[vivekgk]

A bit of History...

I've always been a vehicle enthusiast for as long as I can remember.

The desire to own an SUV hit me soon after I had started driving cars. Just a few months after, I had sharpened my skills as best as I could on our family's ageing M800, and began test driving every car I could, under the false pretense of replacing it.


Here's a pic we took just before she was sold. We had given her a late-life makeover, with a repaint and conversion to Type-3 lights.

On one of those trips, I was enticed onto a used Mahindra Bolero by a very eager sales guy. It was a 2008 or 2007 model SLX, and "crude and noisy" as it was, I was hooked the moment I put in in First and felt the initial push off the line. No car I'd driven till then had felt so alive at idle speeds, and I could go through the gears till third with no throttle input. I loved the tall driving position, the tough feeling and the DI Turbo engine. My dad drove it too, and loved it, as he had always been keen on Jeeps, and this one was a limo compared to the Taxis we used in Idukki. but "better sense" prevailed and we got an Indigo instead as it could be bought new in our limited budget.


I always loved the shape of the Indigo, especially the CS model. This pic was taken about 2 weeks after delivery.

Fast forward to 2016, when we were upgrading again, and this time around, with a higher budget, I was keen on buying a crossover or SUV. Sadly, even the base Scorpio M2DI was way out of our budget. The TUV300 was a good contender, and I loved the tall big SUV driving position. I also loved the taller Nuvosport despite the oddball looks, as it had a nicer stereo, more comfortable leatherette seats and a 100 bhp engine on all variants. Sounds crazy, but there was a certain cuteness and appeal to its unconventional styling, for me at least. My family hated it though. At the time, we wanted a proper family car like the Indigo, to be driven by Dad and myself, and also had to be suitable for my mom who couldn’t really get onto the high seats of the TUV.

Here too, "better sense" prevailed, as the Brezza and Ecosport diesels cost nearly the same as a Bolero or a TUV, and the crossovers were miles ahead in every parameter, and also easier to drive and easier to get in and out of.

The final decision was heavily influenced by my family, who wanted to go with the safer choices. It was a sensible decision and the Ecosport gave me 6 years and 40K kms of awesome performance and sharp handling, and was with me through thick and thin. We had fun.


The Ecosport after 6 years and 40K kms. Before the sale, I had the whole car dented, touched up and polished.

[vivekgk]

Trials and Tribulations of Replacing the Ecosport TDCi - Part I

It was only because I needed an automatic car that I decided to move on, in 2021. The car was now 5 years old, and had covered about 35K. My employer had a staff loan policy that would allow a new car loan only once in 5 years. As 5 years had passed, this would be the year in which I could start looking for a replacement for the Ecosport. I started reading up on potentials, with the sole criterion being that it should be an AT. If it was big, I could replace the Ecosport altogether, or if it was small, I could add it alongside. I test drove every car that I could.

If you’ve ever owned an Ecosport TDCi, you’d know that it is one of the hardest cars to find a replacement for, because it’s so damn awesome and competent. Few cars could match the dynamics and the value proposition at the time. This was a car that you could drive like hell on any kind of roads, with not a peep from the excellent suspension or the engine, and still get very decent mileage. Now, it's a bit easier, with the Taigun and Kushaq giving it a run for the money.

The XUV500 would be a good upgrade, but the prices for the AT variants were sky-high, even in the used market. Still, I made enquiries about the XUV500 W7 AT, and I think it was while I was getting my Ecosport evaluated by Mahindra dealer that FoMoCo decided to cut and run from India. Ford prices dropped overnight, and the market was flooded with mindless panic sellers and greedy dealer-sharks. I even thought about getting an automatic Ecosport or Figo/Aspire to complement my car.

Then, Mahindra launched the XUV700 at the mouthwatering launch prices. It was unbelievable. I joined the rat race and paid the dealer in advance to reserve me an XUV700 Petrol AX5 AT in Silver. It was unbelievable value for the price.



The XUV700 site allows you to see models of all variants and colors. Since I never had a look at the car I'd booked, this is all I had.

It was out of my budget, but I very naively thought that :
a) I could get a good price for the Ecosport by the time the XUV was delivered, and
b) that I could save a bunch on road tax as I was eligible for the newly announced BH registration scheme.

Neither of these happened. I couldn’t sell the Ecosport at a reasonable price, and it would be a year before prices finally recovered. The maximum I was being offered at the time was 5.75 lakhs.

Further, The Gods in our God’s Own Country decided that offering the BH registration would mean less tax money for them to splurge on their whims and took the stance to continue to charge the highest road tax rates, for possibly the worst roads in the country. Oh, and Mahindra had raised the ex-showroom prices of the AX5 P AT variant by 1.69 lacs when my booking had "matured" and the car was at the dealer.

