[RijuC]

Originally Posted by Gaddibuddy

You can copy the features of top most variant in spreadsheet and rate them as must have,good to have and don't care.

If mid variant covers 90% of those must have features,just go ahead with it.May be you will observe only "good to have" features are the ones you want to get from aftermarket.

I am exactly doing the same thing you suggested. Marking the brochure PDF on the features list and writting some notes etc. I am also helping my colleague to select a suitable variant of XUV700 in the similar fashion, to save few lakhs. Anyway, he has Aadhar and other papers in Chandigarh, which saves him a good amount for registration.

[kushgandhi]

Went to a dealership today in Karol Bagh, New Delhi this evening. I had already added the Z8 MT 4xplor version to the cart. So i wanted to test drive the diesel manual. After reading the thread I thought only petrols and automatics were available for TD. But to my surprise the showroom had the diesel manual 4xplor as the test drive vehicle.

Drove it back to back with the 2wd version and came out really impressed. The weight of the vehicle is a lot more obviously but it felt to have the same driving dynamics.
Was lucky to be on an empty stretch so tried swaying left and right and the body roll is almost negligible for me. The steering is extremely light at low speeds and weighs up perfectly.

Then i was curious to know about all the modes of the 4wd.

The sales executive IMO was not trained well enough to tell me about the modes and the mechanics of the vehicle. I figured out many things on my own. The vehicle is in 2wd mode and as soon as you change the mode to any other than normal 4h is automatically engaged. This can be done while moving also. There is a nice animation on the instrument cluster when changing modes. The shift is quick and seamless. Although not recommended on tarmac i drove in 4h on straight road. The grip level on sudden acceleration is noticeable.
Couldn’t do much on a TD but overall i loved i could drive the exact variant i am looking to purchase and came out satisfied.

Some drawbacks:
The last row is worse than my xuv 500 and so is the boot space.
I will miss putting a mattress after folding the last two rows and having picnics overlooking mountains.
The steering wheel adjustment might be a bit of an issue.
Going from monocoque to bof will surely trouble my mom as she already found xuv a high car to climb in.

But these negatives are definitely less than the bunch of positives i will get from a tough go anywhere vehicle that can take me to any road in India and a bit beyond the roads.

[RijuC]

I was exploring the 360 deg view with some Mountains and snow background in Mahindra website and found these.

Scorpio N looks so good and handsome in this terrain.

Can someone please explain whether the RWD will be sufficient in similar snow condition (few inches of snow, upto 6 inches) or 4x4 will be essential. And, BOF+RWD vs. Monocoque+FWD which one would be better under this condition? I faintly remember we did the Spiti circuit in a Scorpio with 4x4. There were black ice in many places from Kunzum pass to Chandratal on that day. My point is it shall be safe to travel through such terrains.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by RijuC

Scorpio N looks so good and handsome in this terrain.

Can someone please explain whether the RWD will be sufficient in similar snow condition (few inches of snow, upto 6 inches) or 4x4 will be essential. And, BOF+RWD vs. Monocoque+FWD which one would be better under this condition? I.

Yes indeed the Scorpio N looks wonderful in that setting.
A proper 4x4 will most definitely be ‘preferred’ though an AWD can do the job under consideration and even at a pinch a FWD can do it.
Saying the above, the peace of mind that you will have when driving a proper 4x4 in such places, is important to consider. Even for Black Ice and hard packed snow, while AWD gives a good level of confidence, if you have the choice and ability to get one, then there is nothing to beat a proper 4x4 driven sensibly and responsibly.

[naru80]

Originally Posted by RijuC

I am exactly doing the same thing you suggested. Marking the brochure PDF on the features list and writting some notes etc. I am also helping my colleague to select a suitable variant of XUV700 in the similar fashion, to save few lakhs.

Do consider this aspect too:

In case you're taking a loan, the extra lakhs of a higher variant are spread over the loan tenure and translate to only a few thousand more a month.

In an expensive purchase which will last a decade or so, it is best to stretch yourself and get the better option, even if a little out of budget. This is because salary/income usually goes up, not down, and a few years down the line what seems costly now looks affordable then.

Happy motoring!

