[akshay4587]

Going by figures on paper,it does seem slow.
but i have seen M2DI's comfortably cruising at speeds in excess of 100,and this should be better than that.
They are targetting the taxi segment.

[anjan_c2007]

Thanks bensb for reviewing the EX.It is a marketing tact by the company to slot the stripped down version above the Tavera/Bolero/Sumo in the taxi segment. They had launched a stripped down version of the Xylo for the taxi segment. But we don't see that setting the sales chart afire.In fact Xylos are depreciating faster in the second hand car market vis a vis the Scorpio. So the next step was Scorpio has brand equity and who sees the engine after all?
"Highway drive karne se ka ghode ki kami driver jheelaga" ."We have given the taxi operator a Scorpio with a lower price tag and an economical powerplant. It has both the front and rear AC vents intact. And if one engages this taxi, all will say "woh to Scorpio mein ghumta hain".This is what M&M may be chanting!
The rear AC could not face the M&M eco-butcher's knife as the taxi driver will get all the air from the air-con, leaving the passenger who's paying for his or her trip fuming.
bensb The engine is a CRDe and does it give a 75bhp output if I am not wrong? With this engine, a 1800Kg body shell must feel underpowered.
The Bolero VLX CRDe has a 97 bhp engine which could have done the job much better. But we don't know what goes on in the boardroom of the company? The cost factor (ex-showroom price and fuel consumption) may have led to the decision to plonk the crude DI engine now made into a CRDe.True "Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman" but the mannerisms of the crude engine may remain as traces. It was however soothing to read that noise intrusion into the cabin is minimal.
The power window buttons butchering and "gaib ho jana" gets time to get used to.The hand brake lever travel appears to have been increased, to have a "more efficient" hand brake than the LX,SLX, VLX, A/T.
Now henceforth, the M&M Scorpio sales figures will also include this "handicapped" EX and so we will not be able to say exactly how many of the "better and fit" Scorpios are being sold.
And at the M&M authorised service stations, more than 70% of those at the customer's waiting lounge are drivers and now the figure may surpass that.
I would now suggest M&M to also introduce a higher version above the A/T (with a 16 L plus price tag) with the best of goodies, so that the lowest and the highest versions have at least an 8 L price differential (the price of the EX). That may help them create a world record, wherein the base version comes at half the price of the highest version. Buy two EX's or one A/T GOODYFULL m-HYBRID (if they agree with that nomenclature for the highest version).

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by getsurya

as stated earlier surely for the cab segment or for tight purse strings yet need to lay hands upon an 'SUV'.

Benbsb, thank you for the pictures makes me feel my mHawk is sure an luxury over this!

Actually, the interiors from the SLE variant upwards are surely a zillion times better than the lower variants. Actually, in terms of interiors, the EX is almost the same as the LX, except for the power windows, etc.

I plan on checking out the EX once again, this time with a GPS device probably to check the speed in case speedo is disconnected. I may be interested in this, owing to a non flexible budget.

Originally Posted by TaureanBull

I would stick to my initial option of VLX. One can not do away with the basic needs of central locking and power windows. After Market addition would take away the initial benefits of lesser cost.

Vis-a-vis the features offerred, the SLE is the VFM offerring, IMHO.

Originally Posted by VeluM

80k is a significant difference, but I think the Safari LX offers much more of the basic features that make buying a 9L (OTR) SUV seem worth it.

A 40K difference is not significant, and someone intending to buy a Scorpio would (IMHO) feel that it is worth putting in that little bit more to get a significantly better engine, a better looking vehicle (not tiny looking wheels and a bare basic body), and a few creature comforts more. The image factor itself makes a difference.

Great review, yes. And - the LX is much better value at not much more cost.

Thanks for the kind words.

About the 40k price difference to the LX, lets not forget that this is only on the ex-showroom price. When taking the on-road price into account, there is almost half a lakh of difference in price.