I got another sticker shock when I was informed that the road tax, insurance and other fees/charges would be charged at the revised ex-showroom price, and the 1.69 lacs would be given as a discount on the final invoice price. This put the car totally out of my reach, unless I made some really bad financial calls and liquidated some of my "never sell" assets. So I ended up having to cancel the XUV booking. I was really disappointed, and didn't even have the heart to go and see the vehicle at the yard.

On a better note, I also got transferred to my hometown of Thiruvananthapuram, and the move and settling in kept me busy for a while. But then the "New Car" bug bit me again after having to drive around in Tvpm's slow morning and evening traffic in the Ecosport and its bloody long, heavy clutch.

I briefly toyed with the idea of retaining the Ford and getting a small automatic car for my daily use but ended up selling it in the end. (Here’s the report on that (The Bronze Stallion | 2016 Ford Ecosport TDCi Titanium | Ownership Review. EDIT: Now sold!)). I had stopped driving it at about 39500 kms, so that I could truthfully claim that it had run under 40K.

I think that it helps a prospective buyer rationalise the purchase a bit more. And seeing that 40K rollover when you’re driving it is always a nice experience, and I wanted to save it for the next owner, as a sort of a premium. In the end, I think it was a good decision to sell the Ecosport, as it would lose even more value if I waited till 2023, and I'd have even less in hand after closing its loan.

I borrowed my Dad’s Nano AMT for the time being, till I could buy the next car. This helped me immensely, as I was effectively de-acclimating myself some of the fancy stuff that I had got used to with the Ecosport. Features like Keyless entry and Go, the Start button, Climate control, sharp steering etc.


Dad's Nano in Persian Rose shade. I've only seen three cars in this shade. It's a much more vibrant shade IRL.

This time around, thanks to a healthy revision in my employer's staff loan policy and some improvement in my financial situation, I had a larger budget. After reading several articles here about lateral upgrades, I also began to consider used cars as an option, which really broadened my options, like this NRI-used 2019 XUV500 W11(O) AT that had only covered 24K kms. But the asking price was waaay- too much, something that was the norm in the used car market, esp. with dealers. The guy was polite and friendly to deal with though, I gotta say.


I think that the last facelift of the XUV500 is the best version of it. Love the wheels, and the front grille.

[vivekgk]

Trials and Tribulations of Replacing the Ecosport TDCi - Part II

Choosing the Variant and Colour

Around this point, the new ScorpioN was launched, and my “Big SUV” senses perked up. This time around, I had decided that my basic starting point would be a proper auto gearbox and a fun-to-drive engine, within my budget. Considering that, I decided to book the ScorpioN Z4 AT, which was the most affordable AT variant. I would be missing out on many "nice to have" features, but there was the mHawk/mStallion engines and 6 speed Aisin TC combo, that I had loved in the XUV700.

I opted for diesel because even though my running would be lower, I would be using it more in the city, and diesel would be the more frugal option there. It was about 2 lacs out of my estimated budget, so the booking was more out of FOMO than actual ability to buy the car at that point. I figured that I might as well book it, since I could always just cancel it (again) if I couldn’t arrange the funds. I booked through the dealer, and my trials and tribulations till the delivery time have been detailed in the ScorpioN booking thread.

Unlike my previous purchases, I was breaking a couple of my own rules regarding car buying. Firstly, I was booking a newly launched car, as opposed to something that has had the niggles worked out, especially from an Indian brand. Secondly, I didn't take detailed test drives, as the vehicle was never available. I trusted TBHP fully this time and took the plunge. As for the variant, I had booked the Z4 AT D Black. My wife had almost convinced me to book the Silver one as it would be easier to maintain, but when the dealer called to finalise the color and variant, I said, "Colour? Yeah, I'd like Ssssiiiill... Siiillll..... Black.. Definitely Black. Yeah...", and then grinned at my wife. She definitely wasn't happy.

I was second guessing my choice of the Z4 variant and colour for a time, But then, our own Cyrus Dhabar did a video on Powerdrift, and said the magic words... "I don't think you need to buy the top-of-the line Scorpio to get the full experience anymore..." and recommended the Z4 variant.. and finished off by saying, "Whatever you do though, buy one in Black.." I've linked the video below, and the comment is at 6:10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=371&v=BVNx0Y6eAqg

A long wait.. and Distractions

But the long waiting period (>6 months as per the booking site) gave me too much time and I continued to worry about whether to spend this much on a car, when it wasn't very sensible. I was getting the same advice from friends and family as well, to not spend so much, especially with the markets moving rapidly to EV. Most of my driving would be through congested traffic, and the commute was less than 10km per day.

