[Poitive]

C6. Suspension Part 3

Okay, we get an idea of the driving part, but how comfortable it it?

It is not what one can call a classically hard or soft suspension. It is also not what one might call a typically well balanced one. This part is a little hard to put in words, but I shall try:

Going across big speed breakers wasn’t an issue. The large tyres and momentum worked well with the suspension to handle them. Tried a few. One can take this quite confidently at decent speeds if it is occupied only in the front row. Smaller roughness didn’t show up as strangely as it did in the XUV700, and didn’t have that unsettling sound and feel inside. However, one could feel the smaller stuff way more than one would like; it wasn’t due to tyre pressure, which you might remember was duly checked. Then there was also this slight and constant movement in the cabin – front to back and side to side. It wasn’t too obvious initially, but on spending more time it became a bit more obvious, especially on the rear bench. I again wonder if it is due to an FSD/FDD (Frequency Sensitive/Dependent Suspension) which is yet to be fine-tuned. It was a bit like one layer of undulations being filtered away, whereas others were felt more. I would not like to put off such stuff as RWD-BoF related issues – think Innova, Hexa etc. A busy ride, one might call it. With the above, it wasn’t going to win any comfort contests for it’s ride. Jeep Compass has used the FSD better than Mahindra on the XUV700 and Scorpio-N; none of this is felt in the Compass.

If you’re going to be driving for shorter periods – say a typical city run – this might feel as comfortable as the other unibody selling in it’s price segment, but might not feel great as them for those 8-10 hour long journeys. No, not terrible; surely not. It left me with a somewhat uneasy feeling over time, more so in the rear seat.

Further, I felt no major nosedive felt on hard braking. So, this is an interesting suspension – not classically soft or hard, and having aspects of both without being middle of the line.

Would I choose it for the hills with a lot of bends? I am unsure. Would need to drive it on such sections and bends a bit to become surer. As of now, my thoughts are: The bodyroll is not too much. It doesn’t sway like a Hector might. However, it also a very high vehicle so even a smaller angle of turn/roll is felt more in this one. Add to that the somewhat jiggly ride, and high CoG influenced dynamics. It is unlikely to be my first choice, however I think it would be good enough and a bit for most, especially in the front seat. Is it expected to be bad on the hills? No! I really don’t think so, except maybe for those very sensitive to sickness. It would anyway likely be a huge step-up from the Scorpio Classic. It also would score high with low end torque which comes very handy on such drives and would score well there.

C7. Suspension and Steering – a bit more

Another interesting suspension+steering part: for practical use and enjoyable driving, I would want the suspension to be filtering away the road surface undulations and the steering to communicate them to me. This gives me and the passengers comfort, and still connects me to how the car is interlacing with the road and what it is like. Here, it was somewhat the opposite – steering had almost no feedback, and the suspension was telling me more about the smaller undulations than I’d like, and that in a less predictable manner. With more use, perhaps, they would feel more predictable.

[Poitive]

D. Other Aspects

D1. Noise Vibration and Harshness

Let us start with the noise first. As mentioned before, it insulated the traffic noise very well. The engine is very refined to start with and whatever needed controlling is controlled well. Didn’t notice any bothersome tyre noise either. So, on the noise front it is fantastic. I am thoroughly impressed.

One usually says NVH in one breath, but breaking it down, a bit here. I did not notice it too much in the driver’s seat, but became obvious in the rear seat. This one had ample vibrations. I asked the SUV to be turned to confirm if what I was feeling was the vibration from the engine - it was so. Interestingly at another point in the drive, we were next to a big high-vibration truck on our side and I felt a bit of the vibrations of that too. Something to do with the BoF mounting, I wondered. Again, it is not terrible and almost what one might expect of a rugged vehicle.

Was there a sense of harshness in this one? Except the vibrations mentioned above, nothing significant. Pretty good on that too.