Originally Posted by GTO

Damn, and I thought my Jeep was slow! The Scorpio EX has an abysmal <40 BHP power / weight ratio. That's even worse than the Tata Nano! And this, without anyone on board. I shudder to think of the performance with driver + 6 passengers. Sorry, but for the personal customer, the Scorpio LX is well worth the difference. Even the entry-level Safari with nearly double the horsepower at only 80K more is far more VFM in my opinion.

Rush, the drivability with 3 passengers, and A/C in full blast was quite good within the city. It's at higher speeds that it's left wanting.

Also, turnign off the A/C made absolutely no difference in performance. I checkec that as well.

Originally Posted by vid6639

If you pay 40K more you get the mHawk as well as some basic features more. That's a better vfm actually.

I agree. For the on-road price, the difference with the LX is about 50k+.

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Does it have an immobiliser? I do not think so and that makes it even more theft prone.

The Bolero will continue to rule the roost in this segment and with a new engine/variant coming up, this will only add to its sales now.

Messy engine bay, now that is bad. Any pics of the same?

It does come with engine immobiliser as standard.

As for the Bolero, i was told it is so much in demand that they do not even have a demo vehicle. Even that was lapped up! :O

Engine bay pic posted below.

Originally Posted by scorpio_fan

Presence of "Micro Hybrid" and absence of basic features like power windows, central locking is interesting! When M&M will know what customers want?

Picture of engine bay is missing .

I totally agree about the micro hybord part. First and foremost, there is nothing hybrid about that feature, and also how come they justified it over the power windows and central locking?!! Also, the Micro hybrid is there on the EX, but absent on all other variants except the VLX!

Here is the engine bay pic which i had missed earlier.

[narayanang76]

Benny: Thanks for that review and Pics! For people who are watching / waiting for M&M news these are some moments of excitement, right?

I cant understand the following idea (strategy/tactic/whatever from MnM) though:
- have so called Micro Hybrid 'Tech' in the EX Variant then only in the VLX? Eh EX for reduced price tag right?
- Have Bridgestone tires on EX and then only in VLX (Here I am referring to Scorpio_Fan's SLE buying experience where we were insisting on getting BS tires, but finally got JK on SLE - that time it was said that VLX only comes default with BS)
- With these EX should have had Tiretronics and Rain sensing wipers as well?
- Benefit of providing the roof rails, rear spoiler (EX looks better without so called spoiler) and the cladding on the higher variants SLE, VLX etc - other than looks or the lack of it? Other than they increasing the pricing by few thousand $s?

What cost cutting we are talking about - or just 'the cutting'?

In my opinion EX should have had power windows other than Micro Hybrid - that would have valued by some one at least. With this now we can understand the lack of value of Micro Hybrid thingy now.

We dont want Power steering also in EX so can we get another 20 K less?

I can understand - sorry

narayanang76

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

"Highway drive karne se ka ghode ki kami driver jheelaga".
"woh to Scorpio mein ghumta hain"

That means "the driver will bear the brunt of the loss of horses". In Hindi it should be "jhelega" not "jheelaga".The next phrase "woh to Scorpio mein ghumta hain" means that person moves around in a Scorpio.

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

The power window buttons butchering and "gaib ho jana" gets time to get used to.The hand brake lever travel appears to have been increased, to have a "more efficient" hand brake than the LX,SLX, VLX, A/T.

"gaib ho jana" means to disappear. The translations are for my fellow members who may not be able to follow these Hindi phrases.
PW switches are located to the right of the hand brake lever and so its travel is just the same.In place of the PW switches M&M have given another slot to store some tit-bits.The taxi drivers need to keep all their papers intact for the traffic police and RTO checks. So M&M may have removed the PW and added this slot to keep vehicle papers.
The roof rails are gone! These are used by politicians to move around, standing on the foot board and clinging onto the roof rails.The EX hence is unfit for politicians! They will just say "Eeh SUV toh babua hamri publicwa se contact kum karwa degi", meaning this SUV will reduce our public contacts!
The rear spoiler is gone and the brake light is fitted inside the rear windscreen which is less visible as compared to ones on the spoiler. The logic is that taxi drivers hardly apply brakes and so why the spoiler and better visible brake lights?

