Indian Army orders 1,850 units of Mahindra Scorpio Classic

Mahindra and Mahindra has announced that they have received an order from Indian Army of 1,850 units of Scorpio Classic. Before this, the Army placed an order of 1,470 units of Scorpio Classic back in January. The SUVs were supposed to be deployed to 12 units of the Indian Army. The Scorpio Classic is the updated version of the Scorpio. The brand is also selling the new Scorpio N which is an all-new model.

As of now, the Indian Army is already using Tata Safari, Tata Xenon, Force Gurkha and Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, among others. The addition of Scorpio Classic would further enhance the Indian Army's capability. It is expected that Mahindra will equip with Scorpio Classic with a 4x4 powertrain. This means that the engine on duty could be the previous generation of the 2.2-litre engine that used to produce around 140 horsepower.

The Scorpio Classic currently uses a 2.2-litre diesel engine that produces 130 horsepower and 300 Nm of peak torque. It drives the rear wheels only using a 6-speed gearbox. There is no automatic transmission or a 4x4 powertrain with the Scorpio Classic.

With the Scorpio Classic, Mahindra made a lot of changes under the hood. The new engine is 55 kg lighter than the previous gen one. According to Mahindra, 230 Nm of torque is available from as low as 1,000 rpm. The manufacturer says that the fuel efficiency should increase by 15 per cent. The transmission also uses cable-shift which should help in decreasing vibrations while the throws now should be positive and shorter.

Watch: Mahindra Scorpio Classic: First Drive Review

The suspension setup has also been upgraded and retuned. Mahindra is using MTV-CL dampers on all four struts to help control the body roll. The SUV now comes with features like cruise control, automatic climate control, cornering lamps, a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a sunglass holder, fabric seats with diamond patterns and much more.