Note: Though I have been avoiding seeing reviews, I slipped and happened to see a YouTube video of the bottle test and it seemed good, but bottles or not, I did feel what I did.

D2. Overall Comfort – Long Distance

The vibrations and ride left me wondering how comfortable it might be for a long journey. Remember, there were ergonomic issues too. The answer would depend on what you benchmark it against. Against the lighter/smaller ones on smaller tyre diameters, likely to be very good. When compared to the others like Harrier, Hector, XUV700, Safari – I do not think it would feel great, except for the very poor NVH on the Harrier and Jeep Compass. The Compass might feel better or worse also depending on the cabin size you need based on number and size of occupants.

In a nutshell, I expect it to be good without being class leading. XUV700 would be better – you would tire lesser. Of course the Scorpio-N 4x4 would take you to places where the others would not, and that is a joy beyond all the other stuff mentioned!

[Poitive]

D3. Brakes

Well, this should have been a part of the main drive section, but that was hampering the flow so here it is: At first, it was strange. It rapidly changed: no braking – no feel – sudden bite and braking! It happened a few times. A bit like old cars in which the drum brakes got wet. Much further in the drive when specifically testing brakes, tried to do a two press break (like pumping in the old days). Braking was mild in the first go and much stronger and earlier in the second. This result was not consistent. I was kind of disappointed and wondered how it could be so.

Later realized that the piece is really new and has only done a few hundred kms, so maybe the brakes have not set in well enough. Further in the drive they started to feel more normal, and in a while completely normal. Then, there was some feel and some build up – not excellent – and eventually good braking. Nothing to complain about at all, by the end of it. Nothing to rave about either. Fairly sure footed too, with it’s high CoG being reminded.

D4. Misc

Strangely enough the car was found to be in 4WD mode on it’s own! Asked the SA who had no idea. Not sure if he might accidentally touched the dial on the centre control. It was at very slow speeds. This happened twice. I doubt it could be some automated traction detection system at work (once, I clearly remember was when it was drizzling).
The above is a cause of concern, as it changes the traction and control the vehicle has. Note the start of the drive part when the steering was found stiff (section C2). If one is driving a bit hard or in a tight situation, such a change on the fly without the driver knowing it can be a hazard. Even if it was accidentally changed somehow, it remains an issue, as a co-passenger – especially a kid – might end up touching it while using the console. There needs to be some kind of a master switch accessible only to the driver to enable such changes, possibly on the right side of the dashboard.

[Poitive]

D5. Fuel Efficiency / Fuel Economy / FE

Most of this should be a part of the comparison post, but not posting the FE would’ve left out an important aspect. My long TD of the XUV700 was overall in comparable road situations and driving manner as that of the Scorpio-N. Both were almost entirely driven by me. Both are from the same company, of the same generation, share basic software (Adrenox) etc. The MID showed the following:

• Mahindra XUV700: 14.3 Kmpl
• Mahindra Scropio-N: 10.5 Kmpl

A direct comparison implies (14.3-10.5)/10.5 = 0.36190 which is approximately 36% higher distance in the XUV700 as compared to the Scorpio-N for the same amount of fuel.

We need to factor in some things and will use some estimates for better understanding:

• MID usually shows higher. There are fuel losses which the MID would not really capture – evaporation, warming up, etc.
• Short average trips result in lower FE, especially in a diesel vehicle which takes longer to reach optimal operating temperature.
• The XUV700 had 2 people on board and the Scorpio-N had 3. A small difference for a high torque vehicle, yet not zero. 0.1kmpl perhaps?
• The Scropio-N was a 4x4 driven in 2WD mode. Not sure how much of the system is disengaged and what the weight implications might be. Say about 0.3kmpl
• The Scorpio-N was new and had not even run-in, so might increase slightly on the engine opening up. This estimation is very vague and can vary considerably. Assumed 0.5kmpl

There are subjective ways to estimate the calculate the above. One being:

