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Mahindra Scorpio Automatic Review: The Effortless Drive
Automatics are good! They are convenient! They make driving stress-free! And this is one reason why the demand for clutch-free cars is on the rise. Our cities are getting congested day after day and driving is getting difficult with time. It would have been fine if people followed road rules, but anyone comes out from any lane unannounced. This causes chaos and confusion. The efforts to change gears at crawling speeds causes fatigue. This is one reason, why even Mahindra has introduced the new Scorpio Automatic. We lay our hands on the Mahindra Scorpio automatic and drive it around the town to tell you how good it is.
Appearance Exterior
The new-generation Scorpio does look stylish and looks more like a facelift than a new model. Mahindra has retained the same body and tried to play very safe with the design. With no change in design, it might be considered as a facelift. This is when it is pinned on all new platform that is lighter and stronger than the previously sold Scorpio.
The Mahindra Scorpio’s new front grille makes it stylish and a lot contemporary as well. There is still the same seven-slat vertical front grille with some chrome add ons and then the headlamps have LEDs added to it as well. There is also an air-scoop on the hood that makes it look stylish and appealing. The side profile of the Scorpio is unchanged, expect for the new roof rails and the new alloy wheel design.
The rear does get a major change update with the new Scorpio. There were a lot of black panels at the back, which have been removed finally. The Scorpio’s new tail lamps do look good. The Scorpio does look proportionate in size and with the new trendy colours like blue, it does stand out.
Appearance Interior
The interiors of the Scorpio are brand new. It gets a new instrument panel, Mahindra’s new-generation steering wheel, centre console with touch-screen on top-of-the-line model. The fit and finish, the overall quality of the materials is good and now the power window switches too have moved onto the door from the centre. However, now with the power windows being placed there, one cannot access the door stowage space. The automatic transmission comes only on the S10 variant itself.
This variant comes with touchscreen system with bluetooth, auxiliary and USB connectivity. The Scorpio’s new instrument panel has twin dials and is easy to read as well. When it comes to safety, it has dual airbags and ABS. The Scorpio and the Safari are the only two old-school SUVs in this price segment to be offered with seven-seats. There is also a four-wheel drive version available on the Scorpio.
The Scorpio’s front row seats are comfortable however, the interior space feels more like a compact sedan. The dashboard is very small and the second row seats too are a bit tight on knee room. The boot of the Scorpio is large when the third row of seats are folded, however the third row is mostly for children. The Scorpio is a good package and is a great update over the older one, however there are still some quality niggles that need to be fulfilled.
Performance Drive
The Scorpio has been a fun SUV to drive in city. The drive is effortless and this is one of the biggest selling points of the Scorpio. Mahindra has retained the same 2.2-litre mHawk engine that churns about produces 120bhp of power and comes mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The regular stick shift is a five speeder, and this transmission is different from the one that was previously used on the Scorpio.
The automatic comes with Normal and Wet weather driving conditions (with N and W) and this is a switch. If you switch to wet mode, it will reduce the power going to the wheels to avoid loosing grip. Push the accelerator and it does take a while for the gear to engage the correct one. The shifts are lethargic but not smooth. The engine is smooth and it is highly refined. Driving in city is highly convenient. The fuel efficiency of the Scorpio diesel is about 11km/l in city driving. We haven't a lot of highway driving and this is majorly for city driving. It is a breeze to drive on the highways too.
The suspension set-up on the Scorpio automatic is similar to that on the manual version. The set-up is a tad stiff at the front, while it is the rear that is soft. On bad roads, the ride for the rear passengers could be a bit uncomfortable. On high speeds too, the effect can be incurred. The ideal way to avoid this is by reducing the tyre size by a couple of PSI.
The handling of the Scorpio when driving within city limits is decent. The peppiness of the engine just makes it a lot more fun to drive. The brakes on the Scorpio feel a bit spongy on the automatic that we drove, though we have asked for another press demonstrator as well.
Tech Specs
| Make | Mahindra |
| Model | Scorpio |
| Variant | S10 |
| Fuel | Diesel |
| Price | Rs. 13.28 lakhs |
| Engine Capacity | 2179 cc |
| Power in bhp/RPM | 120 / 4000 |
| Torque in Nm/RPM | 280 / 1800-2800 |
| Gears | 6 Speed Auto |
| Length mm | 4456 |
| Width mm | 1820 |
| Height mm | 1995 |
| Wheel base mm | 2680 |
| Gross Weight Kgs | 2510 |
| Turn Radius | 5.4m |
Features
| Features | S10 |
| Micro Hybrid Technology | Yes |
| Rain and Light Sensors | Yes |
| Voice Assisted System | Yes |
| Automatic Climate Controls | Yes |
| Audio and Cruise Control on Steering wheel | Yes |
| Driver+Passenger Airbags | Yes |
| Panic Break Indication | Yes |
| Digital Immobilizer | Yes |
| Speed Alert | Yes |
Conclusion
The Scorpio automatic is the only seven-seater SUV to be offered at the this price point. It is offered with decent amount of features and Mahindra has made a smart move by offering automatic on the top-of-the-line variant as an automatic buyer prefers to get all the features. Hence, the Scorpio is the only seven-seater SUV we can recommend in this segment. If you in two minds between the Scorpio manual or the automatic, and if your driving is majorly highway and you need a pinch of excitement when you get behind the wheel then don’t hesitate, just buy the manual. If you need convenience its the automatic.
