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Old 24th June 2011, 15:36   #1
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Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2

The decision to buy the scorpio was not an easy one. After we decided to sell off my queen (TATA Indigo XL DiCOR), wifey and I debated for a long time about the replacement. We needed a Diesel car under 10 lakhs that can be used for the daily city run as well as the long trips every 3-4 months. The following cars were on my shortlist:

- Indigo Manza Elan Quadrajet
- VW Vento Diesel Highline
- Suzuki SX4 Diesel
- Verna Fluidic Diesel
- Chevy Optra Magnum 2.0 TDCi

During the elimination process (done by me and wifey together),

- Indigo was axed because I didn't want another TATA car plus I felt the build was flimsy and the suspension a tad too soft.
- Vento - not a VFM car. Waiting period was over 3 months (I wanted the car right away)
- Suzuki SX4 - It sure looks large from outside but the interiors were quite crampy. Added to that was the waiting period.
- Verna Fluidic - again I had to axe this car because of its waiting period. Plus I didn't want to be their guinea pig.
- Chevy Optra - good car but Chevy is not considered a great brand in the resale market. I also heard and read the horror stories about the service outlets.

At this point I was confused - none of the diesel sedans interested me. So I turned my attention to the i20. But wifey vetoed it saying we shouldn't downgrade to a hatch. That left me with the option to upgrade to an SUV / MUV. So the final choice funneled down to Scorpio, Xylo, Innova and the Safari. After another round of elimination (this time it was only me), the scorpio emerged out as the choice for the following reasons:

- SUV that had a rugged look
- Availability was adequate
- With so many of them around, maintenance and spares in the long run shouldn't be an issue
- Though the Safari also had similar characteristics and gave better vfm, it was just another TATA vehicle.
- Xylo failed to impress me with its looks
- Innova gave the feel of a tourist vehicle.

Approached India Garage who brought over a Vlx for TD. After the TD I was hooked on to the beast and decided this will be my next car. I made a token advance of 10k and made a booking. The car was to be funded by my employer and I had to go through a gruelling process of getting the loan processed - something that was riddled with goof ups by my HR team, by the Financier and the Dealer. After a long ordeal, I still had to take delivery of the car without registration on 24th June. Dealer promised to get it registered on 20th but that again was goofed up by them. The car was finally registered successfully on 24th June.

Why Sle?
1. Suited my budget of 10L and had the ABS too.
2. The VLx was at least 2.3Lakhs more thanks to the additional 5% Road tax and the increased Insurance.
3. The Lx was a no-no due to the absence of ABS
4. Would have loved to buy the AUto but it was way above my budget.
And I always wanted to buy a White car - so white it was now.

Coming to the first impressions:

What I love about the car:
1. Road presence - Auto and bus drivers don't dare to cut across. At signals, other vehicles keep some distance.And you can practically see over the top of cars in front of you
2. Power - having upgraded from the Indigo, the stallion's power is way ahead. I am now able to drive in Chennai traffic without to many gear shifts.
3. Clutch - Feels very light in comparison with the Indigo's
4. Pickup and Power
5. All those cubby holes in the front.
6. Arm rest for the driver
7. No more worries about potholed roads.
8. The cabin lights - especially the swivelling ones in the front.
9. Cell phone holders on the door panels for the middle row passengers.
10. The VAS - especially the warning about Fuel reaching reserve levels.

What I hate:
1. The long throw gear shifts and the "Wrist watch rattler" of a Gear stick
2. Front power windows do not have auto down motion - my Indigo had this.
3. Central locking does not lock the doors automatically after starting the vehicle. Looks like the unit has the facility but this has not been enabled.
4. Lack of a dead pedal
5. No seat height adjustment for driver.
6. Higher NV levels
7. AC vent throw cannot be directed to your face if you want to (I need that when I get into the car after my workouts or after sometime out of the car on a hot day.
8. Seats are not as comfy as a sedan or other cars in this class.

