[tanwaramit]

Originally Posted by n.devdath

It is due to brake dust and is quite normal.

Originally Posted by KAN

This is exactly what is also happening with my XUV as well to the front alloys. There is a layer of black dust. It looks as if some sort of rubber.

Is this dust cleanable? I mean if you clean it with plain water does the alloy get back to clean look ?

Haven't seen such black dust on any other car alloys, only on Mahindra vehicles I have seen.

[grevvity]

Originally Posted by KAN

This is exactly what is also happening with my XUV as well to the front alloys. There is a layer of black dust. It looks as if some sort of rubber. I plan to check this with the service center guys during the service.

Kan, no need to worry about it as its a common phenomenon. This is just the dust coming off from the brake pads and can be easily cleaned with the help of a dry cloth. For detailed cleaning inside out, try spraying water from any hose and you will see a lot of black muck flowing out. You can do this once a week to keep the alloys and disc dust free.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

Is this dust cleanable? I mean if you clean it with plain water does the alloy get back to clean look ?

Haven't seen such black dust on any other car alloys, only on Mahindra vehicles I have seen.

Oh yes, easily. All vehicles have such brake dust, however, the design of the alloy wheel determines the amount of dust that comes out on the visible portion of the wheel (the outer edge) and the amount which stays inside the wheel (inner edge).

[KAN]

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

Is this dust cleanable? I mean if you clean it with plain water does the alloy get back to clean look ?

Haven't seen such black dust on any other car alloys, only on Mahindra vehicles I have seen.

This gets cleaned easily. In fact this happened during the first 500 kms. Now I do not see this happening.

Originally Posted by grevvity

Kan, no need to worry about it as its a common phenomenon. This is just the dust coming off from the brake pads and can be easily cleaned with the help of a dry cloth. For detailed cleaning inside out, try spraying water from any hose and you will see a lot of black muck flowing out. You can do this once a week to keep the alloys and disc dust free.

Thanks Grevvity!!

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Oh yes, easily. All vehicles have such brake dust, however, the design of the alloy wheel determines the amount of dust that comes out on the visible portion of the wheel (the outer edge) and the amount which stays inside the wheel (inner edge).

The dust feels like its rubber. I am just concerned if the tires are getting eroded. Not sure why this is not happening for the rear wheels?

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by AutoInt

Congratulations Joy on your new R3. It was indeed a great ownership report of S10 4x4. I am tempted to read the corbet travelogue. Looking forward to read your off-roading posts / travelogues.

Wishing you happy ownership of your R3

Thanks AutoInt!

Originally Posted by KAN

Congrats on your new car!

Nice commentary and specially like the 'Tilak lagao" moment!!

Thanks KAN

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

Joy, congrats on the car. Great to see 4WD Scorpio.

Your santro was 2003 model ? Then it seems it was in the first year of Xing launch.

Thanks tanwaramit! Yes she was from the very first batch of Xings sold in India-pobably imported CKD, - and likely the first Santro AT ever to hit India's streets (and in red- an uncommon colour amongst Santros then). There will probably never be official confirmation from Hyundai- but thats ok.

Yes, R3 continues that legacy of being the first 8 seater new generation scorpio - also in red (a new launch colour in the Scorpio stable). Put it down to this thing I have about buying cars that are a little हट के (different) from the rest. I just love the adulation that R3 gets as a result. Makes one feel good.

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Oh yes, easily. All vehicles have such brake dust, however, the design of the alloy wheel determines the amount of dust that comes out on the visible portion of the wheel (the outer edge) and the amount which stays inside the wheel (inner edge).

Thanks Devdath ji... Since you very helpfully answered, the only thing, I would add is that I don't mind the dust on R3's front legs. In fact, very strangely , for me it's just the right amount of dust that just adds to his sex appeal. Goes with his smoldering looks - I say!


In other news, R3 completed the first month of ownership on Sunday October 11, 2015. He's just humming along very nicely -thank you very much !

The auxillary lamp project is coming along nicely too. I had managed to nail down the final look I want (in post #11), and (following consultations here) have also finalized the electrical circuit. However, all this is still on paper.





