all? Their engines are bulletproof, but ABS, cruise control, automatic transmission, micro-hybrid from Mahindra? Would you trust all that to work at all? (same question as would you trust a fuel-injected bike from Royal Enfield or from Honda?)

[n.devdath]

+1 to what Raj and Shankar have said. Do NOT skip ABS.

Also, if you are not able to get ABS on the LX, go for the SLE which has ABS but no other gizmo which is anyway hardly used. This is the most sensible variant of the Scorpio today.

[shankar.balan]

SLE with ABS is a good option.yes.
But do push them slightly hard and see if you can order an SLE with Airbags and Micro Hybrid tech as well but without the rest of the electronic jazzmatics which anyway are relatively not so important at all.

I am firmly of the opinion that M&M need to understand what consumers want, to a greater extent, to be able to serve the market properly.
I see no reason at all why they cant make safety features as a standard across all variants - albeit at an extra up-charge as required. Atleast let these safety features be part of an option pack instead of the rubbishy electronic gizmos and accessories which are far better bought and fixed up in the after market!

trouble is our Indian manufacturers almost always resort to gimmickry rather than sheer genuine value propositions to consumers and we who are yet an evolving set of consumers get led astray quite easily with the smooth talk, fancy ads and the rest of the balderdash!

all the best.

Originally Posted by n.devdath

+1 to what Raj and Shankar have said. Do NOT skip ABS.

Also, if you are not able to get ABS on the LX, go for the SLE which has ABS but no other gizmo which is anyway hardly used. This is the most sensible variant of the Scorpio today.

[Oreen]

Hi everybody,

Thanks a lot for the detailed inputs. I felt the only valuable difference between the LX and the SLE was the ABS, because those aesthetics (cladding, dual-tone interiors) don't really mean much to me. Let me talk to the dealer tomorrow and see what all safety features can be fitted into an LX...

Otherwise, will go for the SLE...have to bargain hard and also think of selling the Bolero now...it is a baby, really and has never let me down. I have taken it from Bangalore to Goa, Calcutta, entire Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The Pirelli Scorpion A/Ts have given me a cushioned ride for 50000 kms, so the emotional attachment is tremendous.

But then, the lure of a new vehicle is also strong and I can't manage to keep two. Will keep you guys posted about what I finally manage to buy.

P.S. I would personally prefer a 4x4 over other creature comforts...but that's again a macho emotion speaking because my main use would be city and monthly highway drives.

[shankar.balan]

which dealer are you approaching?
You could if you like, try and speak to Amit at SKS Auto Bannerghatta Road.
Mention my name if you like. Only reason I recommend him is because he really served me well. Ive bought two vehicles from him so far in the last 5 years and will probably just continue doing so if I am buying any more Mahindra vehicles.
But really, do try and push them hard for ABS on the LX as also Airbags if they can manage it. Do let us know - then I might go and do the same - if they can retro fit the ABS and airbags in my 2.5 year old 2.6 Crde.
cheers and all the best

Originally Posted by Oreen

Hi everybody,

Thanks a lot for the detailed inputs. I felt the only valuable difference between the LX and the SLE was the ABS, because those aesthetics (cladding, dual-tone interiors) don't really mean much to me. Let me talk to the dealer tomorrow and see what all safety features can be fitted into an LX...

Otherwise, will go for the SLE...have to bargain hard and also think of selling the Bolero now...it is a baby, really and has never let me down. I have taken it from Bangalore to Goa, Calcutta, entire Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The Pirelli Scorpion A/Ts have given me a cushioned ride for 50000 kms, so the emotional attachment is tremendous.

But then, the lure of a new vehicle is also strong and I can't manage to keep two. Will keep you guys posted about what I finally manage to buy.

P.S. I would personally prefer a 4x4 over other creature comforts...but that's again a macho emotion speaking because my main use would be city and monthly highway drives.

[Oreen]

Amit, eh? I spoke with Sunil and he categorically said NO to any mods. I asked for the following:

LX with ABS and 4wd
SLE with 4wd

but he brought the vehicle for a test drive and man was i impressed. I always thought the Bolero is stabler and has less body roll. I came to this conclusion after driving my boss's 2.6 crde, which was like a bobbing boat...but the 2.2 test drive vehicle he got was a revelation. it had already done 38000 kms and still surges forward like an elephant trying to emulate a cheetah. very scary pickup. body roll (we were six in the vehicle) is lesser compared to my Bolero GLX. The Bridgestones and the suspension do a good job of cushioning the roads from the driver... I didn't get any feedback on the steering.

the only issue (ONLY one) was my foot getting stuck after pressing the clutch pedal... the room between the clutch and the bottom of the dashboard is very tight... shoes with thick toes can get stuck there...

am very happy otherwise. a couple of misconceptions about the Scorpio have been taken care of. Now for the finances )

Will keep you guys posted.