So I began compiling a list of alternatives. The only hard and fast rule was that had to be a proper AT. But then, I test drove an IMT Kia Seltos, and it was alright. To top it, it was the HTK+ variant, which was well equipped, and had everything including a sunroof and a nice audio system. It was what a top end Creta would have been like, 5 years ago, and it is a variant that I would recommend to anyone. So, I had to include it in the list.

I particularly liked the Sonet Diesel’s TC, the Venue Nline’s DCT, and the Taigun 1.0’s TC. The Taigun in particular, really impressed with it’s Euro handling that reminded me of the Ecosport, and it’s tiny TC engine, esp in Sports mode taught me that the Germans weren’t to be underestimated.

I had also driven the Astor CVT. It is a really nice family car and has the classiest interiors, but it’s very ordinary engine disappoints on performance. If they had put the 1.5 turbo from the Hector in it, it would be much better. I also didn't like the styling that much. I’m sure there are people who like the opulence it offers, but I think it lacks cohesiveness. It’s not that the Chinese can’t make good looking cars. The BAIC BJ40 for example, looks awesome.

I also tested the Harrier, but the XMA variant was very under-equipped and more expensive than the ScorpioN by more than a lakh. The SA then recommended that I try the Nexon EV. As I said, it was very compelling especially with the year-end offers. The negatives were the styling which I wasn’t that fond of (the rear), fear of battery replacement costs down the lane, and the idea that it was a very expensive, sub-4m car after all, at a price not too less than the ScorpioN.

Since the delivery date was supposed to be in Jan-Feb 2023, I also included the yet to be announced Jimny and the XUV400 in the list.

The sensible thing to do would be to buy a hatch or a Crossover. The Sonet, for example, had a great diesel engine, creamy AT gearbox, was powerful and was loaded to the gills with features, all well within my budget. With my small commute, I could even go for the Nexon EV, which would be massively more economical. The Taigun with the 1L TSI and the quick 6 speed TC was wonderful to drive.

All of these were more sensible and practical than a too big, heavy, BOF SUV, which was overkill for my usage. But try telling that to my SUV-crazy brain which was constantly picturing myself driving The Beast everywhere... Even while I was driving the Nano through the city streets and narrow lanes, I would be mapping out whether a Scorpio would fit that road and figuring out the best path through.

Call of the Beast...

But in the end, two things happened that made the decision for me.

1. One fine December morning, I was driving through congested traffic, and in my RVM, I saw a Black Fortuner, approaching very fast. Way too fast, on the right lane. Before I could think “Where the heck is he going to go in this mess?”, I saw the traffic on the right lane part magically with two loud honks from the fearsome beast, and it had passed through like a hot knife through butter, with the gap closing behind it!!! I kept replaying that scene in my mind, and replaced the Fortuner with me on my ScorpioN, sitting on the driving seat like those Jarls from Skyrim (one of my fav games).
   
   
   
   
2. The second incident was when the dealer called me a fine day, and told me that my booking would be delivered by December end. Some sweet and sour interactions with the dealership followed, regarding the timing of the full payment, as well as the pricing for insurance, the gory details of which have been posted in the booking thread.

So, I guess I can finally get to the meat of the thread, the delivery and initial ownership experiences...

[vivekgk]

Love at First Sight...

On the Saturday afternoon of Dec 17th, My SA, Mr. Sunildutt called me and delivered the awesome news that my own ScorpioN was finally here. The vehicle was being unloaded on the NH Byepass, and would be brought to the showroom that evening. I thanked him, and asked him to confirm as soon as it had arrived.

I left work a bit early (A load of Thanks to my Boss) and reached the dealership at about 6 pm, where I was treated to my first sighting of her...



It was easy to spot her, as she was the only one wearing the black steel rims.



I immediately got a flashback of Sri. Behram Dhabar and his all-Black Scorpio INTERCEPTOR with the Black steel rims and no Side-Step...
You can also see the red Z4 in the back. I was meaning to ask about it to my SA, but totally forgot about it.


It looks awesome fron head-on. The new logo matches the front very well,much more than the old oval.


The rear isn't my favourite bit. But the high tail lamps mean less chances of them getting damaged in traffic. The Z4 comes with the rear wash/wipe and defoggers, which was an essential bit for me.
One clever bit is that the panel with the rear wiper is a separate plastic piece, which means that the rear wiper can be added to a lower variant, without replacing the rear windshield.
I think this is important, with Mahindra's tendency to strip off features from lower variants. The XUV700 AX3 no longer has rear wash/wipe as standard.



I inspected all around the Beast and also took a peek inside. The gearshift is the same as the top models, but the trim around it is black instead of Silver.
They should have used a rubber boot for the handbrake, as there seems to be too much bunched up material there. It sometimes gets caught and prevents the handbrake from going all the way down.


