Detailed Review of the New 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N: Hit and Miss
Mahindra Scorpio, the legendary Indian SUV is back in a new avatar. The SUV was once the most aspirational vehicle for many middle class buyers. Launched back in 2002, the SUV became an instant hit. There were some initial problems but they were not enough to stop the Scorpio from blazing the sales charts and since then it has sold over eight lakh Scorpios, proving its popularity.
One of the main reasons why Scorpio was such a massive success was the way it looked. Indian customers loved the Scorpio right from the start as it was fully muscular. The SUV looked very attractive, chunky and big and that is what people wanted from an SUV. What the Scorpio always lacked, however, was sophistication, class and premium feel.
Everything seems to have changed with this, the new Mahindra Scorpio-N. New scorpio numberThe third generation of the SUV in the last twenty years has been equipped with new age features and Mahindra claims that it is a new breed of Scorpio and is future ready.
We’ll soon find out if this is true, but the big question is, does this model have the same Scorpio DNA we know and love or is it something completely new? Read the full review for all the answers.
Mahindra Scorpio-N: Exterior
Let’s talk about the dimensions first. The Scorpio-N measures 4,662 mm in length, 1,917 mm in width and 1,857 mm in height. The wheelbase has now increased by 70 mm to 2,750 mm.
The new Scorpio-N looks quite different from the previous Scorpio. It doesn’t have the raw appeal anymore, but we think it’s a positive move as the new Scorpio-N still looks muscular and has visual bulk but at the same time, it looks premium, which the old Scorpio didn’t have. The old Scorpio looked a bit rough, but the new Scorpio-N looks like an expensive SUV without missing the muscular character.
Talking about the overall design of the new Scorpio-N, it is quite different from the previous generation. Up front, it gets a vertically slanted grille with chrome and a muscular bonnet with strong character lines. The hood scoop is no more and features new twin-pod projector LED headlights and C-shaped LED DRL units shaped like a scorpion’s sting.
Moving to the side, it gets beefed-up wheel arches with 17 or 18-inch wheels, depending on the variant, and 255-section tires that look chunky. There is also a chrome line that runs from the base of the A-pillar to the top of the C-pillar and ends in a stylized sting that gives it a premium stance.
The rear gives a very Volvo-ish look with its vertically stacked LED tail lamps. The entire rear-end design is brand new and is not identical to the previous generation from any angle. An interesting thing to note here is that even though the new Scorpio-N gets the traditional bench seats and jump seats for the third row, the new Scorpio-N gets a forward opening door from the previous generation Scorpio.
Mahindra Scorpio-N: Interior & Features
Step inside the cabin of the new Scorpio-N and this is where you will get to see a whole lot of changes over the old Scorpio.
The interior layout is no longer as basic and straightforward as that of the Scorpio Classic and gets a major quality improvement. The interiors have a coffee brown and black theme which is constant throughout the cabin which looks nice and unique.
The Piano Black center console looks nice and premium but tends to attract a lot of dust and fingerprints. It has vertically-oriented air-con vents and an eight-inch infotainment system with AdrenoX connected car technology with built-in Alexa that uses the Snapdragon SD6 processor for 70+ connected car features. It also gets a 12-speaker Sony system with 3D immersive audio. The sound quality from the system is impressive and will be loved by many audiophiles.
There are all expected features like wireless charging, front camera, parking sensors, auto headlamps, auto wipers, drive mode (diesel), dual-zone climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, electric sunroof. (not panoramic), electric driver seat, etc. The driver gets an analog speedometer and tachometer as well as a 7-inch digital driver information screen, which displays navigation, drive information, driver’s drowsiness level, settings and more.
The steering wheel is flat-bottomed and looks similar to the XUV 700. It gets steering-mounted buttons to control the infotainment system, cruise control and instrument cluster. It feels good to hold and has leather wrapping. However, it is only adjustable for height.
Moving to the second row, customers can have a captain or bench seat configuration for the second row. In terms of comfort, the Scorpio-N offers leg room, knee room and headroom. The under-thigh support is also quite impressive and gets blower control and USB-C charging port along with rear A/C vents.
The third row can be accessed by tilting the left seat of the second row forward. As mentioned earlier, the Scorpio-N gets conventional bench seats and not jump seats for the third row. Getting into the third row isn’t that hard, but the seats aren’t very comfortable for longer periods. Additionally, there are no AC vents, cupholders or charging points for appliances. That said, adults can sit in the third row for short periods making it a useful row.
Mahindra Scorpio-N: Engine & Transmission
The Scorpio-N is offered with two engine options and two transmission options. It is powered by a 2.2-litre mHawk turbo diesel engine that offers two different states of tune depending on the variant. The base variant Z2 produces 130 bhp of power and 300 Nm of torque, while the diesel motor in the Z4 and upper variants makes 172 bhp with 400 Nm of torque. Here the diesel gets three driving modes called Zip, Zap and Zoom.
