[Bhargava_sr]

Dear T-bhpains,

A bit of Flashback before the actual story starts -

After a disaster sale of my Scorpio DX in Sep 2010 I was left without a companion. It took many days for me to come out of that trauma. I decided never ever to buy a used car. So there was nothing left for me other then start dreaming and saving for a new one.

There were many sleepless nights and my sleeping nights were filled with Scorpio dreams.

I spent some valuable time reading our bhp’s Scorpio - Reviews, Initial Ownership threads, Issues and Solutions,

Some of my favorite Long-Term Ownership Reviews are -
1) Life with Scout, my Mahindra Scorpio mHawk SLE - 2 years & counting – By comfortablynumb
2) Ownership Report - My new Scorpio VLX mHawk - 25,000 kms and counting – By raj_5004
3) Scorpio VLX mhawk 4WD with Air Bags EDIT - 43000 kms update - 4x4addict
4) M&M Scorpio: BOSS is BOSS! – By getsurya
5) Scorpio 185,000Km review – By Hammer & Anvil
6) Scorpio ownership review. EDIT : Now crossed 1,00,000 kms! – BY manson
7) Mahindra Scorpio VLX 50,000 Km Report – Detailed – By capt.chandru
Many more ….

Alternatives considered: None – because this is just a project 'SCORPIO'.

The dream, the deliberation, the aim, the ambition was – A Diamond White New Mighty Muscular Scorpio. I lived for almost 17 months with this dream waiting for the come true moment.

To conclude it was Feb 2012 which turned to be a fascinating moment. I took the delivery of my Diamond White Scorpio.

I have named him as ‘HIRA’ (A Sanskrit name for Diamond)

The Story –

My Experience with the Dealer –

I am extremely satisfied with the buying experience with Sireesh Auto, Near Silk Board, Bangalore.

My first visit to Sireesh Auto was on March 2011 and the moment I entered the showroom there was a very pleasant ambiance which I felt it was a very positive start. Adding to this in no time some of their sales reps rushed towards me and started greeting. I was surprised with the quality of their greetings. As soon as I told them that I was looking for Scorpio SLE, a Sales rep from Scorpio team stepped forward and we started the deal.

He spent his time/paper work to explain me the current offers on Scorpio SLE. The offers were very delightful (The On-road price was just 10.10L with lots of goodies loaded) . He was very clear on his words and knows what he can offer/promise. I never felt he was doing JUST his job, rather he was trying to add quality to his job. Our negotiation went on well and there was nothing left for a second thought other than booking. I completed the booking process and the clock started ticking for delivery Date.

It was happy moments and unfortunately there were some major changes in their offers for Scorpio SLE (All offers were cancelled and On-road price increased to 10.60). Since there was difference of 50k I started working on my budget plans. Based on my second thought I had to cancel my booking. Felt very disappointed however I had no option.

Well this is just an Interval the Story never ended. The same sales rep was in frequent touch with me and kept updating on the on-going offers. I received his calls at-least once in every month. I got a feeling that my relationship with Sireesh Auto is still LIVE. I cannot imagine any other sales rep can do this.

The time was just passing, my plans of buying a car still continued. It was 2012 – There was New Year celebrations all over the world. The Sales rep never gave up, he called me on Jan and wished me for the New Year and also no doubt tempted me with the current offer on Scorpio SLE.

I thought this is a good time to turn my plan/dream to execution. So I was BACK. Visited Sireesh Auto on Jan and there was no change in the style and fashion of their approach/greetings. Completed the booking process and the delivery was promised within 1-2 months.

Also took a very short TD of a Scorpio Vlx (It was 65k driven Showroom Vehicle) – Felt the difference between Turbo and M-Hawk engine. Enjoyed the M-hawk power.

I was very particular about the Tyres, I wanted either Bridgestone or MRF but not JK. But I was told that most of the SLE’s comes with JK and Bridgestone/MRFs are very rare, more over no option of exchanging of tyres. I was bit worried and thought I would upgrade to Yoko’s after the delivery.

Finance – Sireesh In-house Finance team tied up with HDFC car loan. Got the loan at 11.50% ROI (Reducing balance, Fixed ROI comes close to 6.99%). Also got 50% waiver in processing fee. Finance process completed within a week.