• Mahindra XUV700: 14.3 Kmpl
• Less 10% for MID error and 5% for shorter trips = 14.3 x 0.85 = 12.155 kmpl
• One extra person at 0.1 kmpl = 12.055 kmpl
• Mahindra Scropio-N: 10.5 Kmpl
• Less 10% for MID error and 5% for shorter trips = 10.5 x 0.85 = 8.925 kmpl
• 2WD over 4WD at 0.3kmpl and Running in at 0.5 kmpl = 9.725 kmpl

Based on the above, a comparison implies (12.055-9.725)/9.725 = 0.2395 which is approximately 24% higher distance in the XUV700 as compared to the Scorpio-N for the same amount of fuel for a 2WD ScropioN for city use.

Further, as it is said - YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary! This is just an interpretation from what was noted from the MID and only a rough indicator at best. Also please bear in mind that the drives were closer to sedate thsn spirited, were on MT, and a mix of heavy traffic and lots of open roads. Those looking at the Scropio-N for it’s price should also consider the extra fuel cost they’d incur over it’s lifetime.



D6. Should I Buy it?

While this can’t be generalized, putting some points which I think might get missed; and a bit more:

• Look hard on if you need the extra abilities this bring on board. Things like the 4x4, more abuse friendly BoF structure and maybe even RWD (which has it’s own negatives too, including traction and control in low grip situations like rain). If yes, it is an excellent package for 4-5 people on board.
• If you are never really going to seriously venture off the road, or don’t regularly travel on broken roads well beyond the average person, think if you really need such a vehicle. If not, the other options in the market might suit you better.
• For someone who is not going to use the extra abilities of this one, an XUV700 in a lower variant or a comparable variant at a somewhat higher price might be a lot better. Other options too. They might also have fewer niggles considering this one is new.
• If have had enough of being bullied on road and want to give that menacing look in the other’s rear-view mirror, you’d not find a better one than the Scorpio-N in black in it’s price range! For those in the hinterland, it also carries the Scorpio's legacy!!

[Poitive]

Summary:

• Imposing in the rear-view mirror. Handsome and muscular front. Incoherence in overall visual design; especially the rear.
• High ingress-egress needs a step. Good ingress aperture. Surprisingly poor ergonomics – seat, footwell, pedals’ space and angle, door, armrests, door handles etc. Good knee position to drive, but poor in second row.
• Airy cabin, sufficient space (6’ behind 6’), but lesser than outer dimensions suggest. Overall, moderate refinement in the cabin and worse than unibody competition on average.
• Rear seat moderately comfortable; reclineable; poor armrest height. Usable width lesser than Harrier/Safari?
• Super quiet cabin for it's type; moderate vibrations.
• Ride is inconsistent – can handle large speed-breakers and tge like rather well, but small undulations felt more than expected. More obvious on longer drives and on the rear bench. Didn't feel properly settled at most times, even on good roads.
• Easy comfort-oriented soft EPS steering with almost no feedback - slightly better than XUV700; a bit slow in the centre. Not particularly agile (as expected for size/nature). IMO, this deserved a sorted HPS.
• Better dynamics and handling than size, height, and BoF suggest, but not as good as unibody competition. Impression: Not for insane highway speeds; please don't get carried away.
• Easier to drive in town than size suggests. Decent highway and city vehicle if outer size is acceptable. VFM 4x4 which can usefully do family duties as well.
• Decent brakes, with moderate feedback. Not excellent; nothing to complain either.
• Ride, handling etc are poorly represented in the summary and need a proper reading to understand - check the 4 parts about the suspension.
• In essence, a good VFM 4x4 usable as a family vehicle, or one for rural roads, or those who really need a BoF vehicle, which comes with Mahindra’s widespread service network.

This vehicle is to be seen for what it is – a high CoG tall BoF RWD SUV – and considered accordingly. Benchmark it against that and it seems like an excellent option in it’s price segment, and a big step up from the Scropio Classic. If you’re looking for a city-highway SUV it could well fall short and the unibody options are likely to be better, however the Scorpio-N 4x4 will take you to places others would not.