I did sit on the driver seat, and took some pics of the dash as well, and tested out the touchscreen, which felt reasonably responsive.


The greyscale MID display and the gauges looked good, and I was altogether impressed. This pic was actually taken later on the delivery day, as the pic I originally took wasn't clear.
The sticky bits are from my kid checking out the screen. After being used to the mostly text-based SYNC screen on the Ecosport, this is a huge improvement.


As the big boxes with the side steps and wheel caps were inside, I couldn’t try out all the seats.


The Z4s came with 245/65R17 Bridgestone Ecopia tyres, while the Z8Ls all had MRF. The big discs and calipers require at least 17 inch wheels for proper clearance.

I left after about half hour, after arranging for a visit on the next day. Incidentally, as I was leaving, they were delivering another Z4 D AT.
I approached them and congratulated the new owner and his family. Apparently their car had reached a week before.

I returned on Sunday with the family and we all had a good long look at everything. The exterior and interior were blemish free and other than the dust and dirt, the vehicle was fine.




The switch gear is straight from the XUV300 and 700. They have a nice feel, but I think the headlight switch is a bit too small, considering it will see frequent use. I prefer the Euro style headlamp switch dials.
Also note that there is a fog lamp switch provided, even though there are no fog lamps on this model. Good to have when I eventually get them fitted...

We left that day very satisfied, and I went to the showroom on Monday and completed the payment formalities. I spoke to their insurance person as well as the accessories person, and arranged for some basic accessories for about 11K, including mudflaps, door-sill covers, and steel pedal covers.


Pics are from m2all site.


A Word about Insurance...

The dealership had given a quote of Rs. 97K for full coverage insurance. I had obtained an NCB certificate from the previous insurer for my Ecosport with 50% NCB. I had also taken a quote from Policybazaar.com, which was Rs. 49K from United Insurance, as well as my previous insurer and SBI General, who could give me a staff discount. I was also willing to take a voluntary deductible of Rs. 10000/-.

With those quotes with me, I was able to negotiate with the dealer’s insurance team. They were insisting that even though their quote was higher, they would be able to provide easier and faster cashless claims. I contended that even so, it was not worth the huge difference, and insisted that they bring down the amount. By the evening, they had finally agreed to Rs. 54K, which included Zero Dep, Return to Invoice, Engine Protection, Tyre Protection, Consumables Coverage, as well as PAI cover for the driver and passengers, with a voluntary deductible of Rs. 7500/- only. I agreed, and the registration process was started off the next day after completing the payment formalities.




D-Day - Finally...

Due to the Christmas weekend, the registration process was delayed by several days, and it was only on Dec 26th evening that the vehicle was readied. For “auspicious” reasons, the delivery was arranged for Wednesday, 28th December at 3 p.m.

As it was a month end, I couldn’t get a full day off. The 7D mats and 17 inch wheel caps that I had ordered online had arrived, and I went to the showroom first thing in the morning to drop them off, with instructions to have them fitted by delivery time along with all the accessories.

The car was ready on the showroom floor, looking all shiny and new, but I couldn’t take any pics as I had forgot my phone in the car. Damn..

My family and I reached the dealership in time, with a cake for the showroom staff, who gave us a warm welcome. The SA, Sri. Sunildutt took me aside and sat down and explained all the documentation that he was handing over, with separate covers for keeping with the car, and to be kept in safe custody. He also setup my ID with the With You Hamesha app for customer care and service, on my phone.


The accessories person was impressed with the 7D mats and the wheelcaps, which were suiting the car really well. Here's the driver footwell with the mats and the accessory pedals fitted. They look and feel much nicer than the stock plastic.

We were asked if we would like an unveiling function with a red cape and pop-crackers and all that, which I graciously declined. Then, it was Delivery Time...



I was filled with childlike glee and excitement and grinning from ear to ear. The car looked awesome, and the deep black really stood out.

[vivekgk]

The First Drive Impressions... and Late Night Highway Shenanigans

As soon as the delivery was over, we moved on to the Flag-off and lemon-crushing, and climbed into the car. The SA explained the various features to me, and I listened excitedly. With a reassurance that I could call him anytime for assistance, he shook hands and left. I switched the drive mode to ZIP so as to have the smoothest power delivery, till I got used to the car. The default drive mode when you start the car is ZAP.


Me crushing it in the new ride... Crushing Lemons, that is, as per tradition. There is a ramp to the showroom where the launches are done. I think it's a bit dangerous, especially when the customers are new to the cars, and particularly with automatic vehicles.



My Sis took the videos of the Flagoff and of us leaving. Unfortunately, there were no pics and these are the screen grabs from the video.