The BOM procurement stage comes up next, and I am on the hunt for someone who can fabricate a custom made mounting rod first (see BOM#19)
That's because, the other items are easy enough to procure in a buyers market. It's the execution of the mounting rod that will make or break the entire deal (final looks and functionality)

So, Dear Reader if you are familiar with the work and the coordinates - of a really really fab fabricator that does hugely awesome work with MS pipes/rods, and has a workshop in the NCR - do write in! Thanks in advance for any suggestions and help!!

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

So, Dear Reader if you are familiar with the work and the coordinates - of a really really fab fabricator that does hugely awesome work with MS pipes/rods, and has a workshop in the NCR - do write in! Thanks in advance for any suggestions and help!!

Would you be willing to drive to Green Park?
If yes, let me know and I know someone who will get the job done with "puri emaandaari"..!!

[BlackPearl]

I don't know how I had missed this thread even though I remain hooked on to team-bhp most of the time. But it is better late than never. Congratulations on a gorgeous looking Scorpio. A very detailed ownership review indeed and it will benefit a lot of people. The Scorpio 4WD is an excellent platform from Mahindra with the following virtues -
1. Powerful
2. Small overhangs
3. Reliable
4. Top-mounted intercooler
The only con that I find with the new gen Scorpio is the plastic fuel tank. I hope you get adequate protection for it before venturing to the extremes. Also I wish Mahindra provided a dedicated lever for the 4WD like the Fortuner and the Pajero
One request though, please remove that horrible looking rear guard. If you don't want to remove it you can paint it matte black as well. Sorry for giving unwanted suggestions, but could not help it.
Wish you many miles of happiness with the R3

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Would you be willing to drive to Green Park?
If yes, let me know and I know someone who will get the job done with "puri emaandaari"..!!

Devdath ji - thanks for putting me in touch. I will be visiting his premises in Green Park or Gurgaon depending on convenient time off from home/office chores.

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Congratulations on a gorgeous looking Scorpio. A very detailed ownership review indeed and it will benefit a lot of people.
...
Wish you many miles of happiness with the R3

Thanks Blackpearl

In other news, R3 finally got the much awaited RC card today- October 22 - 1 month and 11 days after paying the government. Of course , Koncept went out of their way (yet again) - and I am a happy customer as a result. Living up to with you हमेशा everytime!

A momentous occasion indeed as that paves the way for R3 to follow in the footsteps of the quintessentially enigmatic Mr. Heinrich Harrer. Of course "yours sincerely" is proud to chaperone the excited youngling as he gears up to go where few have gone since the 1962 debacle.

That's all I will say for now folks - a travelogue is certainly owed to the many fine folks on the forum - now that the "cat is out of the bag"


P.S. R3 is still humming along quite well. Thank you very much!! Fuel efficiency is 9 kmpl in the bumper to bumper unruly traffic of Delhi Navratra season.
No trouble to be reported at all - other than the occasional rattle from doors and window glass on broken tarmac.
But who am I to quibble?

[v&v]

Congratulations Joy on your new R3, some how i missed this thread. The red looks good on Scorpio. I had driven the new scorpio (red one) in Bengaluru (zoom car), felt the dynamics are much better then the older one.

Wishing you again happy n trouble free mile-munching...

[joybhowmik]

In my quest to drive to India's frontiers , R3's official baptism by fire was completed just an hour ago after 1050 km of spirited driving on all kinds of terrain that the BRO had on offer. The odometer now reads a more respectable 2550 km.
After this amazing drive over the last 4 days , the only issue to report is a rattle that the seat belt buckles make when vibrating against the plastic cards of the doors.


Some members here had mentioned a few things about the upsized tyres. I am especially thrilled with my decision to upsize after all due to the SUPERLATIVE & AMAZING PERFORMANCE of the A/T CONTIS on this unforgiving terrain.

The blistering pace of the past 96 hours, has returned 12kmpl overall - and therefore I have ABSOLUTELY no problem with the fuel efficiency - upsized CONTIS or otherwise.

