New Delhi: The Thar gets a lot of love and so does the XUV name but Mahindra is still about the Scorpio and it is its most famous brand. Hence, when the time came to add a modern twist to the Scorpio name, Mahindra went all out and completely changed the recipe. We'll say at the start that with the new Scorpio N, the new model finds itself being way more premium now along with targeting a higher segment buyer. The current Scorpio remains as the Scorpio Classic which leaves room for the Scorpio N to be the bigger brother. The new Scorpio N also slots along with the XUV700 but is more of a rugged premium SUV rather than the XUV700 which is focused more on tech.
The Scorpio N retains its body on frame but it is a new platform and that brings a big change to the whole car. It is also much bigger than the Scorpio and that one can see easily with 4622mm length. The Scorpio N is more sculpted and looks like the current Scorpio has moved up in life. The premium touches are seen with the bigger grille along with new SUV logo while the LED headlamps are slimmer. The fog lamps and the bumper are less boxy but blend in well with the overall look. From the side, the Scorpio lineage has been kept with a boxy roofline while there is more chrome at the window line too. The flat roof and new tailgate retain the boxy look but the large vertical tail lamps are all new. The Scorpio N sits on 18-inch dual-tone wheels.
Step inside via conventional door handles and it is a world apart from the current Scorpio in terms of either design or even quality. It feels premium and use of beige/black dual tone colours further adds to the ambience. We like soft touch dashboard inserts while a silver lining for the ac vents and the centre console is also a nice touch. The interior is classy and way better than the boxy current Scorpio. A new XUV700 like steering wheel is there while the instrument cluster consists of a large screen in the middle along with dials on the side. The central 7-inch screen shows various information like the tyre pressure monitoring system and more. The touchscreen is an 8 inch one and below there are enough physical controls too though we would have liked a bigger screen. Alongside the gear lever, there is a knob which also has the 4x4 controls on the diesel automatic version. The AdrenoX infotainment system is similar to the XUV700 in terms of design plus graphics while it works quite well.
When talking about features you get dual zone climate control, a front/rear camera with decent resolution along with multiple angles plus Sony 3D surround sound system offers a very good sound quality. The feature list also includes connected car technology (70 plus features include Alexa built-in), a standard sunroof, leatherette seats, six airbags, a powered driver's seat and more. The voice recognition system works well in terms of understanding commands (with different accents) like opening the sunroof and more.
A new platform also frees up space inside and it is again a lot more spacious now. The front seats are large and comfortable plus the door pockets are bigger too. A bigger change is the rear captain seats for the 6-seater variant and these are comfortable. The 6-seater captain seats have comfortable seats with ample headroom and decent legroom. Even the 7-seater version has enough width in the cabin for seating three with a very small central tunnel. The third row has easy access and space there is surprisingly better than the other 7-seaters, especially with the headroom. The side opening tailgate though reveals a small amount of luggage space with the three rows up.
Let's get to the driving bit. There are two engines on offer with the 2.0l turbo petrol making over 200bhp and a 175 bhp 2.2l diesel. Both engines get an option of a 6-speed automatic while a 6-speed manual is standard. The Scorpio N diesel is also available in a lower state of tune. Anyways, we had the top-end diesel automatic with us and that gets 175 bhp/400Nm with drive modes. Rear-wheel drive is standard but the diesel also gets 4x4 with terrain modes called 4 XPLOR which also gets a low-range mode. Start the diesel and there is barely any diesel noise which comes into the cabin and that signals a premium driving experience. Then you notice how light the steering is and how easy it is to drive it in stop-go traffic. The Scorpio N is a big SUV but does not feel so from behind the wheel. What you also get is how high you sit and the proper SUV-like driving position.
At low speeds, the ride is also a surprise with not a lot of bounciness and the excellent ground clearance means tackling rain hit roads is no issue. The 6-speed automatic torque converter is also smooth at low speeds and is urgent to respond to. Exiting Pune and entering the highway, gave us a chance to fully test the potential of this engine. The Scorpio N easily goes up-to triple digit speeds with ease and the high speed stability is also impressive along with giving the required confidence to the driver. You can cruise at high speeds all day with no problem. There are drive modes called Zip, Zap and Zoom where Zip limits power a bit and Zoom as the name says are when you want maximum performance. In Zip, acceleration is blunt but Zap solves that as the Scorpio N is eager to push on with its immense torque.
The Scorpio N now gets an all new suspension and that shows in the high speed dynamics. It isn't nervous or has any torque steer with a well controlled handling performance. While there is body roll, is it not that much and you are in control even when pushing this huge SUV. The low speed ride is a bit sharp but smoothens out nicely as speeds increase.
Prices start at under Rs 12 lakh while the top-end diesel are below Rs 20 lakh for the manual while 4X4/automatic prices are not out yet. There is no doubt that the Scorpio N takes this brand name in an altogether new direction in being a proper premium SUV. It looks butch but has a well made interior along with a good equipment list while the refined diesel along with the new dynamics makes it a complete package. It is also more robust and has the edge of being a proper off-roader too. At this price, you cannot get all this anywhere else.
What we like - Looks, interior, performance, off-road ability, value.
What we do not like - Lacks some features, 3rd row boot space.
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