She and Dad were returning in her Spresso, in which we had arrived.

After months of using the very mild-mannered Nano, the sheer Torque while moving off, and the sharp bite from the powerful disc brakes meant that the initial few minutes were a shaky affair. The SA had assured me that the obligatory 5L had been put in the car, but I immediately went to the pump opposite the dealership and filled up 20L more. Their staff were curious about the Scorpio and asked several questions, which I answered proudly..

As I had to get back to work, we set off for home. There was a slight spatter of rain, and it made the view out of the car even more enjoyable, and we all were excited and already planning trips...

The car felt perfect. Even in the ZIP mode, there was more than adequate punch, and the TC box was smooth and responsive, with imperceptible shifts. I took it slow, just cruising, and enjoying all the looks I was getting in the traffic. The ride quality on tarmac was really good, and it was only on really destroyed roads that there was some movement, while going slow. My family was extremely happy with all the space, and my kid was happily moving from seat to seat, playing around.

I was overjoyed with the comfortable seats and excellent driving position. As I am obese and short, I have trouble fitting into most car seats, and particularly have an issue with comfortably reaching the pedals while maintaining sufficient clearance between my tummy and the steering wheel. No issues here though, and I could finally sit like a King on a Throne, with one hand on the wheel and the other hand resting on the armrest and gearshift, like a staff or sword.


We reached home, and our neighbours came to check out the car.


I had some trouble getting the car into our garage as there was a pillar that created a tight spot, but I managed.


I initially thought that I’d have to reverse the car into the garage every time, but later found that it is actually easier to drive in and reverse out, once you get the feel of it.


I left for Office after freshening up a bit, as there was no rest for the wicked and closing work had to be done. As soon as I had parked up though, a couple of colleagues spotted the car, and spread the word and photos on our Office social media regarding the new arrival. Of course, this meant that everyone came out in teams to check the car out, and there was much rejoicing and back slapping and congratulations and oohing and aahing all over the car, while I stood there absorbing the compliments, and proudly explaining all the features, as if I had personally designed and made this car with my own hands.

After finishing up for the day, it was almost 8:30 pm, and me, my office buddies and our Boss went for a short drive in the car and pronounced it most excellent. We took the mandatory selfies with the car, and I headed home.


Office team with the Big Daddy


I managed to take this pic at the exact time the hazards were full on. Despite the surroundings, I love this pic.

After Dinner after 10 pm, I couldn’t keep still, and had the urge to take the car for a night drive on the now mostly empty streets. As my kid was feeling sleepy and wifey was also tired, I drove over to my Dad’s place. I prodded and poked Dad and Sis into the car, and we went off on a 50 km drive, mostly on highways, to open up the car a bit. And the Beast didn’t disappoint at all.

The highway manners were immaculate, and I got so confident that I even switched to the Zoom mode after a while to get a feel of the acceleration. It pulls like a locomotive when you press the throttle even just a bit, and puts a mega-grin on your face. It also tightens up the steering a bit more, and it "weighs up nicely" as reviewers put it.

I was completely blown away. This was hands down one of the most powerful vehicles I had driven. The RWD feels very different from the FWD cars I was used to, and I could ‘feel’ the power a lot more every time I accelerated. By the time I had got back home, any shred of apprehension I may have had about the purchase decision was long gone.

The Odo now showed just above 120kms. It was then that I realized that I hadn't noted down the Odo reading during any of my PDIs, as I was so excited. But by my calculations, it did seem about right, as the dealership was at the opposite side of the City, and they would have had to bring the car down to my RTO for registration. I decided not to worry about it any further.

Next Up... 750 km Review... See you guys then.

[vivekgk]

Since I took delivery of the ScorpioN, I have been using her as my daily driver for almost a month and I've done about 800kms. I haven't had a chance to go on any trips longer than about 150 kms (incl. return), and it has mostly been used in city traffic.


This pic that I took on a Pixel phone was glammed up automatically by Google Photos.


Also taken on the same Pixel phone.


Comparisons to Volvo lamps aside, IMO the detail on this rear combination lamp is amazing. This is one of my favourite clicks, and also my phone wallpaper.

Living with the Beast for a month has given me a fair idea of the ups and downs of the Z4 D AT, and to start off, here's a list of pros and cons.

The Pros:

• Presence: Powerful, Muscular and Capable. This is one of the most powerful cars you can get under 20-25 lakhs, and it definitely looks the part. The tall stance, the creases and scoops in the bonnet and the fenders all contribute to huge presence on road. The build quality is also very good, and the Napoli Black paint is like a mirror. Everyone who has sat in the driver seat came away impressed.
  