Please share your thoughts.

In case you you wish to check the way shorter but fairly detailed drive reports of the others in the segment, they can be found on the first page at this link.

...........

PS: This ended up being way longer than what I imagined when I started writing and took way too much time. Could not spend any more and this is only a partially refined first draft, so please excuse the overall presentation of the drive experience. As they say: better done than perfect.

If I recollect more points, shall add later.

PPS: I am more of a sedans guy, and think others on the forum might be able to better assess the 4x4 and other off-road aspects; a bit difficult in city drives anyway.

I hope someone also does a door test to check the chassis flex when one is able to drive it off-road. It would be a valuable indicator of how it would age on poor roads.

[RijuC]

Regarding your last point of aging- unfortunately I don't have good feel about it. The doors of the abused Scorpio N (about 1400 km on odo) petrol manual TD vehicle felt like it was few years old. Few units were driven from Pune to Delhi by the youtubers and I guess they were abused to some extent. The 1300-1400 km on ODO TD vehicles are good specimen to understand this aspect. New TD vehicles (150-200 km on ODO) were good, though.

[luvDriving]

Thank you Poitive for that (very) detailed test drive report.

As for me, although I do have a Z8 in the cart, after the TD that I took and taking into consideration the initial niggles that will crop up, Mahindra's abilities in the after sales service department, I guess the initial wow factor has gone for me.

I would either wait for some time or I will go with one of the available tried and tested cars which have been in the market for some time. I would not like to go to a local FNG immediately just because the service department is lacklustre.

[Poitive]

Originally Posted by RijuC

... The doors of the abused Scorpio N (about 1400 km on odo) petrol manual TD vehicle felt like it was few years old. Few units were driven from Pune to Delhi by the Youtubers and I guess they were abused to some extent...

Mate, is this assessment based on checking the doors personally or on YouTube Videos? Even for TD vehicles, I think we need to consider that they are easily abused - I'm imagining much weight being put on the outer side of the door by a kid or a callous parent putting a kid's weight on the door/window. It has a levering effect on the hinges and would be somewhat easy to disturb in many vehicles.

Originally Posted by luvDriving

- Thank you Poitive for that (very) detailed test drive report.

- As for me, although I do have a Z8 in the cart, after the TD that I took and taking into consideration the initial niggles that will crop up, Mahindra's abilities in the after sales service department, I guess the initial wow factor has gone for me.

- I would either wait for some time or I will go with one of the available tried and tested cars which have been in the market for some time. I would not like to go to a local FNG immediately just because the service department is lacklustre.

- You're welcome

- The way I look at Mahindra and its pricing: The actual price of their products is higher (and hence not as VFM as initial pricing might suggest), and early buyers of their product help them in their journey to improve the product, for which they are offered a "discount" (inaugural and early phase pricing).

- If one lives in a big city, the good thing about Mahindra and Tata is that there are several outlets and one can take some time and find a suitable one and then stick with it. This approach has worked for me over several cars and manufacturers. The Optra Magnum was sent about 20kms for all services and repairs; others too were sent far as needed. Being with the right people was important, and that took care of most things.

Tata and Mahindra are also more relationship dependent than process-dependent, which can be a plus or a minus depending on a person's disposition.

Overall, I think the Scorpio-N is a good SUV for those who will be using its abilities and the alternatives to it might not really be compelling enough for most.

[RijuC]

Originally Posted by Poitive

Mate, is this assessment based on checking the doors personally or on YouTube Videos? Even for TD vehicles, I think we need to consider that they are easily abused...

If you see my posts in Scorpio N review thread, I have attached few photographs of the last Test drive vehicle (Deep Forest Colour) and I shared my feelings about the doors of this TD unit.

