Some say that it is an oxy moron and others say it lacks the sting of the Scorpio, but there is no denying the fact this is the most city friendly of all the SUVs. The Scorpio even the manual version has high seating postion, good visibility, a tractable engine, light steering and controls that make it easy to maneuver the SUV in traffic, but with the auto-transmission ease of driving takes the front seat.
But does that also mean that driving pleasure now rides at the rear? To find out, I took one for a 500km test drive.
Externally,the only clue to differentiate the Automatic are the hubcaps that do not project out too much. The changes are mostly on the mechanical side. The 120bhp 2.2L engine gets a six speed automatic made by Drivetrain International Systems in Australia.
With the gear selector in D mode, I set off on an open road. Foot off the brake and on to the accleartor, the quick shoot off in the manual Scorpio is missing. On a light throttle, the shifting takes place with low revs, say at around 2000-2500rpm which adds to the overall refinement. Driveability is good and the engine feels very relaxed at 120kmph speeds.
Moving on to the M mode, the revs are held much higher in each gear and gives it a sporty edge. This is the one to slot it in if you are in to make some quick moves. The gearbox shifts down two gears at a time depending on the throttle input. There is sufficient power on demand as the box jumps down a gear or two and pushes you forward.
The autobox has a toggle switch near the lever with the letters N and W. N is for Normal. W is the winter mode which deactivates 1st and selects 2nd gear while moving off with no wheelspin on slippery surfaces.
It's nearly impossible to spin the wheels on the automatic. The normal way of revving in Neutral and shifting mercilessly to D mode doesnt work here, it just keeps revving without moving off.
I took it to a 40degree climb and the it climbed without much complaining.
Couldnt take the picture on the climb. But this is the way to get there.
In the fuel efficiency test, the automatic got around 12.7kmpl in the highway and 10.2kmpl in the city. In terms of acceleration, it is quite up with the Manual version, only half a second slower to the 100kmph from a standstill. Considering the fact that the auto is 70kg heavier, it can be assumed that the automatic transmission is an efficient one.
The downside is that the Scorpio feels a bit disconnected, especially in turns. It gets nervous in corners as the gearbox sometimes shifts into another gear while you plan to take the corner more enthusiastically, under throttle.The gearbox also makes several unwanted shifts at 40kmph which feels hesitant. And if you happen to jump over a speedbreaker and then depress the throttle fully, the drive gets disconnected which is strange.
Luckily, the old AC vents have been replaced with new ones that can direct the air flow on to your face.
The gearselector looks very ordinary and ordinary is the mildest word i can think of.
It's pricey for a Scorpio but the Auto gets the same host of features standard on the VLX -Cruise Control, ABS, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, tyre pressure monitoring system, voice assist system etc. Overall, it is a good choice for a city dweller whose idea of off-roading is on the lawns. And for ladies !
For real men, there is the Manual 4X4 on order !!