  
• Size and Proportions: While it is a wide and long car, it isn't too long as to make it a nightmare to park. The shorter overhangs, esp. at front, make it easier to park and to drive in B2B traffic than say the XUV700. What is a real boon though is the height, as the high seating position gives such a good view from the driver's perch that you can even manage without a rear camera, and just the sensors. It is surprisingly easy to get used to and fits through smaller gaps than you'd think. It's still a really wide car, mind.
  
  
• Roominess: My family are all short, and we have acres of room. But my BIL who is quite tall and lanky found the seats very supportive and was particularly impressed with the leg room at front, as he could properly stretch out. I keep the 3rd row folded 90% of the time, and that leaves a lot of room for shopping/luggage/farm produce. The seats are big and supportive, even for someone as wide as me. It really lets you perch like a king.
  
  
• Powertrain and Brakes: The mHawk is the smoothest diesel engine I've ever driven. The Aisin "Slushbox" is also super smooth, but even in traffic, the response is great, and it will help you close gaps faster, at the cost of FE. The Brakes bite hard, but that's necessary for such a heavy car. I got used to them fairly soon. And that Zoom mode, oh man... It's just addictive. More than the power itself, it's the response that wows. You just don't expect that kind of response from a car this heavy.
  
  
• Ride and Handling: Impressive, even if you don't give the consideration that it is a tall BOF SUV. I am thrilled at how they managed to get such good ride and handling from this package. You can confidently take it through the twisties, provided you don't get crazy. On good tarmac, it just glides, and even on bad roads, only the bigger potholes are felt. On bad roads, and no roads, just keep the speed up and the car will take it all in its stride. The steering is super-light at low speeds and weighs up with speed. It also weighs up from ZIP to ZAP to ZOOM. I would say it’s better than the Z8L that I test drove, likely due to the road-focused Bridgestone Ecopia tyres and 17 inch rims. And it is a huge improvement over the Thar, TUV, or any of their previous Scorpios.
  
  
• The Overall Package: The Z4, especially the AT models, have almost all the essential features that you absolutely need. I'll go into this in detail later on, but there are no deal-brakers here for me. The engine/gearbox combo delights me every moment, and I have no regrets. It's a good truck, and a comfy one at that. It's a proper old-school SUV and kind of a Muscle Car too.
  

Lastly, for me, there’s that feeling of finally getting what I’ve craved – a proper SUV. At least, what I’ve wanted in a proper SUV. I’m not saying it has everything I’ve wanted, but it comes close. So what doesn’t it have? Let’s go to...


The Cons:

• Lacks Plushness: There are some areas where a bit of fabric or vinyl should have been applied, instead of bare, shiny plastic. The door pads, arm rests, and the big arm rest in the middle in particular feel cheap. About two handkerchiefs worth of seat fabric would have made this a 100% better. The trim around the gearshift should have been silver at least. It's better than some, but not as good as others.
  
  
• Lacks Segment-standard Features: Though this is a base-mid variant, there are certain features that are missing which are standard even in a 10L car such as Folding mirrors, Push-button start, and Auto climate control. I feel these should have been standard at this price, as they don't cost that much to add. Also, there aren’t enough USB ports, esp. at the rear rows. Again, I was used to having these features in the Ecosport, and the convenience of truly keyless entry is what I miss the most.
  
  
• Low-speed ride, esp. on bad roads: While it can flatten bad roads at 50 kph, 15 kph is a different matter. There is a lot of movement in all directions, and you’ll be glad you’re strapped in. I think that this is more due to the height of the vehicle, and because I'm not used to this height.
  
  
• Big Size: Yes, this is both a pro and a con. While the big size is good for getting your way, sometimes you end up getting trapped in a narrow road or having to wait on the side till the traffic clears, or even parking a long way from your destination and walking. I’m seriously considering getting a foldable bike to keep in the boot. I have caused multiple traffic blocks on narrow roads as I'm getting used to the size of the Beast. Lack of auto folding mirrors makes getting through tight spots worse, especially if you don't have a passenger to do it for you.
  
  
• Badly designed 3rd row: There’s a lack of clever space utilization that is felt throughout the interior. The 3rd row doesn’t have split folding, which is a huge miss. Even if you fold it away completely, the remaining area isn’t a clean flat space. There are several jutting humps and some hooks for the seat. As a seat, it’s not suitable for adults at all. The only plus is the one-touch tumble for the 2nd row passenger seat.
  
  
• Thirsty in the City: True, a big diesel engine coupled to a slushbox was never going be frugal to begin with. But even in the ZIP mode, the engine seems to rev more than needed. I guess this is done in the interest of performance as well as longevity for the powertrain. I’ve rarely seen 2-digit figures in the city, and 8-9 kpl is the norm. I’ve even seen a 6.9 after a particularly long, slow crawl in heavy traffic. I'm not too bothered by this presently as my usage is quite low. But a more frugal City mode with earlier shifts and less urgency would have been a welcome addition.
  
