[G13BB]

Hi fellow BHPians!

This is probably the most important post for me yet! This is the story of me finally getting my hands on a brand new car after dreaming for about 25+ years and slogging in the IT industry for 4+ years. This is going to be a long post, so please excuse me if it is boring, but I wanted to make this post as detailed as possible. Also, you can directly scroll to the required segment if any of the sections is uninteresting.

Background

I have been into cars for as long back as I can remember. When I was young, we did not have a car in our family, and neither was my dad an enthusiast, so that is not the root. There was no TV / Social media back then, so that is not the root either. I don't know how, but even before my brain could process anything else, I used to get fascinated whenever I saw a car on the road. At an age when I couldn't even pronounce my own name properly, I used to recognise every damn car on the road. My relatives were blown away and every time someone visited us, they would take me out on the road and ask me to tell the names of the cars visible (I was such a great source of entertainment for them back then lol)

Now coming to the car-buying journey, I completed my Engineering in 2020, but as you all know, it was the year of the pandemic. Even though I had three job offers through the college placement, none of them got converted into actual jobs due to the uncertainty caused by COVID-19. After going through the Applying-Interviewing-Rejection cycle for a couple of months, I finally got a job. Even though the job role was good, the pay was peanuts! Nonetheless, I accepted the offer as it was not easy to find a job amidst a pandemic. Even with whatever little salary I was getting, I started saving on a monthly basis from day 1 with just one aim, that is to buy my own car.

After almost two years, in April 2022, I got this urge to own the OG Honda Civic, and I went ahead and bought a 2010 Honda Civic (more on it here (Pre-Worshipped 2010 Honda Civic V MT Review) After 1 year of redlining the VTEC, in May 2023, I had to sell the car (reason mentioned in the same review). Whatever money I got after selling the Civic, I saved and then continued saving.

I bought a OnePlus worth 26k with my 1st salary, and even after 3.5 years, I use the same phone with a cracked screen and a broken back cover. I never felt the need to upgrade as buying a new car was more important for me. (Also for me, a phone is just an appliance that is used for calling and some social media, so why fix something if it ain't broke?) So, month after month, I just kept saving and saving with just one motto. Fast-forward to August 2024, after switching to a job with good pay and enough savings for the downpayment, I finally made up my mind to own a brand-new car.

Shortlisting

The selection process was pretty straightforward. I wanted a safe and fairly reliable car that was fun to drive. We have the 1st Gen Swift at home for city runs (hence the username G13BB) and a 5th gen Honda City ZX MT for corner craving (both belonging to my dad, City is dad's daily driver, Swift is mine). So, I thought of getting an SUV. I wanted an SUV that was practical enough, comfortable and capable of doing long journeys, so Jimny and Thar were out.

With a 30-35 lakhs budget (OTR), I had options such as the XUV700, Scorpio N, Safari, Harrier and the Jeep Compass. I never bothered to even check out the Tata twins as their QC and ASS are still a hit or a miss, and the fact that the Tata Nano Twist MT, which we owned from 2014-2021 was not very reliable did not help either. So the Safari and the Harrier were eliminated.

So I test drive the XUV700, Scorpio N and the Compass (All diesel). The Compass impressed me the most for obvious reasons: the gearbox was amazing, the steering, even though heavy, was very precise, and the car felt very solid and the most premium out of the 3. But when I realised the cost difference, my brain said, "Welcome back to reality" and I also thought, why not a true blue SUV with 4WD creds? Also, the family suggested a 7-seater, keeping in mind the growing size of our family. Hence the Scorpio N Z8L D MT 4XPLORE was finalised!