[msk_kapoor]

Originally Posted by RijuC

I was exploring the 360 deg view with some Mountains and snow background in Mahindra website and found these.

Scorpio N looks so good and handsome in this terrain.

Can someone please explain whether the RWD will be sufficient in similar snow condition (few inches of snow, upto 6 inches) or 4x4 will be essential. And, BOF+RWD vs. Monocoque+FWD which one would be better under this condition? I faintly remember we did the Spiti circuit in a Scorpio with 4x4. There were black ice in many places from Kunzum pass to Chandratal on that day. My point is it shall be safe to travel through such terrains.

Wherever there is less traction RWD vehicles will struggle more that FWD as there will be less weignt on the tyres to keep then pressed down. chances of fishtailing are very high there. Anydays 4x4 is preferred over RWD and FWD vehicles. But please make sure you use proper tyres with good tread for snow drives.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by msk_kapoor

But please make sure you use proper tyres with good tread for snow drives.

Excellent point on making sure that suitable tyres are used.
Cannot stress the importance of this enough.

[1.2TSI7DSG]

Originally Posted by RijuC

I was exploring the 360 deg view with some Mountains and snow background in Mahindra website and found these.

Scorpio N looks so good and handsome in this terrain.

Can someone please explain whether the RWD will be sufficient in similar snow condition (few inches of snow, upto 6 inches) or 4x4 will be essential. .

If you know how to drive, even an Alto is sufficient for the snow drives. What a 4x4 gives is the ability to make mistakes.

[CEF_Beasts]

New Mahindra Scorpio N vs Ford Endeavour

https://youtu.be/rmDSnCjw9D0

[TSIched'Out]

Just came back from checking the Scorpio-N at a local showroom.

Positives:

Looks impressive, even tailgate looks OK in flesh.

Build quality is solid.

Dashboard is put together in a nice manner, leather adds premium feel to it. Not all of the brown inserts are leather though.

Commanding view from the driving seat.

Ergonomics is great. Everything is easily accessible.

First and second rows seats are comfortable. Second row can easily accommodate three average built adults.

It's a tall vehicle (XUV7OO which was parked next looked dwarfed by Scorpio-N presence).

Negatives:

While enough is written about the 3rd row and boot space, I wanted to check those out in person to get an idea about how bad these aspects are. So here it goes:

It's strictly a 5 seater vehicle. In third row, adults will be super uncomfortable (even for small distances) and kids will feel claustrophobic due to low seating position. And after M&M confirmed that airbags wont cover the third row, it doesn't make sense to use the third row.

No useful boot space. At max, one can place a couple of laptop carrying backpacks. After folding the third row, you will get more space but that's also not very useful due to uneven floor and thickness of third row bench. M&M should have learnt a thing or two from seat thickness from our airlines.

No 360 camera even in the top end L variant (XUV7OO top end variant gets one). SA told me it would be difficult to install in Scorpio-N and may cause warranty issues. Hope that's not correct.

No telescopic adjustment on the steering wheel. I sat in my usual relaxed position in the driving seat and felt steering wheel is little far than I would have liked. SA told me that the telescopic adjustment is normally not provided in the rugged SUVs which are meant for 4x4.

One touch tumble was not working properly for the second row. SA said it is because of some belt related issues. Also while second row (60% seat) was reclining, it wasn't locking properly. I guess this vehicle will have its own set of niggles which are associated with initial batches of new vehicles from M&M.

I don't give much importance to the other bling items (like bigger sunroof, bigger screens, dual AC etc.). While driving, one should be looking at the road ahead and be mindful of the surroundings instead of switching screens. All safety related aspects are there in most of the variants. Some functional aspects like charging sockets and ports should have been there though.

Good thing is you just need to remove 4 bolts to take the third row out and you will get a lot of usable space for all those Himalaya trips.

After looking at the contours on the floor by folding third row, I am definitely sure that the side facing seats will make a comeback. The lever on the inside of the rear door was not functional though).

And its good that boot door opens on the side and not up. Considering the height of the vehicle, some people would have found it difficult to close an upward opening door.