I was very lucky – got a call from Sireesh within 10 days of booking that my Car has arrived in their stock yard, immediately visited the stock yard and found the white beast had come with MRF Wanderer Tyre's, it was a great relaxation for me. After my short PDI sent the car for registration.

Meanwhile The Sales rep assisted in introducing the Accessories/Service teams and very neatly planned the delivery. It was Feb-16th the Delivery Date, took the stunning – DIAMOND WHITE MIGHTY MUSCULAR SCORPIO SLE.
There was not even a second delay in the delivery date/time. The delivery process was very neat and precise. The Sales rep was MR.Abhisek without whom this great event would never been so smooth and excite full.

Carried our Tbhp PDI chck list, followed each and every step mentioned very thoroughly. Concluded – ‘ALL IS WELL’

Car Details -
Variant: Scorpio 2.2 MHawk SLE, 8 Seater All Front Facing seats
Ex-Showroom Price: 923202
Insurance: 36450
Bangalore Road Tax: 143466
Handling Charges: 5500
On-Road Price: 1108618
Offers/Discounts: Nil

Accessories from the showroom -
1. M&M Front Bull bar - Stuck a deal for Rs 6200 – I am yet to get it fitted

Goodies - (Very basic)
1. Scuff Plates
2. Perfume/Idol
3. Body Cover
4. 1500 Cash Discount as I ignored Garware Sunfilm
5. 10 Ltrs of Diesel
6. Floor Mats

Out of Market Installation - At Top Choice Car Accessories, Sarjapura Road, Bangalore
1) CS-20 3M Sunfilm
2) ICE - Pending

First Impressions -

Mileage - 24 Kms during delivery
Build Quality – Very rigid and strong body, definitely fresh out of Gym and muscular body.

Looks –
Exteriors - Very neatly designed, naughty and mischievous looks. The Roof rails, spoiler, Hood Scoop, the square shaped fog lamps all together form a macho looks.
Interiors – looks ok but could have been much better
Few improvements / expectations on Scorpio
1) Roof mounted AC – would have been an added goodie for a 11L car
2) Better quality plastic/chrome finish for inner door lock handles
3) Gear Lever – Definitely an electric massager, need to reduce the vibration
4) Wooden finish console on the dash
5) Quality lock for Glove box – Needs hard push to lock
6) Clutch Pedal – Feel bit hard, need to depress the pedal to ground for each gear shift. Need some extra power on left leg to push it – not sure if this is normal
7) There is a small vibration noise from the Instrument panel while the vehicle is on run – Seems it needs some extra packing between the glass and the panel.
8) There is an open wiring seen just below the driver’s seat – could have have placed it unseen.

Driver goodies - The arm rest for the driver’s seat is an advantage on long drives. I really love the steering because it is in very appropriate size and adjustable for height. Electronically adjustable OVRMS is an added asset.. A push button for Fuel lid opener in the central bezel makes the driver ease, avoids bending down to lift any levers, its very hard while seats belts are on.
Voice assist system – I respect/obey every command as I feel they are very much needed.
Immobilizer – Changed the code right at the time of delivery.

Passenger goodies– Mid row seats are comfortable and spacious, can easily accommodate three hefty adults. They also slide towards the back. Third Row leg room should have been bit more, still manageable for kids and thin adults. Luggage space is very minimal, need a roof carrier during long trips with 6-7 occupants.

Others –
AC does decent job - cooling is quick and the air flow is pretty good, Rear vents can be closed while only front seats are occupied.
MRF Wanderer tyres – Anytime/anywhere ready to conquer anything. Performs really well on off-roads/wet surfaces.
Follow me head lamps – very useful after parking at night.

Driving experience -
Driving position is very commanding, its gives a clear view of the road and no doubt it’s a King all set to rule the Road.
Breaking - ABS is a MUST. I just love them. Never ever felt that the vehicle may not stop when required.
The car is a pleasure to drive in both city traffic and highways. Scorpio cannot be driven like a sedan, it needs a different style and respect to drive it. The suspension is very smooth and does not feel of body roll even with 8 passengers on bad roads.
Fuel efficiency – 10kmpl with AC in City driving conditions. 11 kmpl with AC in highways
I have driven 3500 kms till date. For first 2000 kms maintained in 2000 RPM. Till first service (5000 kms) will continue to maintain within 2.0-2.5 RPM.