Safari/Harrier

Pros:
- Great looks, especially the dark edition with 19 inch alloys!
- Loaded with features
- Solid build quality
- Good ride and handling balance for its size

Cons:
- Inconsistent QC
- ASS is still a hit or a miss
- The dashboard layout is a little overdone and not to my liking
- Horn pad on the steering wheel and touch controls for AC are a let down
- Sole diesel engine on offer which is not the most powerful or refined

XUV700

Pros:
- Amazing engine and gearbox options with class leading power figures
- Solid build quality
- Great ride and handling balance

Cons:
- Non-sliding second row leaves the third row with very little space which literally makes it a 5 seater
- Looks can be subjective, but I find the XUV design a little outdated
- Glaring feature omissions such as manual dimming IRVM (The car can drive itself, but not dim it's mirror lol)
- AWD not available with a manual or a petrol engine

Compass

Pros:
- I still love the looks, doesn't look outdated to me
- Gets all the features you would ever need
- Solid build quality and the materials feel the most premium of the lot
- Great handling, almost sedan like!

Cons:
- No 4X4 available with a manual gearbox
- Engine is far from being refined
- Not the most comfortable at low speeds
- Severely overpriced, even after the discounts
- No cruise control on a car which costs almost 35L OTR Bengaluru

Scorpio N

Pros:
- Wide range of engine and gearbox options
- Rugged! Only true blue SUV in my budget
- Amazing off-road hardware and software
- Ladder frame construction
- Surprisingly easy to drive for what is a BOF SUV
- Has all the features you would ever need
- Solid build quality

Cons:
- The rear end could've been designed better (Gives me Xylo vibes)
- All though the ride and handling balance is very good by SUV standards, at low speeds, there is a lot of jiggle and there is no escaping the fact that it is BOF
- Third row is very cramped and doesn't get AC vents or any sort of charging options
- Even when the third row is not in use, it tumbles and sits on the boot eating into the boot space. Not the most practical layout as the boot space is limited.
- Steering is feather light which is a boon in traffic, but doesn't go well with the size and character of the Scorpio, should've had more heft
- Gearbox is clunky and not the smoothest shifting

However, I felt the pros outweigh the cons for the Scorpio N and considering the fact that BOF SUVs are a dying breed, I thought it was now or never opportunity for me to own and experience one. Coupled with family's and friend's approval, I finalized the Scorpio N.

[G13BB]

TD Experience

I am not going to write about the drive experience as it has already been discussed enough in the forum, this post is purely on the dealership and the experience of getting the test drive.

14th August: I had some free time in the afternoon and casually decided to check out the Scorpio N. Visited Anant Cars on Mysore Road (Bengaluru) But they did not have a test drive vehicle, instead, they offered me the XUV 700 for a test drive, there was a Scorpio N on display, I took a good look at the car and left telling them I will come back by the end of the month.

18th August (Sunday): Decided to test drive with the family and called Anant Cars on Bannerghatta Road as it is the nearest dealer for me. They assigned an SA who confirmed they have the Scorpio N Diesel Manual, I told them I would visit at around 5 in the evening and the SA said they would be open till 8. Due to some personal work, I reached the showroom at 6, the SA showed up after 10 minutes and said we do not provide test drives after 6 PM as there is too much traffic on this road. (Anybody buying a car in Bengaluru would spend half of their life in traffic, how can they deny a TD in the most ideal conditions? Do they not trust their customers? I fail to understand this logic). I asked them to at least run us through the features to which the SA said they'd disconnected the battery of the one on display, you can book a home test drive on weekdays. I told I would confirm and took a good look at the vehicle along with the family. When I decided that I would want to book the home TD for Monday (19th August) the SA had already left without even informing a potential customer. I tried to call him, no response, I texted him, no response. I did not want to disturb him on a Sunday evening so I left.

19th August: Waited till the next day morning, no response yet, I called him again and asked for a TD, and he said there was only automatic for today, I would arrange a manual tomorrow, I said ok and shared my home location.