  
• Limited Upgrade Options (For Now...): This might sound weird, seeing how YT is filled with the Karol Bagh "Z4 to Z8l" videos, but I am just basing this on personal experience. I like doing DIY, and one thing I did ASAP was to upgrade the rear reversing bulbs to LEDs. I was able to replace the driver side bulb, but the passenger side bulb access is blocked by what I assume is the DEF tank. Another issue was with the rarer 5x139.7 PCD used. There are very few designs in stock and limited options for alloy wheels. Also, it hasn't been easy to add fog lamps. Most of these issues are due to the ScorpioN being very rare here in Thiruvananthapuram, and most accessory shops not having parts in stock. I'm sure that it will improve with time.
  

Overall I am very satisfied with the vehicle, and I have the following observations.

Highway Mileage

I can’t comment on highway drives as the figures seen are too erratic. Once I saw upwards of 25 kpl while holding 65-70 kph, and got an average of 18 kpl over a 30 km highway ride. Once I’ve gone on a longer trip I can give a more accurate picture. I usually drive at under 100, so I’m very hopeful.


It was fun to see this, but it soon started dropping before settling at around 18 kpl.


Long-ish Trips:

Me, the wifey and our kid visited her parents at Anchal, Kollam over the weekend. It was about 60kms one-way on MC road. The first 25 kms were on the newly built flyover, and it was excellent. The joints were never felt inside. But the last portion was hastily surfaced, and the erratic tarmac caused some pitching. Soon we were on the narrower MC Road, and the Beast was faring very well. The visibility and the eager engine meant that overtaking was quick and required little planning. All too soon, we reached the end of the trip. My in-laws hadn’t seen the car properly, and they were very impressed. My FIL gave us a lot of fresh produce from his backyard, and there was more than enough space for it all. The return trip was at night, and I was able to get an overall FE figure of 14.3 kpl.

Another interesting trip was to Heera Engineering College, Nedumangad, Trivandrum, for an online exam. The road from Thiruvananthapuram to Nedumangad is a twisty one once you exit the city and is often frustrating because you’re likely to get stuck behind slow traffic and 2-wheelers. However, Google maps provided an alternate route that was a bit more twistier and hillier, but it was also almost empty. That allowed me to push the Beast through some corners, and it was very satisfying. The gearbox rarely missed its mark, and even if it did, it quickly recovered with a bit of throttle, and shifted down into the meat of the powerband. There is body roll, and IMO that keeps you from pushing too far. The brakes inspire confidence and keep the Beast in check. Also, the Big Daddy’s sheer swag means that you get right of way 90% of the time. I wasn’t driving very economically and the mileage of 12.1 kpl reflected that.

Lighting:

I’d say that the Z4’s Halogen reflector setup is adequate. It uses dual H7 55W multi reflector lamps for high and low beams. In high beam, there’s a total of 220W of lighting on the road. It’s nothing spectacular, but it illuminates the road quite well. There are no dark spots, and the high beam reaches far. An upgrade to LEDs would definitely improve the lighting. Fog lamps would also improve the lighting near the car. The reversing lamps aren’t bright enough and require an upgrade to LED. The two interior lights are all LED and quite bright.

Audio System:

The stock audio system is almost the same as the Thar and XUV300, but some features are missing. The sound quality is good to my ears, but the lack of tweeters meant that the staging isn’t great, and the sound seems to come from below you. I want to replace front the door pillar panels with the one from Z8L and add a couple of tweeters. Android Auto was getting disconnected initially, until I changed out the USB cable. There is some internal storage of just under 4 GB, and you can copy music, videos and pics from your pen-drive. It doesn’t seem to support all USB drives, and was not recognising my Toshiba USB HDD.

Add-ons: Graphene Coating:

I didn’t take much care of the Ecosport’s paint and was rather careless about washing off bird droppings and other corrosive stuff, like a leak from a rusty GI roofed parking shed. As a result, by the time I sold it, it had a lot of spots and swirls, which needed to be buffed out.

This time around, I did some research and decided to go for a ceramic coating. PPF was out of my price range and cost about four to five times as much as the rates for Ceramic/Graphene coating. The principle behind the Ceramic coating seemed scientifically sound, and the visual results clearly showed an improvement in shine and resilience.

Youtube reviews seemed to suggest that there wasn’t really that much difference between a top of the line Ceramic coating and Graphene. But I decided to go for Graphene anyway, as it was rated for a higher hardness rating and didn’t cost that much more over Ceramic. I got a reasonable quote from a FNG detailing business near me called KL01 Car Spa, run by a guy called Pradeep. It was located near the other Mahindra dealership, CBC Mahindra at Manacaud, near my home. I had seen their work on display at the dealer, and it was quite good.