On 9th July, I had the first brief TD in a black coloured Scorpio N in Kolkata. ODO was 100 km+. Inside interior and general condition of that TD vehicle were pristine. The doors' (side and rear) operation felt heavy and good with a "thunk" sound while closing. No complaint here. Earned attention and respect on road for the first time, fellow members said "welcome to Scorpio fraternity"!

On 16th July I had another 2-3 km TD in a white coloured Scorpio N in Gurgaon. Same to same feeling like I had in Kolkata. ODO was 400-500 km.

However, both were Petrol AT Z8L variant I wanted to try one Diesel unit. I was in MG road for some other work and received a call from nearby Mahindra showroom (probably due to my enquiry in Mahindra website). When enquired whether they have any Diesel unit, they said yes! Delighted, we went to that showroom. However, they had the Diesel unit on display and the TD vehicle was a petrol MT variant. Anyway, MT is not possible due to my knee problem (basically this is the reason I am looking for a new car). Also, it was 6:30 PM already and no TD was possible at that time. However, I checked out that petrol manual in deep forest (I posed with this one and posted the photograph in review thread). It had ~1600 km+ on ODO. Inside interior was little dirty, looked like abused. When I (also the SA) closed the doors (side and rear) it sounded like typical old Scorpio or bolero or TUV (a metallic sound with resonance due to loose/ misaligned hinges, and not an assuring clank sound of locking).

Here I want to make it clear that I have no doubt on construction/ build quality. Due to huge size and weight and manhandling/ abuse by the users, this can happen. I have seen on YouTube that many youtubers were driving various units from Pune to Delhi/ Gurgaon and this unit could be one of them. And perhaps abused by the driver/ occupants. It is quite obvious that the owner and their family members treat their car in a better manner than some random persons.

I have one concern though. I saw lots of mud deposit between the SUV side lowest area of door closing and the side step entering through the narrow gap and on the side step. Keeping it clean will be a daunting task. I have also seen marks of dust and mud/ slush entering through the bottom front corner of driver/ co-passenger door despite of good sealing coverage on door inside surface.

I am 45 years+, do not belong to the young generation who take purchase decision based on YouTube videos. Neither I have such disposable earning that can be spent based on YouTube reviews. 2 million INR is a big amount for me.

Just for example, Tata Safari is undoubtedly a very good SUV. But for me, left knee gets struck by the console edge when I sat inside. Ditto for many other good cars (Nissan Kicks) where I find ergonomic issues inside. For me, ergonomics play a major role. It may be due to my professional background, not a common constraint for others.

You may ask why I am interested in Scorpio N. I do not find any value in buying Brezza for 16 lakhs or Creta etc for 20L. Liked Kicks 1.3 CVT otherwise, and also Kushaq/ Tiguan 1.5 DSG (I guess 1.5 is better than 1.0 TSI for highway runs and in hills). DSG makes it no go for Skoda/ VW. Nissan have almost no service centres in remote areas. I don't like wild animal inspired design elements in XUV700/ XUV300 (cheeta styled DRL). Usage is for 2 XXL sized adults (no kid, no pets), very occasional 5 occupants. Earlier budget of 10-12 lakhs have now become 15-16 lakhs as per present market condition. I can stretch 2-3 lakhs more. 2 million will really be overstretch.

[Poitive]

Originally Posted by RijuC

1. I have one concern though. I saw lots of mud deposit between the SUV side lowest area of door closing and the side step entering through the narrow gap and on the side step. Keeping it clean will be a daunting task.

2. I have also seen marks of dust and mud/ slush entering through the bottom front corner of driver/ co-passenger door despite of good sealing coverage on door inside surface.

3. I am 45 years+, do not belong to the young generation who take purchase decision based on YouTube videos. Neither I have such disposable earning that can be spent based on YouTube reviews. 2 million INR is a big amount for me.

4. Just for example, Tata Safari is undoubtedly a very good SUV. But for me, left knee gets struck by the console edge when I sat inside.