20th August: Tuesday morning he texted me saying the TD vehicle had gone for service and he could arrange for Wednesday, I lost my cool, called him and took out my frustration. I clearly told him that I wanted the TD today itself even if it was going to be late, he told he would try, but never came back.
A few minutes later I got a call from Anant Cars Mysore Road (which I had visited on the 14th of August) The same SA who had given me a test drive of the XUV 700 informed me that they have a Scorpio N Diesel Manual for TD today and they are ready to provide a home TD if I want, I confirmed the time and shared my home location. Their showroom is around 45 minutes from my home, but they were ready to provide a prolonged TD and they promptly arrived on time. The TD went well, I asked them to provide me the final quote including PPF and then I would be able to take a call.
It is strange to see such a difference between the 2 branches of the same dealership. It might just be down to the SA, which made them lose a customer!

The reason I wanted home TD was I was sceptical about the car fitting in my garage. The Honda City fits comfortably, but there isn't much space left, so I had doubts about Scorpio. But as it turned out, it just about fits. It is a little difficult to navigate into the parking, but I'll eventually get used to it anyway.





Got the final approval from the family and hence the Scorpio N was finalized!

[G13BB]

Booking and PDI Experience

Selected the accessories and got the final quote from Anant Cars Mysore Road (More info on the quote here (Mahindra Scorpio-N Review))

Paid the 21k booking amount on 24th August and shared the variant and colour details with the dealer, received the booking confirmation email, and the expected date of delivery was six weeks away. I had specified the colour as black, but I forgot there are two shades of black in the Scorpio N. I wanted Napoli black, but the booking confirmation email read Midnight Black. (No idea who came up with the name "Midnight Black", but it looks dark blue to my eyes, or am I colour-blind?). Anyway, after following up for a couple of days, they finally rectified the colour and the "Mahindra For You" app started showing Napoli Black.

After a couple of days, on the 27th of August, I received a call from the dealer, and they informed me that a vehicle that was previously allotted for a different customer had been cancelled due to financial reasons, and the same could be allotted to me if I had the finances ready. Surprise! I said yes. Visited the dealer to finalise the loan and signed the loan agreement (My wrist started paining after signing a hundred pages). However, I informed them not to release the amount before PDI.

On the 3rd of September, the dealer informed me that the car had arrived and they would proceed with the registration process if I completed the payment. I again insisted on a PDI. Surprisingly, they denied a PDI and told me that their customers usually check the car on the previous day of the delivery or on the day of delivery. But I was hellbent on PDI as I did not want to risk it especially after the dealer messing up the colour. After speaking to the Sales Manager, they finally agreed to a PDI.

Visited their showroom on the 5th of September, and the SA took me to their stockyard, which is near the Pattangere metro station, around 5-6 km away from their showroom. There she was! The Scorpio N Z8L D MT 4XPLORE in Napoli Black. The PDI went well, with no dents/scratches. Checked as much as I could by following the TeamBHP checklist. What surprised me the most was that it was manufactured in August, according to the VIN. Surprise! I approved the vehicle, and we returned to the showroom. Took the account details and left. Completed the full payment after 24 hours as the bank app does not allow transactions upwards of 50,000rs for the first 24 hours of adding the beneficiary.

Completed the payment on the 6th of September, and the SA told me they would require seven working days for the registration and the insurance process and to deliver the vehicle. The wait begins!

[G13BB]

The D-Day! (20th September 2024)

Reached the showroom at around 10:30 in the morning and completed the formalities (which took a lot of time) by 12 PM. The SA explained in detail about all the features and the apps I needed to download, not that I hadn't done all that research already, but I anyways listened patiently just for my revision.

Then, we went to the delivery bay, they have a small shelter with a curtain that has to be pulled to reveal the car, a little cringy but we don't do such stuff every day do we?

Peek-a-boo



Happy faces



You know it's special when the engine is mounted longitudinally



Since the formalities took a lot of time, the Pooja ceremony was postponed to the evening. The vehicle was washed and waxed before delivery, but just 8 hours later, the amount of dust accumulated on the black car is unbelievable!