Yes, I owe all a mini-travellogue-and believe me I have never let TBHPians down. I ask for patience whilst I gather my thoughts and finally let a sigh escape my lips.

While I calm down and sober up after the experience of a lifetime .... here are teaser pics of the places R3 nonchalantly dismissed.

Watch out , and would you please get out of the way!


Getting the alloys washed before the journey- and how!


A journey where we would look back on the road less traveled...


And look forward to places where only a chosen few could go!


Places so high, that the noon sun stood defeated in his efforts to light up the way!


Places so formidable, that would challenge R3's competent MHawk to the hilt.


Dreadful roads dispatched with a nonchalance that pays tribute to an incredibly mighty offroading heritage.


All this so that I could stand at the very same spot , made famous by Heinrich Harrer's escape from British India to Tibet!


Thank You , Mahindra!

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by v&v

I had driven the new scorpio (red one) in Bengaluru (zoom car), felt the dynamics are much better then the older one.

You were in Bangalore and we couldn't meet.

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

[/i]Thank You , Mahindra!

Hmmmm.....I see a brand ambassador in the making already..!!

Having said that, congratulations on using the Scorpio the way it is supposed to be used.

Looks like the R3 has seen the inner roads of Uttarakhand now. Many more states wait. Oh, and what happened to your light upgrade project BTW?

Happy Festive Season to you and your loved ones...!!

[SS-Traveller]

Hi joy, congratulations on taking R3 on an experience of a lifetime, setting a blistering pace, as well as getting excellent fuel economy figures. Excellent pics too. Shall look forward to the full travelogue.

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

The blistering pace of the past 96 hours , has returned 12kmpl overall - and therefore I have ABSOLUTELY no problem with the fuel efficiency - upsized CONTIS or otherwise.
Yes, I owe all a mini-travellogue-...
... the experience of a lifetime .... here are teaser pics of the places R3 nonchalantly dismissed.

Regarding your comment...

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

Some members here had mentioned a few things about the upsized tyres. I am especially thrilled with my decision to upsize after all due to the SUPERLATIVE & AMAZING PERFORMANCE of the A/T CONTIS on this unforgiving terrain.

Although I did comment about the upsize of your tyres, it was made to point out that the company usually voids warranty in such cases. But the argument does not stand, I agree, once you have clarified the following...

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

The amounts for repair is peanuts for me- and I will gladly pay the bill - just so I can go to the places I have plans for. Road noise - ? a paltry quibble.

I am no self-proclaimed "expert" in tyres or cars, and would not dream of making any uncharitable comments about your choice. In fact, I am completely impressed by the described performance of your choice of tyres (superlative & amazing, in bold, caps and underlined, to hammer home the point) on R3, and would henceforth advocate nothing less for you - if anything, to my mind, one more upsize to 275 or 285 profile would make for much better road-holding and unforgiving terrain performance - indeed, R3 should then be capable of taking on the Rainforest Challenge or do an Expedition Overland kind of journey (indeed, RFC India should be a cakewalk for such a capable combination of driver and machine like this).

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by v&v

Congratulations Joy on your new R3, some how i missed this thread. The red looks good on Scorpio.

Thanks v&v

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Oh, and what happened to your light upgrade project BTW?
Happy Festive Season to you and your loved ones...!!

Thanks Devdath ji. The light upgrade project is on hold until my return from Texas. I do hope to stop by specialty stores to see what kind of spots are on offer. I would prefer purchasing the lights themselves in the states, and bring them over to Delhi for the installation.
I am also on the lookout for snow-chains but that's another topic.
Wishing you and family a very happy Diwali!!

Best regards
Joy

[LoneRidder]

Hi Joybhowmik have you fixed the reverse camera on R3 yet?

[joybhowmik]

My BIL, his wife, and my MIL visited us over Diwali. The house was full of people. And what happens when the house is full of people - why we go out together - what else?


The first such outing was to Barbeque Nation - all 8 of us crammed into the 7 seater Milemuncher. The "custom cushion seat" for the kid was placed in between the 2 middle row captain seats. Wifey drove us, and the experience was pretty good for everyone - except the kid - who did not have adequate backrest support. It was ok for a 45 minute drive through town - but would not be ok for a 300+ km round trip. A firmer backrest is a minimum for everyone.