5. Ditto for many other good cars (Nissan Kicks) where I find ergonomic issues inside. For me, ergonomics play a major role. It may be due to my professional background, not a common constraint for others.

6. You may ask why I am interested in Scorpio N. I do not find any value in buying ... Earlier budget of 10-12 lakhs have now become 15-16 lakhs as per present market condition. I can stretch 2-3 lakhs more. 2 million will really be overstretch.

Thanks for the elaborate reply, mate; took me a while to hunt out the said post(s).

1. Between the side-step and the door might be difficult to avoid. I wonder if after-market side-steps will come up to solve such over time. It might be a good idea to invest in a pressure washer to take care of such - a few thousand extra over the many lakhs one is to spend on the vehicle anyway.

Funnily enough, I bought one before Diwali last year, in anticipation of the new car arriving

2. Slush entering a closed door is inexcusable, unless it was some problem in the door due to abuse. I would really not expect Mahindra to go wrong on this, but companies have a way of surprising us!

3. It is a big sum for most of us, mate; surely for me. I see it as two things: a big chunk of money, and also the driving pleasure over the next decade - one reason why my final decision has taken as long (besides of course availability).

4. The Tata Safari/Hector knee-console issue has been discussed in 3 phases in this thread - initial, somewhere in the middle when @udhaw also made a video about this, and also in the second round of my TDs when it was quite solved. Please go through that. Harrier might suit your needs better and save some money too. One loses out on the rear disc brakes from the Safari and a bit more, but it is dynamically a better car to drive than the Safari (mentioned in the page 1 reports etc.)

5. Nissan Kicks, despite being smaller than most of the others actually provided better headroom and space them most for me. I wasn't able to check the nooks and corners storage etc, but the basics seemed to be rather good. If it had that Fiat 2 litre MJD I was likely to have gone for it. It has an excellent steering and suspension (details in the report earlier in the thread).

6. If you're not in need of the things for which the Scorpio-N is made, you might be better served by others. Kicks, Harrier, and a variant of XUV700 which is in budget might be worth another look. Eventually, one will almost surely not get all one desires in the budget one sets for one's self, and then it becomes a matter of choosing which compromise hurts lesser for our own use-case and what we are willing to take a chance with.

Some things are easier to live with and can be partially improved over time, whereas others can't be. The ride of the Scorpio-N and steering feel etc are unlikely to change significantly (unless one goes for huge mods, which most don't find worthwhile), and there are things which can be improved later - such as taking a lower variant and upgrading some accessories later (eg - taking a lower variant of the XUV700 if it works for you).

Edit: @shancz: Pardon the late replies to your posts, but I think we have an understanding on such maters now; and such would be understood without specific mention onwards.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by Poitive

we have an understanding on such maters now; and such would be understood without specific mention onwards.

We do and of course, I thought we already did

Likewise will reply to the fabulous ScorpioN experience once I get near the desktop. This will take some time(days).

Originally Posted by RijuC

Earlier budget of 10-12 lakhs have now become 15-16 lakhs as per present market condition.

I am sorry I don't know your requirements but based on what you mentioned in the last para, why don't you look at the now discontinued S-Cross AT and see if you can get a good deal.
In case you're looking at diesels or don't want to get a discontinued car or just don't like it, please ignore this.

Would second the Harrier as another good option, along with a check on the just launched Grand Vitara.

[RijuC]

Originally Posted by shancz

...why don't you look at the now discontinued S-Cross AT and see if you can get a good deal......
Would second the Harrier as another good option, along with a check on the just launched Grand Vitara.

1. What I understood about myself is, I'll get bored in outgoing S-cross very soon (dull interiors, same switches and steering wheel, same Maruti Suzuki plastic and interior quality). It's a wonderful car otherwise.