So after New Year, I booked a slot so that I'd get the car on Sunday Morning. The car would be with them for about 3 days. I was busy at work that week and didn’t get to check in on the progress. But the owner and man-in-charge at KL01, Sri. Pradeep kept me updated with videos and pictures of the car being worked on. They polished it to a mirror shine first, and then applied the graphene coating.


Yeah, what you're seeing on the left side is the reflection on the door panel. You can see Pradeep finishing up the polishing. Taken inside their "Clean Room".


On Sunday morning, I went to take the car, and it looked spectacular under their studio lighting in the clean room.



I went over the whole car and pointed out a couple of spots they had missed, which they attended to.


That's Pradeep from KL01 Car Spa. You can reach him on 95675 12720.

I also noted with horror that the mounting screws and washers on the "Genuine Accessory" mudflaps were fully rusted.


It wasn't even a mild rusting. The car was barely a week old, and this was rusted bright red!! I called the dealer immediately, and they promised to replace the screws and clear up all the issues at first service.

I brought the car home, and took some pics in the late morning sun. They say that Black cars are the hardest to keep shiny and clean, but it is all worth it because they clean up so nice.






And here's a parting shot of the rear view at night. Be back soon with the first longer trip and First Service update.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[ThatCarGuy]

@vivek: A black beauty that is, beautiful machine. Wishing you and your family more success and happy motoring.

It's only my personal opinion, the wheel caps look a bit odd on the beauty due to its Seltos'ish design and doesn't gel well with the overall design I feel. The black steel rims without any wheel caps (pic before delivery), looked raw and macho.

[powertrain]

Congratulations Vivek!!

Looks absolutely killer in black!

You're absolutely right! Nothing like an badass SUV to rule the urban jungle. Other cars give you the right of way!

One suggestion - IMO, those wheel caps spoil the looks of the SUV. Black rims actually makes its look more purposeful. Just my 2 cents,no offence.

Regards,
Powertrain

[Zinger_Winger]

Congratulations on owning the Beast, Vivek! And also, kudos for being able to get the Beast in its Z4 avatar in a timely fashion.

I loved the beast when I test drove it and was even able to book it (within the 25k bookings) under price protection but the variant I had booked was the Z8, which was promised to be delivered around Feb, 23.

Having said that, I got the XUV700 AX7L D AT within a month of booking from a dealership (a sheer fluke) and even though it was costing almost 6 lakhs more than the beast, I went with it because I tend to speed things up a bit, even on curves and my use case was majorly highway travels and city drives occasionally. If the XUV hadn't been delivered so promptly, the beast WAS the machine I was going to go for. Having said that, I'm glad I didn't wait, considering the usual joke of a waiting list and that the Z8 variant is still nowhere to be found. Also, the lack of a 360-degree camera was a major bummer for me, considering the mammoth size that the beast has, makes life REALLY easy in negotiating those narrow parking spaces and even helped me initially during the first few drives in crossing the claustrophobically placed toll-naka blockages.

Here's a cheers to you and the beast! May you happily cross lakhs of miles with your family in it!

[alexpaul]

Congrats on owning the big daddy . Black surely looks beautiful when it's clean. Good that you have done graphene coating to protect it from swirls and mild scratches. Hope you have awesome driving experience going ahead

[s4ch]

Congrats! Would you mind posting the final on road price? I have a previous gen Scorpio and the N seems very tempting!

[vigneshkumar31]

COngratulations on the new Beast.
Scorpio-N is perhaps the closest we would get today to a one car do all.

Good choice, and I'm sure you would not regret choosing this over the XUV as you grow with it.

Wishing you many miles!

P.S: I loved the 'NRI driven' tag on the pre-owned XUV Another tag joining the more popular 'doctor driven' we see in second hand markets. Just like restaurants being started by IIT alumni is supposed to magically taste better.

[VijayAnand1]

Hearty congratulations Vivek. I could feel the zest and zeal echoing through every line of your post. The Scorpio N truly oozes a butch presence if I may. Wishing you loads of trouble free, happy mile munching all the while hoarding great memories.

Cheers!
VJ

[Kosfactor]

Congratulations and wish you many more miles of Big Daddy experience

Go places with it and other than perhaps a set of alloy wheels avoid spending money on it, especially all that garbage they sell as accessories, be it at the dealership or aftermarket!

NeoWheels have added a section for ScorpioN recently so you can safely buy them and they are usually not that expensive.

Since you have black color, it would help to invest about 5-6K rupees on a pressure washer, wash it at home once in a few weeks yourself.