With fellow BHPian (NutHead1270's) recently acquired Jimny



Son's Scorpio N joins Dad's City



I remember some relatives telling my parents when I was young, that most boys these days have a craze for cars, but don't worry, it will fade away after a certain age and his interest in cars will gradually decrease. I hope the below pic clears their doubt.
The two pictures were taken two decades apart, but the passion for cars has not decreased a bit, in fact, it has increased 20 folds!



Minor inconvenience

The dealer had received the HSRP number plate, but they did not have the Revit to fit the plate, so they asked me to visit any other nearby Mahindra showroom to get it fixed.

The next day, I called up Anant cars, Bannerghatta road branch, and they confirmed that they could get it fixed. Reached their body shop by 2:30 PM and met the receptionist, they asked me to get the gate pass from the security and get in touch with the body shop manager. The body shop manager asked someone to fix the plates and tried to open a job card. He took 30 minutes to figure out how to open a job card. Not sure what is wrong with their system or if he was new to it. Or it might just be that it was my car's first visit to the service centre and creating a profile might be a lengthy procedure.

Overall, the entire process took a good 1 hour and 15 minutes which is too long for fixing a goddamn number plate (I had the number plate with me, they just had to fit it!) Not sure how the service experience is going to be in the future, fingers crossed!

21st September 2024 (Special mention to my OG Swift, the G13BB)

Since it was a Saturday, I had to go for Badminton with friends, and it made no sense to take a big fat Scorpio for Badminton. So, I decided to take my humble Swift.

• The moment I cranked the engine, the 15-year-old G13BB with almost 2L km on the Odo felt so much more refined in comparison with the brand new Scorpio (I know I shouldn't be comparing a small petrol with a big fat diesel, but it is what it is)

• Pressing the clutch and shifting to 1st gear, the gearbox and clutch felt so much better compared to the Scorpio, which has a slightly notchy gearbox and the clutch even though on the lighter side, has much more travel.

• The steering on the Swift felt SUPER HEAVY! It almost felt like something was wrong with it, but got used to it after a few seconds. This shows how light the steering is on the Scorpio. Considering the size and character of the Scorpio, the steering should have had a little more heft.

• I could zip through traffic, and quick direction changes felt like a breeze!

Of course, it is not right to compare a big fat BOF SUV with a small, nimble and agile hatchback, but I started appreciating the Swift more and more after driving both back to back. The advantage of having cars in the garage like Swift, City and the Scorpio that are completely different in character is, it is a completely different experience every time you drive any of the cars and you will not get bored of any of them very easily!

I am not sure what others do as soon as they take the delivery of a new car, but the first thing I did was update my TeamBHP garage!

[G13BB]

Goodies

Goodies usually do not cost much in value, but the feel-good factor is invaluable! However, kudos to Mahindra for providing some really cool and high-quality stuff as goodies.

• Chocolate: "Moments" from Ferrero Rocher which was amazing in comparison to some random chocolates that most of the other dealers provide. (No picture of the chocolate box as it got over pretty quick, I love chocolates lol)

• Plant: A great initiative by Mahindra indeed! With the world transitioning towards EVs, I bought a Diesel. Hope the plant compensates for it.

• A coffee mug, document pouch, microfiber cloth and a keychain (The missing keychain is in use)

• The key with the keychain (Both are a little too large to my liking, the TeamBHP keychain is too small, so had to use the one they provided) The keychain reads "Sport Utility Vehicles" which looks really cool IMO

Accessories

I did not opt for a lot of accessories. Below are the ones from Mahindra, which were fitted before delivery. I've got a few aftermarket ones as well, more on those later.

• 3D floor mats with Scorpio N printing: Look good and are pretty durable, not sure how easy it is to wash, need to check that during the first wash

• Illuminated door scuff plates: Do not add much functionality, but look cool at night! (Note: Only the front two doors get these, the rear doors do not)

• Alluminium pedal covers: They look good and have a premium touch, the stock pedals look a little cheap. Comparison picture below.