What I would love to have:
1. A larger clock on the dash
2. Auto dimmer and rain sensor
3. Cruise Control
4. Climate control
5. The graphics that is there on the Vlx

Post delivery add ons:
1. ICE - Kenwood HU (KDC-U546BT)+ Boston Components for front (S60) + Boston Oval Coaxials (S95) on rear door
2. Plastic floor matting
3. PU Seat cover - biege and brown combo
4. Xenos four sensor reversing sensors with IRVM display - VFD 4S
5. Sun control film - 3M RE35

Total cost of add-ons - 35k


I will post pix of the car and the interiors soon.

Last edited by cnaganathan : 26th July 2011 at 15:52.
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Old 27th July 2011, 14:52   #2
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Re: Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Reports forum. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 27th July 2011, 15:10   #3
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Re: Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2

Quote:
Originally Posted by cnaganathan View Post
3. Central locking does not lock the doors automatically after starting the vehicle. Looks like the unit has the facility but this has not been enabled.
You're right, this can be done and is a 5 min job if you have the patience to read the Nippon manual and do it yourself; else you can get it done during your 1st service.

Do go through the manual and follow the running in procedure given in it religiously.

Many congratulations & wish you a million miles of safe and happy driving!

Cheers,
Vikram
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Old 27th July 2011, 17:44   #4
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Re: Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2

cnaganathan Congratulations for your White stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio.

Please do add some pics of your ride as any ownership thread is incomplete without pictures.

Don't forget to update the thread regularly with service updates.

Wishing you happy and safe driving.
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Old 27th July 2011, 18:00   #5
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Re: Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2

Hi Naganathan,
Congratulations ! Have fun with the white stallion and may you have many, many delightful miles in it.

Looking forward to the snaps. Always have loved the shape and size of the Scorpio and never tire of looking at it - be it even in snaps.

Being an ex-owner for a long time of the Scorpio, all I can tell you is that you will face a few niggles - but all of them settle down over a period of time. I would even attribute it to the famed SHP - Self Healing Property - of the Scorpio.

Enjoy the experience of a vehicle loaded with character.

Last edited by Guderian : 27th July 2011 at 18:02.
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Old 27th July 2011, 19:49   #6
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Re: Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2

Hi Congrats on your new scorpio. IMO sle is best option unless you fancy gizmos. i have completed 14500kms in 6 months and enjoyed every moment of it . which seating option have you opted for ?
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Old 2nd August 2011, 16:52   #7
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Re: Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2

Thanks everyone for the wishes. Though my wife hates him, I love my white stallion and so do my kids. This weekend I took him out on his maiden highway run when I went tyo Yelagiri for an office outing. It was quite a comfortable drive. The ride was quite smooth and we covered the 215 kms in about 3.5 hrs with a brief breakfast stop and a fuel stop in between. I maintained a steady speed of 95-100 kmph on the plains. I did try to go faster for a brief period on a straight stretch but found that there was excessive vibrations past 115 kmph - probably need to check the wheels for out of balance.

I have uploaded some photos of the stallion.

@Arjuna, @Guderian, @bluvolt and @comfortablynumb - thanks for your wishes and your inputs. As of now except for the Yelagiri run he has been trotting along the city roads only. I will keep this thread updated of his progress.

@Arjuna - I could take the 7 seater with jump seats only as this is a company owned vehicle.
Attached Thumbnails
Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2-white-stallion-front-up-close.jpg  

Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2-seatcovers.jpg  

Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2-middlerowseats.jpg  

Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2-rearqtrview.jpg  

Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2-rearovalsontailgate.jpg  

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Old 2nd August 2011, 17:11   #8
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Re: Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2

Congrats on the Scorpio buddy. Are they seat covers OE ?

Regarding the vibration post 115kmph, do get the wheel alignment and balancing checked. I had no issues taking mine over 120kmph.
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Old 2nd August 2011, 18:27   #9
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Re: Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2

Congrats cnaganathan! Scorp looks great in white. The seat covers are also pretty good, matching the overall beige scheme.