Long trips till date –
1) Hosur-Mabalipuram-Hosur: 750 kms
2) Hosur-Valparai-Athirapilly-Top Slip-Hosur : 1300 Kms
3) Hosur-Tirupathi-Kalahasti-Hosur: 800 kms

There are no niggles/other complaints as such, pretty happy with the performance till date.

The Scorpio is a perfect companion for road trips.

My Dream – A drive to Leh-Ladhak . I have already started collecting information from T-bhp, should start saving funds.

I feel now my project 'SCORPIO' completed after T-bhp sticker on my car and posting this thread.

Dear Bhpians - Please provide some tips/suggestions on driving/maintaining my new car.

Now time to enjoy the pic of HIRA
Photography credit goes to my friend/colleague/T-bhpian – Mr.Nagesh Holla – a photographer.
Will upload some more pics shortly.

[Ketan]

Congratulations on getting a perfect roadtrip companion, Bhargava!
I'm sure this is going to let you enjoy many more happy miles. I didnt like the white color with XUV for some reason, but its the best looking on Scorpio I would say.

I know ABS is the biggest difference here when compared to LX, however, in terms of interior, I guess the only thing that can be missed is powered ORVM.
I wish they start giving 4wd with SLE too, it will be a good deal I guess.
Thanks for sharing your experience and wish you many more happy miles with 'Hira'

[mayankjha1806]

Congratulations, your long wait of buying your beloved Hira finally ended. Scorpio looks good in White and Black. Please post more pictures of the same.

Trip to Leh, from Bangalore will make a good read on team BHP. May you be able to save enough funds fast. Best Wishes.

[HappyRoadie]

Congratulations. Looking really muscular in white and I just love it. Eagerly waiting for interior photos. Wish you many happy and safe miles. Please tell what is the difference you feel between this Scorpio and your early Scorpio like build quality, Ride etc.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by Bhargava_sr

There were many sleepless nights and my sleeping nights were filled with Scorpio dreams.Alternatives considered: None – because this is just a project 'SCORPIO'.

The dream, the deliberation, the aim, the ambition was – A Diamond White New Mighty Muscular Scorpio. I lived for almost 17 months with this dream waiting for the come true moment.

Now that is a passionate Scorpion speaking.

Congrats on acquisition Bhargava Sr. The Scorpio is one of the very few vehicles that evokes such feelings amongst owners and enthusiasts alike. May you have a long and delighted ownership experience.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by Bhargava_sr

Dear T-bhpains,

A bit of Flashback before the actual story starts - .....

Very straight from the heart review, I must say!

As for the tips and suggestions for maintaining your new car, the best place to start is the user manual. Do read it thoroughly, and if you have any more specific questions, then the Scorpio Issues & Solutions thread should be your next stop.

Wish you a million miles of safe & happy ownership!

Cheers,
Vikram

[bala80]

Congratulations on your new ride, wishing you a very memorable and pleasant ownership experience wth your new car. I hope M&M carries some learnings and improvements they have made with XUV to their flagship SUV, which will make the scorpio a more desirable car.

@Happyroadie - I have owned both the old (2.6 SLX) and new scorpio (2.2 VLX) in our family, and the only place where the new gen scorpio is inferior to the old one is in the area of build quality. Pretty much everywhere else, the 2.2 hawk is a clear winner. If you are looking for any other specific information, I'd be more than happy to answer.

Originally Posted by HappyRoadie

Congratulations. Looking really muscular in white and I just love it. Eagerly waiting for interior photos. Wish you many happy and safe miles. Please tell what is the difference you feel between this Scorpio and your early Scorpio like build quality, Ride etc.

[HappyRoadie]

@bala80 So you mean that metal sheet of present Scorpio is inferior to that of previous Scorpio? I just love the torque of Mhawk engine which is miles ahead than that of old Scorpio.

[_raVan_]

Congratulations on your Scorpio Bhargava Your review is well written. Wishing you many miles of happiness on it and hope that you will achieve your dream of taking the mean machine to Leh someday.

Do update the thread with your servicing intervals, cost and experience.

[venki.bala]

Congratulations Bhargava.... I am also having the same dream of acquiring a Scorpio SLE. I hope my dream translates in to reality soon like yours. Hira is truly a beauty and wish you have thousands of successful miles with her. I will be keenly following your experiences along with other threads.

