A Mahindra Scorpio test mule with a Euro V engine was spotted on the Chennai-Bangalore-Mysore Highway recently. However, there were no apparent changes in the looks of the model, which means it is not a next generation vehicle. A closer look at the spy-shots revealed that the model was a left-hand drive. This means that Mahindra is gearing up to make its presence felt in the countries which are adopting the Euro V emission norms with its popular Scorpio.
However, there is an uncertainty looming over the launch of the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) with the Euro V unit in India itself. It is highly unlikely since most cities in the country follow the Euro III (Bharat Stage III) norms, while only 13 cities abide to Euro IV (Bharat Stage IV) standards. In a meeting convened by the inter-ministerial group held to discuss the future auto fuel policies, it was suggested that India should adopt Euro VI norms as a protocol and skip Euro V altogether. Hence, Mahindra will only be wasting its time if it tests the Euro V compliant powertrains for Indian market.
This could mean that the car maker is looking at overseas markets for this model. In Europe and America, the Euro V norms will be valid till December 31, 2014. Mahindra has been eyeing these markets for a long time and it can be assumed that the production version of the test mule will be exported to these countries soon. The car maker has two years at its disposal to mark its brand presence in the targeted overseas markets and introduce a Euro VI compliant model.
The cult SUV from Mahindra was launched in 2002 and recently completed ten years of its journey in the country. Though the first variant was plagued with several issues, it remained a favourite with the masses. The issues were rectified by the company immediately to enhance its goodwill in the market. Over the course of its journey, it has received two major upgrades. The last upgrade that the car received was way back in 2008, when the company replaced the 2.6 litre CRDe powertrain with a top-notch 2.2 litre mHawk unit. Since then, the fans of this car have been waiting for another update, but this new model which was caught testing is certainly not the one.
