This is the first Mahindra Scorpio to be sold in Australia and I'm here at the local launch
to test out the all new, off-road SUV, India's answer to the Toyota Prado. Let's check it out.
The first two Scorpios were never sold here, but the third generation is new from the ground
up and aimed directly at popular large, ladder-frame SUVs like the Toyota Prado,
Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, and Toyota Fortuna.
There are two variants in the range, Z8 and Z8L, and both are powered by an all new, all aluminum,
2.2-liter mHawk, four-cylinder turbo diesel, matched to standard with a six-speed automatic
transmission and four-wheel drive across the range. Unlike previous Mahindra SUVs and the
pickup, the Scorpio is very well-proportioned and looks pretty tough. That's thanks to Pininfarina
which is now owned by Mahindra. The Land Rover Discovery-channeling stepped roof
line and standard eight-inch, diamond-cut alloy wheels look pretty cool, and this is the first
model to wear the Indian carmaker's new Twin Peaks logo. At 2,085 kilos tare, the Scorpio is
hundreds of kilos lighter than the class-leading Prado and Everest, but it's also significantly
shorter. Its payload is limited to 525 kilos, and towing capacity is subpar at 2,500 kilos.
There are plenty of handy off-road features though, including an auto-locking rear diff,
a decent 227 mills of ground clearance, a generous 27-degree approach angle, a Watts link live rear
axle, frequency-dependent damping, a full-sized spare hill descent control, and shift-on-the-fly
four-wheel drive with selectable off-road modes including normal, snow, sand, and mud and ruts,
just like the new Everest. Mahindra says it's also working with Aussie suppliers to offer a
range of aftermarket bull bars, nudge bars, and a rear bar to relocate the spare wheel, making way
for a bigger fuel tank which at 57 liters, offers a range of less than 800 kilometers.
Inside, this is by far the most luxurious Mahindra I've ever sat in. Yes, there's an old school
handbrake. Yes, some of the touch surfaces are hard, but overall, it stacks up in the
class against its competitors. Also, standard is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a cool glove box,
push button starter, dual-zone climate control with second-row outlets, front and rear USB ports,
auto headlights and wipers, and rear parking sensor. The Z8L flagship adds a 12-speaker Sony
sound system, wireless phone charger, wireless phone mirroring, front camera, front parking
sensor, six-way driver's seat power adjustment, and a seven-inch, color driver's display between
the analog instrument cluster dials. But there's no native sat nav, no digital radio nor digital
instruments, let alone a head-up display. Crucially though, because of supply issues,
Mahindra is only offering the Scorpio as a six-seater in Australia, fitted with a pair of
second-row captain's chairs with one-touch, tumble fold mechanism. That means it doesn't match its
seven-seat rivals, although Mahindra says it will offer a second-row bench seat as soon as possible.
As you can see, it's pretty snug in the back row here of the Scorpio. It's a kids-only zone,
really. As you can see, my knees are up, my head is cramped. I don't have much shoulder room.
There's no air-con outlets, there's no USB ports, and the side-curtain airbags don't come all the
way rearwards. Safety equipment includes all the basics plus tire pressure monitoring, trailer sway
control, rollover mitigation, and vented brakes all round. But there are no advanced driver safety
aids, like autonomous emergency braking, which is likely to prevent the Scorpio from achieving
a maximum five-star NCAP rating in Australia where AEB will become mandatory for all new
vehicles sold by March, 2025. So, forget anything you might know about ladder-frame Mahindras over
the last 20 years because the new Scorpio is an entire different league. It's quiet, it's smooth,
it's refined. There's plenty of cabin space here. There's great visibility in all directions. Ride
quality is really good despite the lack of body roll. The front seats are generous, comfortable,
not all that supportive. Unfortunately, the steering wheel doesn't adjust for reach.
Steering is super light at low speed but firms up nicely at speed, and there's not too much
of the chassis jiggling that most body-on-frame vehicles have over mid-corner bumps. Steering is
not deflected by them either. So overall, very surprised by the right handling package here.
Despite its subpar outputs, the 2.2-liter turbo diesel is actually very willing. It's smooth,
it's very quiet, and it's got great mid-range flexibility. The six-speed auto is intuitive
enough to get the most out of it and you'll never lack for performance. There is, however,
a nasty driveline knock from the rear diff when you get on the throttle suddenly.
As we discovered at the launch on a mildly challenging off-road course, the Scorpio
is pretty handy off road. There's plenty of mechanical traction even on highway tires and
on a reasonably challenging Mogul. In low range, you can hear me touching down the sidesteps,
but pretty good. So, after our initial first drive, it's clear the new Scorpio is better
than any SUV we've ever seen from Mahindra and a solid new entrant in Australia's growing off-road
wagon market. So there's no doubt there's some important safety features missing here, not to
mention a middle-row bench seat, and we need more time for a proper assessment here. But the new
Mahindra Scorpio is undoubtedly a solid new option for adventurous Aussie families on a budget.