2. I am probably going to book the GV Zeta AT Non-hybrid after discussion with wife. If there was an option of Allgrip+AT I would have booked long ago. None of the Test drive reviews lauded this K15C+6 speed AT combination for performance. I need some performance for safe overtakes and situations. And sometimes I do highest speed limits in empty expressways. At times I feel lack of enough torque. Torque figures of K15C are not that great either. Another problem is extremely bad roads of millenium city. It's a torture for the suspension.

3. Tata Harrier: Priced too high and read lots of negative feedback. We recently experienced high-handedness and bad behaviour at Tata motors Dealership (SA name: Prince, Arya Motors, Gurgaon sector-18). They didn't even bother to talk. Had to leave the place without being attended after 15-20 minutes. Hence I am not planning any Tata motors car in my lifetime. Once I sat inside Tata Safari. My left knee hits the central console wall badly. Can't get any suitable stance to drive. Guess same will happen with Harrier. Couldn't understand which variant will be suitable for me within the budget.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by RijuC

1. What I understood about myself is, I'll get bored in outgoing S-cross very soon.
2. I am probably going to book the GV Zeta AT Non-hybrid after discussion with wife.
3. Tata Harrier:
We recently experienced high-handedness and bad behaviour at Tata motors Dealership (SA name: Prince, Arya Motors, Gurgaon sector-18).

- My left knee hits the central console wall badly. Can't get any suitable stance to drive. Guess same will happen with Harrier.

1. That's true, I was only coming from a 12 lakh target budget perspective.

2. Haven't driven the K15C but experienced members have not spoken highly about it compared to the K15B. Get your point on the power and even more so on the larger vehicle as compared to the Brezza.
Although I haven't checked but I would guess that the SHVS(mild hybrid) would come bundled with the K15C like we've seen in the Brezza. One of the reasons for its higher base price than the outgoing model where it was on top trims only.

3. That's bad especially for TML who already don't enjoy a good standing on the service front. Sold way too many than they could handle I suppose and the numbers got to their heads. Try another dealer if interested anytime in the future.

- This is a blocker and it should be the same in the Harrier too. Although folks have reported that this is slightly better in AT versions.

IMO your requirements of a SUV with sound basics has led you to the right thread, welcome

[RijuC]

Yesterday I had two test drives- Kushaq 1.0 TSI AT and Harrier AT.

We liked the Kushaq 1.0 TSI AT very much, except few low quality headrest and other known interior quality issues (the grey soft plastics in central console lower part and rear AC vent lower part etc.). My target variant is Ambition Classic 1.0 AT, considering no stretching of budget. The test drive vehicle was brand new, with ODO reading at 39 Km only.

The dimension/ foot print of Kushaq is just perfect for our needs (2 persons mostly, no kids, no pets).

The TD route didn't have any potholes or broken patches. However, I took the car through the studs on road and few small broken patches on the side.
Cabin was silent, audio quality was acceptable. Visibility was very good. No problem of A pillar blocking the vision (I drove the Harrier just after 30 minutes, the A-pillar was obstructing the view in every turns).

I set the AC at 22 deg C. However it was not good in rear passenger seat. Drove the car upto 70 km maximum, and with 3 persons on-board without any luggage, the power seems to be adequate for my use in city.

I loved the feel of the steering and the entire control console in front of me. There was no knee and central console wall interference.

This brand new car has a loud bang/ clang sound and little vibration due to this banging of something metallic whenever I pressed the brake pedal. The SA told it happens in all brand new cars.

Is it true?

The dealership says maximum extended warranty is upto 6th year. Is it upto 6th year or 7th year? I guess it is upto 7th year.

Further, I would like to drive the 1.5 TSI DSG as well. My query is If I shift it to neutral position every time at traffic signals or in bumper to bumper can I expect a longer life of the DSG?

Overall, we loved Kushaq, except this brake issue in a brand new car.

