Why I decided to buy the Scorpio-N instead of spending big on a BMW X5

Our primary focus in upgrading to an SUV was a good reliable engine, AWD or 4X4, drivability, rear seat comfort and a 3.3-litre engine if the car is over Rs 1 crore.

BHPian Driver 33 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Our current car lineup is a Polo GT bought in 2016 primarily used by my brother and mom which is doing around 90,000km, a Å koda Octavia MK3.5 bought in 2017 which has been used by dad previously and been passed onto me around 83,000 kilometres, currently doing around 1,26,000 km and BMW 330i G20 (2020) dad's new car currently did around 50,000 km.

We have been facing problems with Indian roads for the past year, and my dad is planning to add an SUV to our lineup. The budget is flexible, and we have explored SUVs and MUVs ranging from 25 lakhs to 1.4 crores. We were primarily seeking a car that offered value for money, but most of the cars we considered did not meet this criterion.

As expected it's hard to daily drive 330i for my dad who primarily goes to construction sites and farms. Our primary focus in upgrading to an SUV was the good reliable engine, AWD or 4X4, drivability, rear seat comfort and 3 3-litre engine if the car is over a crore rupees.

We've checked out these cars and these are my brief impressions :

1. BMW X5: We drove the 30d and 40i M sport variants, both the straight six engines are beautiful to drive but didn't offer practicality as an SUV for 1.3 crores, main reasons for rejection are inclined rear seats and complicated touch screen which one needs to go a lot of sub menu's to do a simple task which is complicated for someone that is over 50 years old. From an individual's perspective, the new infotainment that offers Idrive 8 looked pathetic and way too stretched. Also didn’t offer blind spot detection and ADAS level 2 for 1,35,00,000/- car.
2. Volvo XC60: Volvo is known for its safety, durability and amazing design of seats which is said to have been done by orthopedic doctors, test drove the petrol variant. The car seemed overweight (2500 kg) and that 2-litre engine wasn't enough to crawl it efficiently a small tap on the accelerator and it made a heavy sound which is a big no for who daily drives a B48 engine. Also missed out on simple features such as ambient lighting and didn't offer drive modes and paddle shifters. I know Volvo has minimalistic interiors but this seemed to be overdone, anyway no surprise that the car price has been reduced by 7 lakhs flat on the ex-showroom price in Hyderabad.
3. Jeep Compass: It's a hugely improved car over its previous generation and offered value for money but we didn't like the way it drives, the transmission seemed jerky and slow so we weren't used as a daily driver of DSG's and ZF's.
4. Skoda Kodiaq: Beautiful interiors but didn't offer the drivability we expected, didn't feel the engine to be refined compared to the 2.0 litre B48 and it was an extremely inefficient engine that was offering 6kmpl to 7kmpl change. I just wished this car had got an EA888 2.0 TDI CR engine that offered Haldex AWD and power figures around 200bhp and 400nm of torque.
5. Volkswagen Tiguan: Same Kodiaq's EA888 engine but Tiguan felt lighter and quicker than Kodiaq but was depressed with the interior quality that is being offered for 44 lakhs as someone who also has a Skoda Octavia that offers much better interiors which was bought for 28 lakhs back in 2017. Also, Tiguan 2.0 TSI is super inefficient.
6. Innova Hycross: Love the bucket seats with leg extension in the rear but the drivability is just the opposite of that and the interior quality being offered for 38 lakhs seemed bad, with no illuminated lights on the power windows and cheap plastics being offered for that price. Felt amazing to drive in EV mode but when the ICE kicked in, we got clarity on the insulation which was not the best in the segment also it's a super slow car.
7. Mahindra XUV700: We drove the diesel top end that offers a 2.2L Mhawk engine, which didn't offer the best insulation and the exterior didn't look aesthetically pleasing. Also, read that it’s getting a lot of issues regarding sensors and electronics.

Mahindra Scorpio N: We test-drove a diesel top-end automatic 4X4. This car offered good insulation firstly over the other cars in its segment being a diesel, has great drivability where the suspension has been well tuned to manage body roll and offer comfort at the same time, it's decently powerful and the Aisin 6 speed torque converter shifts well. Slightly slow on downshifts sometimes apart from that it's all good. I see this as one of the very few cars in the segment to get double wishbone suspension in the front paired with a penta link setup (similar to multi-link) in the rear. The NVH on this car has been managed well. All of our family members liked this car but the only concern raised was about sacrificing rear seat comfort by a margin which lacked under-thigh support and camera clarity. We did think about 2 days and then went ahead with the booking of Z8 L 4X4 Diesel AT which is promised to be delivered by January 1st week 2024. For our factors this was the car that offered more value for money which gets a very refined 2.2-litre Mhawk engine, a 4X4 feature that has a differential lock and great drivability for the price paid, we realized that for the lineup of cars we currently have we need a car like this which has go-anywhere capability in comparison to our current lineup.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

30-40 lakh cars offer you "all the car you need", in terms of space, power, features etc. Anything at 50 lakhs and over is purely driven by want (not need), indulgence and brand.

Since you & family have liked the Scorpio-N, stick with it. It'll be ideal for construction site visits where arriving in a flashy brand might not be the best idea. Plus, you already have 3 German cars, so this can be the rough-and-tough SUV and beater.

Trust me, these truck-like body-on-frame tough SUVs with tall driving positions can get very addictive. They aren't corner carvers at all, but the kind of "kick" you get is different. Tough, practical, abuse-friendly, no worry about bad roads. I took the Scorpio-N for a tour around MH last monsoon season and absolutely loved it.

Here's what BHPian bijims had to say on the matter:

A good choice indeed the Scorpio-N 4X4 is definitely the most VFM 4X4 you could get along with the ability to seat up to 7. The 2.2-litre engine with 6-speed AT is an excellent combo and for the price paid, the car definitely feels worth it.

In our market with higher taxes, anything above 30 lakhs, the value for money slowly starts to fall and the 30 lakhs segment is the sweet spot for best features and performance for the price.

Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on the matter:

Scorpio-N is a good choice. As you are prioritising practically, cabin ambience and comfort, pls take a test drive of the new Safari as well. Feels a full generation ahead of the Mahindra when you sit inside, has better ride quality and the gearbox is very smooth. Also gets super comfortable captain chairs for the middle row with a cooling function.

Vehicles like ScorpioN, Compass, Safari, Hector and XUV700 provide the maximum value for money. Beyond this, the law of diminishing returns catches up very quickly.

Here's what BHPian Cresterk had to say on the matter:

If you thought an X5 was uncomfortable in the rear but the BOF Scorpio-N is decent, then I don’t really have any other suggestions for you

I understand your thought process though, I too looked at a lot of high-end cars before buying something in 2 segments below. Prices for the German marques have gone up around 20L in the last 2-3 years but you don’t seem to be getting much extra for it. Doesn’t make sense to spend a crore and still have to compromise.

Your dad will enjoy the Scorpio-N. There is something liberating about buying a resilient car that is way below the budget you had set initially. You won’t baby it around nor will you lose any sleep about a scratch or two. You won’t feel that ache in your heart when you accidentally go over a pothole too fast nor will you feel the need to check up on it constantly after you park it by the roadside or at a busy construction site.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.