The petrol is powered by a 2.0-litre mStallion turbocharged engine that produces 200 bhp power and 380 Nm peak torque.
Transmission options include a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic for both the petrol and diesel engine options. For off-road enthusiasts, a 4×4 variant is also available with a diesel engine only.
Mahindra Scorpio-N: Performance & Handling
Our primary test unit was the top-of-the-line Z8 variant with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.
The petrol engine is a sophisticated unit and the engine delivers great power delivery at any given time. With 200 bhp of power on tap, there’s enough grunt to keep this mass moving at high speed.
Acceleration is more than satisfactory, and turbo lag is very well contained. The 6-speed torque converter gearbox is paired well with the engine and the shifts are quite smooth and happen at a decent rate. There are no paddle shifters, but you can shift manually via the gear lever.
In terms of ride quality, the Scorpio-N feels far better than the previous generation. Body roll was the biggest problem with the previous model. At high speeds, there was a lot of body roll due to the tall design of this SUV, and high-speed cornering is something you wouldn’t want to do in an older Scorpio, as it would induce tremendous body roll to such an extent that a rollover.
Mahindra claims that they have done a lot of work to reduce the body roll and this becomes evident once you start driving it. We pushed the car around hard and despite having a ladder-frame chassis, the new Scorpio-N doesn’t spin like the previous generation and things are very under control. However, the ride quality has been compromised a bit to keep body roll under control as the suspension is tilted a bit more towards the stiffer side. Of course, this trade-off provides the big handling and stability benefits that are well worth it.
Mahindra Scorpio-N: Off-Road Capabilities
We also experienced the off-road capabilities of the new Scorpio-N at Lonavala. The Scorpio-N comes with select 4WD (Shift-on-the-fly) and select terrain modes (Normal, Snow, Mud and Ruts, Sand). There is also a mechanical and brake locking differential that electronically controls slip on each axle.
The 4-wheel drive system of the new Scorpio-N works well and when the going gets tough, 4-Low mode comes to the rescue. The off-road course includes steep inclines, falls, mud, articulation, lateral inclines, and more. You can switch to 4H or 4L at the press of a button and we did most of the course on 4H and had to engage the 4L in some areas for more traction and torque. In general, the SUV simply overcame all the obstacles with ease.
Mahindra Scorpio-N: Safety
Safety features of the new Scorpio-N include 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, all-wheel disc brake setup, tire pressure monitoring system, driver drowsiness alert, front and rear parking sensors, roll-over mitigation system, hill hold control Huh. , hill descent control, and much more. Though the new Scorpio-N is yet to be crash tested, the previous ratings of Mahindra vehicles indicate good rating prospects for it as well.
Mahindra Scorpio-N: Color Options
There are 7 color options to choose from – Napoli Black, Everest White, Royal Gold, Deep Forest, Red Rays, Dazzling Silver and Grand Canyon.
Variants and Pricing
Mahindra Scorpio-N will be offered in 5 variants namely Z2, Z4, Z6, Z8 and Z8L.
The base Z2 variant was announced with a sticker price of Rs 11.99 lakh for the petrol MT and Rs 12.49 lakh for the diesel MT.
The Z4 MT will cost Rs 13.49 lakh for petrol and Rs 13.99 lakh for diesel. The medium Z6 variant will be available only in diesel and will cost Rs 14.99 lakh for the MT.
The top-of-the-line Z8L diesel with manual transmission has been launched at Rs 19.49 lakh, and the bottom Z8 diesel with manual transmission will be offered at Rs 17.49 lakh.
Prices for the automatic transmission and 4WD models will be announced on July 21. It is to be noted that these introductory prices will be applicable only for the first 25,000 bookings.
Mahindra Scorpio-N: Conclusion
The Scorpio-N has made progress in every department where the previous Scorpio lacked and this is a positive step. The earlier Scorpio was a bit rough and agrarian, it was not refined and never had a premium image, but the new Scorpio-N has corrected all those areas.
As far as the body-on-frame construction is concerned, the new Scorpio-N is by far the best handling SUV sold in India under Rs 50 lakh. Another advantage the Scorpio has is that no other body-on-frame, the 4×4 is currently on sale for the same price. The Scorpio-N is a comfortable, premium, feature-rich, rugged, go-anywhere SUV with good value for money. Mahindra definitely has another mega winner on its hands and a long waiting period too.
More importantly, after the XUV700, the Scorpio-N is yet another vehicle from Mahindra that will fill Indian chests with pride. The new 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N isn’t just a great product. It is a testament to the fact that Indian automotive engineering has transcended the days when it was globally renowned for being frugal. The Scorpio-N is proof that Indian automakers (along with local suppliers) can make vehicles at par with their global rivals and be superior in many respects. This is the second time Mahindra has proved it and once again it has launched a vehicle which is not only the best in its segment but also has no direct competition.