Even though it was not a pre-planned scheduled visit, I was offered test drive of Petrol Automatic or Diesel Manual (both top end variants) on the spot. I declined as I did not have the time and also because I wanted to test drive Diesel Automatic 4x4. SA said he will get back but he wasn't very confident about getting a Diesel Automatic 4xD TD vehicle.

Overall, my impression is it's a very good 5 seater vehicle with proper 4x4 capability. For those with primary requirement of 6-7 seater vehicle (and AWD variants to satisfy soft off-roading itch), they should spend another 3-4 lacs and pick corresponding XUV7OO variant or spend extra 7-8 lacs and pick Innova Crysta.

OT: SA tried to explain Watts suspension and said it's the same setup as that of other D segment vehicles like Endy or Fortuner. I asked him that are you comparing it with actual D Segment vehicles? He was honest in his reply and stated "Sir, we are only comparing the price with the D-Segment ".

[RijuC]

The folding and tumbling mechanism worked properly during checking the interiors. I could do it myself at one go. There is a strap on the right side with a carabiner type mechanism to hook it up with the adjustable head rest metal rod, and the strap adjustment need to be fastened to secure the tumbled up 3rd row with 2nd row back rest without any movement.

Now, my observation is another such fastener strap should have been provided on left hand side as well. Secondly the metal to metal contact in a moving car may not be good for their healthiness. If I buy it ultimately, need to find one long belt strap with some jugad for fastening the left hand side as well.

The boot floor is uneven beneath the 3rd row and the 3rd row seat supports get exposed. Keeping luggage there uniformly will be difficult. Hard case luggage will get scratches and cause "takatak/ khatakhat" sound. We may have to think of some foam, with cuts and holes at places, to be used on this boot floor to make it properly usable in 5 seater mode.

The society is becoming nuclear day by day, and these guys are releasing 7 seaters one after another. Does Mahindra have any 5 seater 4 meters+ SUV plan in their roadmap?

[Arinmech]

Couldn't resist the itch and Finally added the Black Panther in the cart. Now eagerly waiting for the price reveal of autos.

[sumwit]

Originally Posted by acquillew

Ride: Well this is sorted. I have read reviews and seen YouTube videos saying this is not comparable to the Fortuner but I disagree. I have two Fortuners to compare to. From friends who drive: (2019 Sigma 4), (2015 4X2 AT). I felt that the ride was more sorted in some cases than the Fortuner. e.g., I felt that the lateral movement of the car was lesser in the Scorpio over uneven patches of roads.

Smaller potholes, rough patches etc do not travel inside the cabin. The car does not make you nervous during sudden lane changes, fast 50-60 degree corners. I did not find the car to be wobbly or unsettling on uneven patches. You can crunch miles on this car all day long.

Hi acquillew, thank you for penning down comparisons between Compass and Scorpio. I wanted to do this myself. Since Compass comes with FSD suspension and Scorpio with FDD, could you please let us know how much difference did you observe in the ride and handling department and which one according to you rides and handles better? Thanks.

[ashutoshb]

Always wondered, how will the Scorpio-n look in the split headlamp setup.

Tried my hand at imagining one.

[acquillew]

Originally Posted by sumwit

Hi acquillew, thank you for penning down comparisons between Compass and Scorpio. I wanted to do this myself. Since Compass comes with FSD suspension and Scorpio with FDD, could you please let us know how much difference did you observe in the ride and handling department and which one according to you rides and handles better? Thanks.

Hello,

The Compass is rock solid on road. The steering weighs heavy from speed zero. The Scorpio has a very light steering - but it weighs up as you build speed. The Scorpio handles well. I did not feel nervous when changing speeds at 100 kph. The ride is neither soft nor very stiff. It is a good balance between both. The important thing - it just glides over rough patches on the road and doesn't let shocks get inside. One complaint I had with the XUV700 was the suspension sound that kept bothering me during test drive. The Scorpio did not seem to have that. The ride is good, and I or my co passengers never felt uncomfortable.

On FSD and FDD, I think they are essentially the same thing (I am not qualified or read to comment on technicalities of both). But I think the FDD has improved the ride of the Scorpio.

I test drove the Scorpio like I would drive on my regular commute to work, or on the highway, and I felt comfortable doing that. Hope this helps!