Wish you a trouble free ownership

Quote:
Originally Posted by cnaganathan View Post
What I would love to have:
1. A larger clock on the dash
2. Auto dimmer and rain sensor
3. Cruise Control
4. Climate control
5. The graphics that is there on the Vlx
Of these, I think 1 and 5 can be retrofitted easily.
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Old 2nd August 2011, 19:16   #10
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Re: Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2

Congrats on your new Scorp, cnaganathan. I can understand the feeling having just upgraded myself.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cnaganathan View Post
Coming to the first impressions:

What I love about the car:

5. All those cubby holes in the front.
6. Arm rest for the driver

8. The cabin lights - especially the swivelling ones in the front.
9. Cell phone holders on the door panels for the middle row passengers.
10. The VAS - especially the warning about Fuel reaching reserve levels.
I would have loved to have these on the LX as well.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 2500cc View Post
Are they seat covers OE ?

Regarding the vibration post 115kmph, do get the wheel alignment and balancing checked. I had no issues taking mine over 120kmph.
The seat covers are definitely not OEM. He has mentioned the same in his post.

My Scorp also had the vibrations past 100, when i briefly took it to 110 kmph. Balancing needs to be done.
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Old 2nd August 2011, 20:09   #11
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Re: Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2

Quote:
Originally Posted by 2500cc View Post
Congrats on the Scorpio buddy. Are they seat covers OE ?

Regarding the vibration post 115kmph, do get the wheel alignment and balancing checked. I had no issues taking mine over 120kmph.
Thanks. No the Seat Covers aren't OE. Got them fitted post delivery.
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Old 3rd August 2011, 09:24   #12
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Re: Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2

Congrats cnaganathan welcome to the club of the Mhawk owners. Enjoy the torque it has to offer, it's quite addictive. Looks like the scorp' is shodded with the MRF Wanderers, how good are these tires in terms in road noise and grip levels ?

Last edited by rjstyles69 : 3rd August 2011 at 09:28.
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Old 3rd August 2011, 11:59   #13
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Re: Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2

cnaganathan, congrats on your purchase and wish you many miles of happy running. I too have the same white mhawk sle which I bought this april.

@rjstyle69, i too got MRF Wanderer. Its noise levels are high and low on road grip. I would definitely change it to yokohama later.
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Old 27th August 2011, 11:14   #14
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Re: Welcoming home my White Stallion - The Mahindra Scorpio Sle 2.2

@cnaganathan:
I have booked the similar SLE model expected to be delivered next week.
I need information about how you decided Scorpio over Xylo. I am getting little confused here.

I test drove both vehicles. But, heart says Scorpio and mind says Xylo.
Is there any possibility for Scorpio to be phased out?

My usage is similar to yours. But, for the same price Xylo E8 ABS makes sense.
I felt Xylo to be little sluggish than Scorpio. But, interiors are better than scorpio and engine refinement/smoothness are good in both vehicles.
Just my observation. Both has pros/cons.
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Old 7th January 2013, 13:55   #15
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Mahindra A.S.S refusing to give invoice for spares changed under warranty

I had recently got the 30k service done for my white stallion. At the time He went for service, I had a complaint with the Aircon (total failure except for blower). The Service advisor called me at the time of booking and informed me that he had a noticed a few other issues as well:

1. Issue with one of the tie-rods
2. Rattling from the Suspension bushes
3. Brakes needed cleaning and a possible brake pad change.

Except for the Brake pad change, he said the rest along with the Aircon repairs (there was no Gas in the circuit) would be done FOC.

Vehicle was at the workshop for 2 days and on Day 3 the delivery was made. Since I was not in town, my driver took delivery. When I saw the Invoice on my return, I noticed that it did not have any info on what was changed under warranty. I demanded that they should issue me an invoice that shows what was changed FOC as they had done in the past when they changed the Clutch slave cylinder twice. The A.S.S is now giving me a story that they have stopped the practice and include only payable items in the Invoice.

Now within 2 weeks of this service
1. I have a creaking sound from my steering column whenever the steering wheel is turned.
2. The brakes are a little soft
3. Hand brake is not effective. The vehicle groans when parked on a ramp and tends to roll down slowly unless a large brick or stone is placed as a wheel stopper.

When I sent the vehicle for fixing these issues again, the SA gives me a story that the brake drums are rusted and need cleaning - within just 1500 kms after the service.

I will be back in Chennai this Saturday (12th) and will be going over to the A.S.S to meet the head. Can you please let me know if the practice of not issueing a list of Spares changed under FOC is acceptable? What are the remedies that I have?
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