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by Oreen

Amit, eh? I spoke with Sunil and he categorically said NO to any mods. I asked for the following:

LX with ABS and 4wd
SLE with 4wd

As far as i know, mahindra would not entertain such requests for any customer until you are a VVIP or you have got some good contacts!

but he brought the vehicle for a test drive and man was i impressed. I always thought the Bolero is stabler and has less body roll. I came to this conclusion after driving my boss's 2.6 crde, which was like a bobbing boat...but the 2.2 test drive vehicle he got was a revelation.

this has been discussed in length & breadth in this forum! Many still feel bolero has a safer handling compared to the scorpio. that is because, like you, they compare it with the pre-mHawk scorpios, the CRDe & non-CRDe version.

it had already done 38000 kms and still surges forward like an elephant trying to emulate a cheetah. very scary pickup. body roll (we were six in the vehicle) is lesser compared to my Bolero GLX. The Bridgestones and the suspension do a good job of cushioning the roads from the driver... I didn't get any feedback on the steering.

you will get used to the scary pickup. try not giving any throttle input. the vehicle will move till 40-45 kmph in 5th gear without any throttle input!

i find the bolero's ride to be on the harder side, a bit bone jarring. even though the scorpio is softer, it is bouncier.

[shankar.balan]

ok

ive also checked if it will be possible to retro fit the airbags, abs etc into my 2.6 Lx. Checked with a technical specialist from M&M direct. He has categorically advised me to stay away from such attempts because of the inherent dangers in such retro-fitting. Hence I think I shall simply wait and buy a vehicle in which these things come factory fitted.

Yes the older 2.6 Turbo Scorpio Non Crde and Crde's have greater body roll etc than the Bolero GLX/ Sportz.

The new 2.2 Mhawk ones have been made much better there is no doubt about it.

I think you would do well to buy the Sle with ABS or even the top end one with ABS, Airbags and 4WD. At least you wont need to upgrade it for some time and the residual value at the end of say 5 years is likely to be higher.

all the best

cheerio

Originally Posted by Oreen

Amit, eh? I spoke with Sunil and he categorically said NO to any mods. I asked for the following:

LX with ABS and 4wd
SLE with 4wd

but he brought the vehicle for a test drive and man was i impressed. I always thought the Bolero is stabler and has less body roll. I came to this conclusion after driving my boss's 2.6 crde, which was like a bobbing boat...but the 2.2 test drive vehicle he got was a revelation. it had already done 38000 kms and still surges forward like an elephant trying to emulate a cheetah. very scary pickup. body roll (we were six in the vehicle) is lesser compared to my Bolero GLX. The Bridgestones and the suspension do a good job of cushioning the roads from the driver... I didn't get any feedback on the steering.

the only issue (ONLY one) was my foot getting stuck after pressing the clutch pedal... the room between the clutch and the bottom of the dashboard is very tight... shoes with thick toes can get stuck there...

am very happy otherwise. a couple of misconceptions about the Scorpio have been taken care of. Now for the finances )

Will keep you guys posted.

[Ramanjit]

I have just purchased a SLE ,it has already clocked 3000+ .I have driven it from Ahmedabad to Pune and back and then from Ahmedabad to Chandigarh,Chandigarh to Barnala and Chandigarh to Ponta Shaib (this section has a little hill driving thrown in).
The ABS is spot on ,the only niggling issue is my gertting in and out of the veh ,may be my seat is to far fwd,have banged my head on a couple of ocassions while getting in .
IMO SLE is VFM,and ABS is an absolute must ,this is the advise i was given on this forum and I am really greatful I took it

[ExtremeTorque]

Guru's, a little OT. I TD'd the Xylo 2009 model (E8?) yesterday and I found it to be an excellent vehicle both in City and on Highway. The only issues I found was that unlike others in this segment like Innova, Safari etc, I couldnt see the tip of the bonet and the gear shift was really hard (Showroom guys explained that the gear shif was hard as TD vehicle was 2009 model and 30k+ KM).
I have been reading a lot of others reviews here and many mentioned something about 'body roll'. What exactly is this?

[2500cc]

Bodyroll in simpler terms is you tend to lean when the vehicle turns at high/sudden speeds. You might have noticed it if you have travelled in the state owned buses.

[ExtremeTorque]

Thank you, 2500cc. Now that i understand bodyroll, is it not because you have a lot of room inside these big vehicles/muv's and the car cannot curtail your inertia of motion?

[2500cc]

Am not sure what inertia of motion is, am in weak in geography, But many people tell that the body roll is a result of higher center of gravity of these vehicles.

Cheers,
Rajesh

Originally Posted by ExtremeTorque

Thank you, 2500cc. Now that i understand bodyroll, is it not because you have a lot of room inside these big vehicles/muv's and the car cannot curtail your inertia of motion?