• Ganesha idol: Not an accessory, but included in the goodies. Since Mahindra has placed the speaker above the centre console, the only place for the idol is next to the instrument cluster.

Aftermarket Accessories

• Dashcam: Mahindra quoted 21k for the front and rear dashcam, which seemed too expensive, so got it fitted aftermarket for 10.5k (front and rear), without fiddling with the fusebox. This is one thing I would recommend for everyone due to the rise in tension on our roads!

• Bosch Pressure Washer: Amazon link here

• Bosch Leaf Blower: Amazon link here

Reason for buying the pressure washer and the leaf blower below (Maintaining a black car is not easy!)



Special thanks to BHPian AJ56 who answered all my queries regarding maintaining a black car, more details in this thread (Tips for Maintainence of a black coloured car).

[G13BB]

Initial Observations

Below are my initial observations. These are purely based on the ergonomics and not related to driving. It has been just a week since I took the delivery, and I've clocked around 250 kms, so I feel it is too early to write a driving review. I will write a detailed review post 1st service and 1000 kms.

• If the driver seat is set to its highest position, the seat belt sits at an awkward position near your neck and can get really uncomfortable. Height adjustable seat belts are badly missed, especially at this price point! Also, the seat belt mechanism looks really cheap!

• The door handle is a little awkward and is placed very close to the centre of rotation of the door, which makes it quite difficult to open and close the door as it requires additional effort (Need a couple of nm more of torque). The door handle should've been placed far towards the right.

• Storage below the front centre armrest is very shallow and can only accommodate a phone and maybe a wallet. Sliding armrest would've been a nice touch.

• The instrument cluster is very neatly done, but the menus could've been arranged in a better manner. For example, if you want to see digital speed, you cannot see any other info, they could've shown the digital speed at some corner at all points of time.

• If you set the seat to its highest position, the centre visibility is very poor as the IRVM hangs really down due to the rain sensors at the top.

• The front passenger gets a vanity mirror with a light that turns on as soon as you flip the cover, but the light is placed above the cover which defies the very purpose! A sliding cover would've been better.

• Kudos to Mahindra for providing as many physical buttons as possible, the 4XPLORE rotary dial is super cool, thank god it is not integrated into the screen! However, the gloss black panel is a dust magnet.

That's it for now, folks! Hope it was not boring

The next post is going to be after the first service or 1000kms, which will include the driving and the service experience. I shall keep this thread alive and try to share as much information as possible. So, potential/existing owners can shoot any questions, I shall try to answer best to my capabilities!

Regards,
G13BB

[Aditya]

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

[nova.19_exe]

Congratulations on the sick ride, G13BB!!

Very well written review of the entire process, from start to finish, had me hooked for the entire time!!

Yes, black cars are hard to maintain but they do give that sick, stealth vibe, which preferably I'm a really big fan of!!

All said and done, I can't wait to read more of your write-ups on the Blackhawk!

Wishing you a fuss-free, happy ownership!!

Cheers buddy!

[G13BB]

Originally Posted by nova.19_exe

Wishing you a fuss-free, happy ownership!!

Yes, fuss-free ownership is definitely something I'm looking forward to, cause you can never be too sure of a Mahindra

Also, if someone is wondering why "Blackhawk", it's Napoli Black and gets the MHawk diesel engine. Might sound childish, but I'm 26 with a brain of an 8 year old when it comes to cars

[nova.19_exe]

Originally Posted by G13BB

Yes, fuss-free ownership is definitely something I'm looking forward to, cause you can never be too sure of a Mahindra

Also, if someone is wondering why "Blackhawk", it's Napoli Black and gets the MHawk diesel engine. Might sound childish, but I'm 26 with a brain of an 8 year old when it comes to cars

Yep, Mahindra can turn out to be a Mahindra anytime!!