[akshay4587]

Just a Clarification,M2DI had microhybrid,so this is why you have it on EX.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

Just a Clarification,M2DI had microhybrid,so this is why you have it on EX.

Thanks for the clarification, Akshay! It's still baffling why they would have the micro hybrid on the M2Di.

Since you'd mentioned seeing M2Dis clicking some good speeds on the highway, do you know what the top speed is like? Does it touch 130 kmph?

[AWD]

Actually the M2di must have been ~63bhp's, that ways this 75 bhp is a step-up. Focus is on Economy, so Acceleration had to take a back seat. Also, consider that 75 bhps for a Scorp. are ample to exploit its dynamic capabilities or the lack of it!

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Thanks for the clarification, Akshay! It's still baffling why they would have the micro hybrid on the M2Di.

Since you'd mentioned seeing M2Dis clicking some good speeds on the highway, do you know what the top speed is like? Does it touch 130 kmph?

Not really aware of the top speed,but once while i was running in the hawk at 80-90km\hr,a M2DI taxi,flew past,and dad who was sitting besides said,and you were telling me that this thing is slow,it must have been doing 115-120.

Originally Posted by AWD

Actually the M2di must have been ~63bhp's, that ways this 75 bhp is a step-up. Focus is on Economy, so Acceleration had to take a back seat. Also, consider that 75 bhps for a Scorp. are ample to exploit its dynamic capabilities or the lack of it!

M2DI though shared the engine with the DI bolero,but it made 70 bhp instead of 63 of bolero(dunno how).

You should see these DI engines performing in himalayas,even on full load,they effortlessly climb steep inclines.

[Off Roadie]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Thanks for the clarification, Akshay! It's still baffling why they would have the micro hybrid on the M2Di.

Since you'd mentioned seeing M2Dis clicking some good speeds on the highway, do you know what the top speed is like? Does it touch 130 kmph?

1) The Micro Hybrid is an option across the entire range and costs a few thousand extra. With fuel efficiency being the core focus, it makes sense to have the feature on the EX.

2) M2di engines can propel Scorpios and Boleros to 120, but you have to juice the engine for it.

[rjstyles69]

benny thanks for the review man. Wonder what M&M was thinking when they put this thing together ? From the specs and the looks of it, clearly a contender for the taxi segment and nothing beyond that. Heck the Xylo has better plastics, fit and finish.

At 7.41 lakhs ex-showroom I would any-day put my money on the LX or even the SLE. Considering the atrocius taxes we pay in Bangalore, it would make sense to go for the higher models than compromise with this.

[Spitfire]

What suspension setup does it have at the rear? Leafs or coils?

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by Off Roadie

1) The Micro Hybrid is an option across the entire range and costs a few thousand extra. With fuel efficiency being the core focus, it makes sense to have the feature on the EX.

2) M2di engines can propel Scorpios and Boleros to 120, but you have to juice the engine for it.

I doubt it,it came only with Bolero SLX Scorpio M2DI and VLX.
when i got the SLE,it was not an option.

[Off Roadie]

That is strange, the dealer in Mumbai had told me that it was optional across the variants. This was in mid 2010.

[Furebo]

Thanks for the crisp to-the-point review benny!

Now coming to this variant that Mahindra touts to be 'affordable'. I find the logic really insensible when they have changed the engine and cut out all the features (Including the bare basic ones) the price difference should have been significant a mere 40k is just Mahindra filling their pockets!

IMO this variant is just a bad marketing tactic; stop fooling us Mahindra!

Originally Posted by akshay4587

Iwhen i got the SLE,it was not an option.

Quite possible; but the last I inquired it could be fitted on any variant except the Vlx AT

Originally Posted by Off Roadie

That is strange, the dealer in Mumbai had told me that it was optional across the variants. This was in mid 2010.

I too heard the same; they also said that it can be fitted for an additional 4k.