Next, we went to the nearby Tata Motors dealership, Arya Motors, Golf Course Road. Today's experience was just the opposite of what we had earlier in Sector 18 Arya Motors. We were received warmly, offered options of tea/ coffee/ cold drinks. Most importantly, the assigned SA Mr. Asmeet Singh explained all details of various variants of Harrier, and which one would perhaps match our requirements.

Then we were guided for a short TD. Since it was a busy Saturday afternoon, we couldn't have a longer TD. The TD car ODO was almost 40k km. However the vehicle felt very old from inside. Releasing the parking brake was very cumbersome and the lock release button was not smooth. Steering was okay-ish. Whether it is EPS or Hydraulic steering?

It was on heavier side, however without any problem for me. The biggest trouble was the A-pillar blocking my view almost in the middle. I guess A pillar is too close to my face/ eyes. Taking turns were difficult and had to move a lot to check the oncoming objects. I need to take another TD to understand the root cause and resolve this issue. My driving position may not be the correct one. Also, there was the knee hitting the central console issue. These two are deal-breakers for me. I am looking for a new car because of my knee problem. And we go for 6+ hill drives in a year. Unrestricted view is one of my primary requirement.

[RijuC]

I have uploaded the video clips of road conditions in my locality and my daily commute in YouTube. Posting the link here.

https://youtu.be/NHGKcIC1kCE

This is the primary reason for my interest in Scorpio N. Otherwise I am a budget oriented car buyer.

Due to my extreme knee pain, Automatic transmission becomes a must. AMT becomes a constraint to ensure safe overtakes in narrow undivided highways and does not respond when I need some extra performance suddenly. I am doubtful about DSG/ DCT hearing all failure reports. CVT models are very less for the type of cars I am interested in (only model is Kicks 1.3 CVT). Hence I am left out with only TC type AT. And Bulletproof reliability is one major requirement. Options are-

1. Toyota Urban Cruiser - available at discounted price. K15B+ 4 speed TC AT performance was not bad. Problem is interior space is almost same like my Swift (it's a raised Swift with bigger heart and little more boot space).

2. Nissan Kicks 1.3 CVT- interior space is good for me. Looks good, good power figure on paper, excellent suspension and ride quality. Issues are bad ergonomics, dismal FE, doubtful engine performance in the hills as per user's review, almost non-existent Nissan service, no service in remote places.

3. New Brezza- rear passenger bench seat is now much more spacious than earlier one. We checked it physically on 16th July at nearby dealership and this statement is not based on any spec sheet or YouTube review. However, new Brezza ZXI+ AT is 16.2 lakhs OTR in Gurgaon. MS cars in sub-4 meter category for 16 Lakhs+. I couldn't digest it.

4. Kushaq 1.0 Ambition classic AT: Liked the car very much during our brief TD. But the brand new car had brake sound problem. Also, read everywhere about unsatisfied customers of Skoda/ VW. I am in a dilema with this one. I had also gone through BHPians travelogues of Winter Spiti and Ladakh trips in Kushaq. Hence couldn't decide go or no-go on this. Also, I am not sure whether it can tackle the torture in my daily route.

5. MS GV Smart Hybrid ZETA AT (not the actual hybrid model): I have made a pre-booking. Will decide after seeing the car physically and price reveal.

6. Harrier: Had a brief TD of AT. Problems are A-pillar blocks the view badly in turns, Diesel car in NCR, car didn't age well (though I understand TD cars are usually abused). I can wait till Jan-Feb if there is a petrol version. However, A-pillar issue is something I need to check again. Knee rubbing against central console wall.

7. Scorpio N: I was never a Scorpio man. However I found its design cleaner than any other Mahindra car, despite of all space management and 3rd row related issues. And most importantly I didn't feel any problem driving it despite of being relatively inexperienced and coming from a small and inferior hatchback. Added Z4L P AT and another Z4L D AT in the carts from different log-in IDs. Yet to decide petrol or diesel. Extremely low FE of Petrol variant is the biggest problem for a low budget buyer like me.