MAHINDRA Scorpio N

Mahindra has been perfecting a simple art for success in the SUV war, one that is based on four fundamental pillars - masculine yet stylish design, robust build, premium and upmarket cabin, and a feature-loaded package. Whether it is the updated Thar or the new XUV700 or even the Bolero Neo, these four crucial aspects have become massively integral to concentrated efforts of dominating the SUV space because, well, raw muscles alone won't quite cut it for the new-age Indian customer.

And as such, the new Mahindra Scorpio-N too appears as a very real manifestation of all these four factors coming together. Mahindra claims that the top variants will even take on D-segment SUVs and while that is a massively bold claim, does the Scorpio-N have what it takes to obliterate its direct rivals?

Here's the first full-drive review of Mahindra Scorpio-N:

Mahindra Scorpio-N visual highlights:

Scorpio-N has been built from the ground up as a completely new product. As such, it is yet another fresh take from Mahindra about how modern SUVs, according to it, ought to be like - dominating road presence but with plenty of stylish cues from every side and angle.

Part of that dominating road presence comes courtesy a slatted grille with plenty of chrome additions on it and a muscular bonnet with strong character lines. And the stylish cues come from the all-new twin-pod housing for the projector LED headlights and the C-shaped LED DRL units which appear like the stinger tail of a Scorpion - mighty clever!

There's also the new Mahindra logo for SUVs - first shown on the XUV700 - but even if one removes this, it is amply clear that this here is a vehicle from the Mahindra camp.

This is also true from the side with the Scorpio-N standing on 17 or 18-inch wheels depending on the variant. There is nothing radical about the design of the alloys, or the entire side profile of the vehicle for that matter, but it is clean profile meant to underline the road presence of the vehicle. Longer, wider and with a longer wheelbase than the Scorpio, the Scorpio-N benefits from large windows, humungous ORVMs, chrome on the door handles and a chrome underline under the window which shapes in to resemble a Scorpion tail again. And although the newer model is lower by over 100 mm than the Scorpio, it does get sidesteps and has a ground clearance of over 180 mm.

But move to the rear profile and the dominating presence diminishes a fair bit. Visually, the Scorpio-N somehow appears narrower than what the number would suggest and the vertically-oriented LED tail light units resemble light design we have previously seen on other models. In fact, there is even a bit of Xylo-like overall rear design, complete with the side-opening door carried forward from the Scorpio. Could Mahindra designers have equipped the vehicle with an upward-opening trunk door, especially since the third row inside gets conventional bench seats and not jump seats? Sure. But not.

Mahindra Scorpio-N cabin highlights:

Step inside the Scorpio-N and the complete overhaul is even more evident over the Scorpio. On the contrary, there is some degree of influence from the XUV700, complete with the black and brown colour theme on the dashboard, side doors and upholstery. The dashboard itself has plenty of brushed satin addition and houses the vertically-oriented air vents and the eight-inch AdrenoX-powered infotainment screen. Personally, I feel the screen size could have been at least two inches bigger but that aside, it is quite easy to use and responds to touch inputs precisely.

The software inside the screen on our test unit was, however, a pre-production version which meant it was also quite buggy and often went off without any reason. I believe, and hope, that this is fixed on units sold to actual customers.

I also wish that the driver display on offer was an all-digital screen rather than the semi-digital cluster. It, however, is sufficiently large.

The center console has been designed well and houses the gear unit although hard plastics all around here makes the otherwise premium appeal lose a bit of its sheen. There is also an electric sunroof but going by what several rivals are now offering, it could have been a panoramic glass rather than the conventional size it is at present.

But as far as space and comfort are concerned, the Scorpio-N fares reasonably well with generous leg room, knee room and head room for passengers in the second row. Under-thigh support is also quite impressive which means that long-distance travel in this vehicle is likely to be quite a comfortable experience. Do remember though that the Scorpio comes with both six as well as seven-seat configurations which means dedicated seats in the middle row would further increase the comfort quotient.

The all-important third-row seats are, well, nothing much to write home about. The tumble down function on the second-row opens the entry area fairly well but space is still rather limited. The bench seats aren't too comfortable either and there are no dedicated AC vents here. Instead, one gets a cup holder on either side and a 12V charging point.

Even if one does decide to fold the last-row seats, these don't form a flat bed entirely which means luggage stored here may toss and tumble if there's an excitable driver behind the wheel.

And why won't one be excitable when behind the wheel of the Scorpio-N?

Mahindra Scorpio-N drive highlights:

The Scorpio-N is offered in two engine options and two transmission choices. There is the mStallion turbo petrol engine that's good for 200 bhp and 380 Nm of max torque while the 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine offers two separate tune states depending on the variant. The Z2 variant has an output of 130 bhp while Z4 and upper variants see the diesel motor putting out 172 bhp with 400 Nm of torque.

Since diesel is still the darling at Mahindra, our test unit was a Z8 variant with the diesel engine mated to an automatic transmission box. And in this guise, the Scopio-N is quite a bully.

There is loads and loads of power at the beck and call of throttle inputs, and the sensible response from the motor at the press of the accelerator gets the vehicle moving with a sure-footed sense of purpose. While adequately capable in low-speed city traffic crawls, the Scorpio-N truly plays on the front foot when being aggressively pushed to pull ahead. Triple-digit speeds come without any fuss while the stability is typically Mahindra which means a reassuring aura when hurtling forward. This is also helped big-time by a solid steering-wheel set up that is flexible enough for tight turns and yet rock-steady on straight lines.

But if there's one thing that shines more than all else, it is the automatic gearbox. Crisp and precise, the AT unit is one of the best I have ever seen on any Mahindra and it slots the right number with charming ease to help the Scorpio-N do its thing. Not once was I second-doubted when looking at overtaking a vehicle ahead, the Scorpio-N completing the task effortlessly each time.

But for all its superb mix between city and highway drive traits, the Scorpio-N still has some of the flaws that Mahindra vehicles tend to have. The brakes are a tad too soft which means these need to be pressed harder to gain the desired stopping bite. The suspension, perhaps because it is tuned to tackle off-road conditions as well, is a bit too jumpy and there is also a fair degree of body roll for passengers in the middle.

But all in all, the Scorpio-N knows it is in its rugged nature that many would find solace and as such, Mahindra is offering the vehicle with both 4x4 and 4x2 configurations. The 4x4 gets Mahindra's latest 4XPLOR Intelligent Terrain Management System with four off-road modes - sand, mud, grass and snow.

Pricing for the AT and AWD variants, however, are awaited.

Mahindra Scorpio-N verdict:

Scorpio-N is pompously aware that it has all the ingredients to find favour among SUV buyers. It is not just about butch looks and raw aggression but a certain sense of finesse and new-age additions. Here is a product that widens the list of options - both for buyers as well as for Mahindra.

Scorpio-N isn't the most spacious of vehicles and a bulk of the cutting-edge features are reserved for the top variant(s) which carry a sizable price tag, especially when compared to its direct rivals like Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Tata Safari and others. But if the success of the Thar and XUV700 is anything to go by, the Scorpio-N too is more than likely to benefit from handsome looks and a premium cabin, complete with a plethora of engine and transmission choices.

Bookings for the Scorpio-N start from July 30 with deliveries scheduled to begin from this festive season on a first-come-first-serve basis. It is also important to note here that the prices announced so far are introductory and valid only for the first 25,000 bookings.