That tipped the choice of ride for the upcoming Delhi-Vrindavan-Delhi trip in favour of R3. I drove.

Impressions from the family - after the drive
Seating positions
1) Front row passenger seat is the most sought after - because of an independent arm rest, and the blower in front. The seat back can also be conveniently tilted back to a significant angle without discomfiting middle row passengers. Leg room is more than adequate.

2) Middle row - side positions are next in popularity. The arm rests on the door and the relatively larger windows provide support for a quick nap. Air throw from dash mounted blower is adequate if these are properly adjusted, and not obstructed by the front row headrests. Leg room is nothing to write home about - but one can get to angle one's feet underneath the front row seats - to eke out some toe-wriggling space.

3) Middle row - middle position, is a tad bit uncomfortable and the choice of someone who draws the shorter straw. That's mainly because there's nothing to place one's arms on - except one's lap. Besides the air throw from the floor mounted vent is not sufficiently powerful to quickly cool the torso / neck area. The visibility from this position is good - allowing the person to anticipate twists and turns - as well as the driver and front row passenger. Leg room is better than the side positions - as the knees don't graze the seat in front.

4) Last row seats were surprisingly not as unpopular as one would have thought. Air throw to these seats was compromised, and the occupants had to depend on the gradual cooling of the cabin. Quite unlike Milemuncher's rear seats - where the rear ceiling mounted vents offer a quick blast to the face / neck to get people sufficiently comfortable.
Smaller stature of occupants helped adjust to the anticipated reduction in leg room.
But what really worked well, was the higher seating position - and therefore a grand view of the road ahead. That worked wonders for the general health of the last row occupants - as they did not for a moment feel claustrophobic. Certainly a welcome change from the Milemuncher's last row experience - where the lower seating position, often results in ingested breakfast spilling out on the pristine seat covers.

Driving experience
5) I have driven on the YEW many many times in Milemuncher and this drive was no different albeit on R3 -purely from a drive perspective. Yes cruise control helped in some sections. Handling at triple digit speeds was definitely A+ and perceptively less body roll than a fully loaded Milemuncher on the same curve sections. The natural Italian tune-up was a bonus!

6) Though Vrindavan is but a couple of hours away by car, I am far from being perceived as a regular traveler to these parts. I had to depend on the GPS to wend my way past the unruly UP traffic. En route to one of the more famed temples - I came across a narrow section where there's just enough space for two cars to pass - and certainly not enough for a car and bus (because of an open drain on both sides).

As I tried navigating the section, a very enthusiastic bus driver coming from the opposite side pushed his luck a bit too far - and came to a grinding halt by me - because he (like I ) quickly concluded - that proceeding further would involve dire consequences for his left front tyre.

We were both stuck! And as is inevitable in such circumstances - traffic piled up behind both of us - making reversing for either quite impossible. Going forward was out of the question.

An equally enthusiastic motorcyclist behind me and to my left had to urgently deliver a coop of chicken hanging from his pannier. He squeezed in , just so he could nose ahead ( oh those inscrutably curious villagers ) and in the process left a centimeter long scar on the left side of R3's rear bumper. Anyway - there was not much that could be done at the moment , and rather than lose one's sanity - I chose to depute my BIL & wifey to do some traffic management - so we could start moving again.

The chore done, the rest of the drive through town was without incident. In fact I found R3 handled adequately well over the pot-holed streets of Vrindavan. The passengers did not complain of "bumps" even once.

So - lesson learnt - offer bus drivers the right of way - even if they are further away from the offending point/section - where one might pass them. They are after all "larger" than R3.



On my return - a visit to Ramesh took care of the scar (Rs 550/- only + Rs 30/- for two coffees while I waited) - and R3's again back to his former self.

Originally Posted by LoneRidder

Hi Joybhowmik have you fixed the reverse camera on R3 yet?

I have decided against it - as it cannot be installed where I need it to be.