Exactly 20 years after it was first launched in the market, the Mahindra Scorpio is back, and it has changed completely. Mahindra says the All-New Scorpio-N is completely new ground-up, with no carryover components of the existing Scorpio. This according to the company has allowed the car to improve across all critical parameters: performance, capabilities, technology, sophistication, ride and handling, NVH, interiors, and appearance. The development and engineering of the Scorpio-N is the outcome of an overall investment of Rs 1,600 crore which includes setting up a new and highly automated manufacturing line.
The deep forest option of the new Scorpio N-SUV.
The Red Rage option of the new Scorpio N-SUV.
DESIGN
The new Scorpio-N is designed at Pininfarina, Italy, and Mahindra India Design Studio (MIDS), Mumbai, and engineered by the teams at Mahindra Research Valley (MRV) near Chennai and Mahindra North American Technical Center (MNATC) in the USA. Mahindra says the signature wheel arches have been made even more muscular taking inspiration from the sinewy silhouette of a swimmer. A metallic Scorpio tail element is integrated into the beltline, swinging all the way to the top of the window, giving the Scorpio-N more of a sting. On the face, you get a familiar grille with vertical slats and double barren LED headlamps along with sequential turn indicators. The swing door continues on the rear, something that has been a signature Scorpio thing. The SUV will be offered in seven body colour options: Deep Forest, Napoli Black, Everest White, Red Rage, Dazzling Silver, Royal Gold, and Grand Canyon.
INTERIORS
The cabin gets a rich coffee-black leatherette upholstery, best-in-class command seating position, a center console encased in robust metal finished dual rails, advanced infotainment system, and more, taking the premiumness to the next level, according to Mahindra. The car also scores high on technology; it is powered by AdrenoX intelligence which comes with 70+ connects apps, Android Auto and Apple Car Play, and built-in Alexa functionality. Alexa voice assistant supports in-vehicle controls even in offline mode. With the Scorpio-N, Mahindra has also introduced what3words integrated with Alexa. You also get a 3D Sound System by Sony along with a 20.32 cm infotainment screen. A wireless charger, an electric seat for the driver, and a sunroof are also available on the car. The 2nd row gives the option of both captain seats and bench seats while the 3rd row is now only front-facing.
ENGINE
The Scorpio-N is powered by a TGDi mStallion Petrol engine with 200 PS of power and 380 Nm of torque, and a mHawk Diesel engine with 175PS of power and 400 Nm torque, offered in both 6-speed Manual and Automatic Transmissions, and 4X4 as an option. It is built on the brand’s new third-generation body-on-frame platform and claims to offer class-leading structural rigidity, off-road capability, and great on-road manners. Mahindra says, the structure has been optimised to offer higher levels of dynamic competencies and assured handling capabilities. The Penta-link rear suspension features the segment-first watts link mechanism to offer a confident ride and handling attributes. The first-in-segment Frequency Dependent Damping (FDD) technology is devised to offer a smooth, comfortable ride experience.
The All-New Scorpio-N gets the 4XPLOR, first-in-class intelligent terrain management. With a mere touch, the electric shift-on-the-fly 4Wheel Drive System transforms the Scorpio-N from 2WD mode into a more capable 4WD beast. There also are various off-road modes on offer depending on the surface you’re driving on. On the 4×2 version, the car gets Zip, Zap and Zoom drive modes. While Zip is for smooth riding, especially through traffic, Zap is for true Mahindra SUV performance, and, Zoom amps it up for more engaging and exhilarating ride quality.
PRICES
Mahindra has only announced the prices of the manual variants of the car till now while the rest of the prices will be revealed on July 21. While the base Petrol is priced at Rs. 11.99 lakh, the top Diesel Z8L will set you back by Rs. 19.49 lakh, ex-showroom. These are only Introductory Prices that are applicable on the first 25,000 bookings. The SUV will be available for test drives starting 5th July 2022 in 30 cities and the rest of the country by 15th July 2022. Bookings will open online and simultaneously at Mahindra dealerships on 30th July 2022.
The author is a senior editor at carandbike.com