Don't worry, you aren't the only person with a brain of an 8 year old, I'm 17 acting like a child aged 8, hehehe we're the same! I'm pretty sure we'll find someone just like us!

[DicKy]

Congrats on the BlackHawk !!!
Wish you many happy kilometres.

Kudos to you for saving up early to buy a dream car. Can empathise with using the phone for a long time, instead of wasting money and upgrading your smartphone every year or two.

Originally Posted by G13BB

• If the driver seat is set to its highest position, the seat belt sits at an awkward position near your neck and can get really uncomfortable. Height adjustable seat belts are badly missed, especially at this price point! Also, the seat belt mechanism looks really cheap!

• The door handle is a little awkward and is placed very close to the centre of rotation of the door, which makes it quite difficult to open and close the door as it requires additional effort (Need a couple of nm more of torque). The door handle should've been placed far towards the right.

• Storage below the front centre armrest is very shallow and can only accommodate a phone and maybe a wallet. Sliding armrest would've been a nice touch.

• The instrument cluster is very neatly done, but the menus could've been arranged in a better manner. For example, if you want to see digital speed, you cannot see any other info, they could've shown the digital speed at some corner at all points of time.

• If you set the seat to its highest position, the centre visibility is very poor as the IRVM hangs really down due to the rain sensors at the top.

This is the 10-20% that Mahindra and TATA leaves out from their cars, not helping them reaching international level. LKittle little ergonomic thoughts and attention to details.

Originally Posted by G13BB

• The front passenger gets a vanity mirror with a light that turns on as soon as you flip the cover, but the light is placed above the cover which defies the very purpose! A sliding cover would've been better.

But this absolutely takes the cake!!! Such a simple thing that went past testing. They could have easily put the XUV700 sunvisors instead. Usually, the lift flap types have two lights flanking the mirror, but here Mahindra in its infinite wisdom part shared the roof mounted vanity mirror light, but not the mirror lid.

[Mr.Independent]

Originally Posted by G13BB

Aftermarket Accessories

[*]Bosch Pressure Washer: Amazon link here[/list]

• Bosch Leaf Blower: Amazon link here

Attachment 2660675

Reason for buying the pressure washer and the leaf blower below (Maintaining a black car is not easy!)

Attachment 2660678

Hi G13BB,
Congratulations on your acquisition. Nice review as well.

Just curious- Do you use the leafblower
1. after the car wash to wipe the water off or
2. to blow away the dust in a dry car right before to take it for spin?

[G13BB]

Originally Posted by Mr.Independent

Just curious- Do you use the leafblower
1. after the car wash to wipe the water off or
2. to blow away the dust in a dry car right before to take it for spin?

I wash the car thoroughly using the pressure washer and then use the leaf blower to take the water off, this way I avoid wiping which saves a lot of time and effort.

Leaf blower should not be used on a dirty or a dry car as it can cause the dust particles on the car surface to move around and create marks and scratches.

[Akash5653]

Congratulations on your new car! I agree with you on the part that the XUV 700 looks dated. I personally don't like the new age Mahindra designs, except the 3 door thar and the scorpio-N. Make sure your change the engine oil proactively, which would make your experience more reliable.

[Mr.Independent]

Originally Posted by G13BB

I wash the car thoroughly using the pressure washer and then use the leaf blower to take the water off, this way I avoid wiping which saves a lot of time and effort.

I was just checking the spec for the blower - BOSCH GBL 650 which seems to be around 3.7 m3/min. Somewhere I have read that anything above 10 m3/min would have a decent air flow volume(e.g. this one which has cubic feet per min = 450, which I think translates to 12.6 m3/min) to wipe off the whole car fast. Would you concur the same? How much time does it take for you to dry the whole car post wash?

Also how convenient to use a wired leaf blower? Will the wireless one be more easy to use as opposed to wired one?