[Bhargava_sr]

Originally Posted by Ketan

Congratulations on getting a perfect roadtrip companion, Bhargava!
I'm sure this is going to let you enjoy many more happy miles. I didnt like the white color with XUV for some reason, but its the best looking on Scorpio I would say.

I know ABS is the biggest difference here when compared to LX, however, in terms of interior, I guess the only thing that can be missed is powered ORVM.
I wish they start giving 4wd with SLE too, it will be a good deal I guess.
Thanks for sharing your experience and wish you many more happy miles with 'Hira'

Thank you Ketan

SLE also comes with 4WD provided on order basis.

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

Congratulations, your long wait of buying your beloved Hira finally ended. Scorpio looks good in White and Black. Please post more pictures of the same.

Trip to Leh, from Bangalore will make a good read on team BHP. May you be able to save enough funds fast. Best Wishes.

Thank you Mayankjha.

I would wish Mahindra to make SLE and VLX in full black. For some reason i did not like the Silver cladding on Black versions.
Black would have been my second option if it was full black.

Originally Posted by HappyRoadie

Congratulations. Looking really muscular in white and I just love it. Eagerly waiting for interior photos. Wish you many happy and safe miles. Please tell what is the difference you feel between this Scorpio and your early Scorpio like build quality, Ride etc.

Thank you Happyroadie,

White is a stunning color in Scorpio. I will shortly post some more pics of my Hira. The pics are in .cp2 format and each of them are 20 GB. Iam working on them to compress/covert to .jpeg without reducing the quality.

Difference between DX and Sle -
1) There is a drastic difference in the breaking, may be because of ABS. M-Hawk LX Owners can comment on breaking,
2) I feel the body weight has been reduced in Mhawk. Did not really compare with both the user manuals for actual spec. Still no compromise on Build quality - Mhawk is still rigid and strong.
3) Ride - Mhawk is very powerfull, no doubt the 120bhp motor can just take on its competitors on a fly.
4) Engine is very smooth, noise has been arrested a lot in Mhawk, cabin does not feel it. Definitely does not like sound high like 2.6 Turbo engines.
5) Yes again there is a lot of difference in the suspension, it take on rough surfaces with 8 adults boarded. (My Hira carried 8 into Top Slip forest near Pollachi, never felt the suspension was hard).

Apart from owning, I am also following few best practices as part of maintenance -

1) Start & Stop Procedure
2) 2.0 - 2.5 RPM until 5000 kms
3) No higher RPM on lower gear and no lower RPM on higher gear
4) no acceleration in 2nd gear in traffic/rough roads, as the vehicle just rolls on its own
5) Normal Diesel is used (Preferably Indian Oil)
6) Pumping the breaks softly to avoid instant depress - this was the practice in my old Scorpio as it had Disk breaks. Iam not sure if the same can be followed with ABS.
7) AC - always in Inner circulation mode, fan speed at 2/3 points max after 10-20 kms. (High and low again depends on the climate)
8) Try to park under shades
9) Use even the alternate Keys every 3-4 months

Experts please let me know if any changes/additions required to the above best practices on Driving/Maintaining a Mhawk.

[aviorp]

Congratulations Bhargava. I can imagine your quest for this beast as I was in a similar situation a couple of year ago. The SLE is definitely VFM. Enjoy the beast and wish you miles of happiness. Please do add more pics.

[Utopian]

Hira does look great in white. Your Hira reminds me more of a hardworking bull than the diamond.
One query, is the hood scoop functional?

[HappyRoadie]

Originally Posted by Utopian

Hira does look great in white. Your Hira reminds me more of a hardworking bull than the diamond.
One query, is the hood scoop functional?

Yes the bonnet scoop is functional in refreshed Scorpio.

[gd1418]

Bhargava, congrats on your new ride. A passionate Scorpion. Immensely liked the detailed report.

It seems everybody is buying a Scorpio.... including me.

BTW, the correct sanskrit word for diamond is Vajra, that also means a thunderbolt if used in a different context. Also addressed in sanskrit as Hiraka or Bhargavapriya.

Originally Posted by Bhargava_sr

Dear T-bhpains,

To conclude it was Feb 2012 which turned to be a fascinating moment. I took the delivery of my Diamond White Scorpio.

I have named him as ‘HIRA’ (A Sanskrit name for Diamond)