Mahindra Scorpio-N: My observations after 2000 km of ownership

I am getting figures in the range of 12.5 in heavy city traffic and 15+ on the highways within the speed limits i.e 90 km/h.

BHPian kushgandhi recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Scorpio-N 2000 km update

The car has been running better than I expected. After hearing so much about a body on frame vehicle I was skeptical buying one but anyways I went for it. Trust me when I say this it is amazing to drive this on bad roads and curves. For me it behaves much better on mountain roads in comparison with XUV 500.

Some of the negatives from the first impressions are now gone.

• One was the wiper swipe on the back, I thought that it is frustrating but after a week of rains in Delhi and driving the car with rear wiper usage it is perfectly positioned. You wont notice this at all if the third row is up and it cleans the rear glass nicely when viewing from the rear view mirror.

• 17 inch wheels on top models is also something I do not regret. The comfort on bad roads is great for me and that is what actually matters to me. The design is decent but what matters is the performance. It absorbs bumps much better than the 18 inchers with smaller profile.

A few new negatives that I have discovered.

• As mentioned in an earlier post, the internet connection of the in built SIM is pathetic and not at all reliable. If this is the kind of connection I don't think I will ever renew the service post expiry.

• The car has low ground clearance. Now, Mahindra has always been smart to reduce ground clearance on paper to avoid taxes but still the actual experience was nice. In the XUV 500 they lowered the sump guard to evade taxes and reduce cost. On paper when I read the ground clearance is 187mm I thought its again one of those tricks, but the car scraps on patches my XUV would have glided on when taking the obstacle straight on. This is a worry.

The centre arm which holds the suspension mounting marked in the picture below is pretty low, limiting the vehicles break over angle. It is bound to get scratched and chipped during mild off roading. Adding on to this the departure angle and DEF tank placement is also a scare.

My spare tyre has been hitting obstacles all the time and a hit to the DEF tank can make the car stranded in difficult places. Hence I crawl really slowly on big bumps where the break over angle or departure angle is considered. Here I am not talking about hardcore off roading but mild off roading done when you take a dirt road with some craters or rocks. These do limit the vehicles capability but still it is very capable once you learn how to tackle the obstacle properly. Much more than any crossover in the segment.

For the centre arm I have opted for anti rust coating of the underbody with a 5 year warranty. When the car was jacked up the Arm was scratched and bare metal was exposed making it prone to rusting in wet conditions. Hence a Recommendation to all who plan to do some sort of off roading should go for it as the underbody is bound to touch some obstacles. Also considering underbody protection when available for the planned winter drives.

Other than this the steering feedback on off road drives is worse than an hydraulic unit but still really nice as the light steering helps in turning the vehicle in crawling speeds effortlessly. No abnormal vibrations that I was not expecting.

• I am getting figures in the range of 12.5 in heavy city traffic and 15+ on the highways within the speed limits i.e 90 km/h.

• A Mahindra user for the last 8 years I can vouch for the reliability of the mHawk engine. I have mentioned it earlier in the forum I think 99% of the customers wont face any mechanical issues with the engines in the its lifetime given proper car is taken by following the maintenance schedule and not ignoring the warnings that pop up. Electronics are somethings that can fail in any car, hence the extended warranty should give you that peace of mind.

• Suspension is a big upgrade, especially on bad roads, from my XUV 500 minimal body roll, feels almost like a crossover but you still get the high seating position. Comfortable for 4 people, you can drive all day long if 4 adults are in the car with full luggage. One thing though on cemented expressways (like the Delhi Agra expressway) I feel the road noise and car movement is more than my XUV500 and considerably more than the XUV700 my brother owns.
• I considered the XUV700 until proper rumours and interior shots came up, starting February this year no car was on my mind except the N.

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