Mahindra Scorpio-N: Five crucial factors to consider before buying

Mahindra Scorpio-N has received a massive response from potential buyers in the country and received over one lakh bookings in just an hour of the reservation window being opened last week. Buoyed by its modern SUV styling, multiple engine and transmission options, as well as features on offer, the latest model from Mahindra & Mahindra promises to follow in the footsteps of the updated Thar and the XUV700.

But while Scorpio-N is may have made a big splash in the Indian automotive space, it may not exactly be perfect. And really, which car model ever is? The Scorpio-N and Scorpio will be sold side-by-side and the newer model only borrows the name tag while promising to be an entirely new product.

Before jumping in and booking a unit, here are five crucial factors to consider about the Mahindra Scorpio-N:

Mileage:

Mahindra is offering Scorpio-N with a2. 2-litre mHawk diesel engine in two states of tune, and a 2.0-litre mStallion petrol motor. Both of these engines are mated to manual as well as six-speed automatic transmission options.

There is ample power on offer but with great power usually comes compromised mileage. If opting for the petrol engine mated to the automatic transmission unit, the figure is more than likely to be in single digits within city limits. Out on open roads, expect the figure to be somewhere around 11 kmpl to 12 kmpl. The diesel automatic within city limits is likely to have a mileage of around 12 kmpl and a bit more on highways. The manual transmission counterparts would be slightly more frugal.

Waiting period:

This is where Mahindra has struggled big-time and the blame can be on factors such as huge demand and supply-chain issues hampering production cycles. In fact, some of the variants of the XUV700 have a waiting time of over a year. Company officials admit this is far from ideal but also underline that Scorpio-N deliveries would be in a phased manner.

The first 25,000 bookings would be catered to on a first-come-first-serve basis and deliveries would go on till end December. There is no clear delivery timeline yet for the remaining orders already placed. And for those looking at booking a unit in the times to come, the eventual delivery schedule could well - potentially - be a year away.

Lacks boot space:

Three-row SUVs tend to compromise on the boot space at the very end and the Scorpio-N is no exception. It is a big vehicle with a solid road presence and meant for long trips. But while seating options of either six and seven are great, there won't be much space left for luggage once all the passengers get in. Of course, there's always the option of a roof carrier.

Compromised third-row space:

Again, the third-row in many SUV and MPV models often get ignored. Space in the third row inside Scorpio too is rather limited and the cramped space is hardly helped by the fact that there are no AC vents for passengers here either.

Service:

Now this last point is more of a predicted forecast than a statement of fact. Mahindra is selling car units by truckloads and that's great. But with the resounding success of Thar and XUV700, and the continuing numbers being garnered by Bolero and Bolero Neo, there is a chance that the existing service network of the company may feel the pressure. Eventually add one lakh Scorpio-N models and Mahindra would have to work real hard to not just expand service network but ensure that quality control remains firmly in place.