2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N — First drive review: When the going gets tough!

When the Mahindra Scorpio first arrived in 2002, it had caused quite a stir in the Indian market owing to its competitive pricing, butch design and simple yet functional approach to engineering. Honestly, there wasn’t anything like it in the market then and its popularity proved to be quite a success story for the homegrown brand. However, fast forward 20 years and it seems like Mahindra has done it again. The brand new Scorpio-N has arrived on the scene with a price tag ranging between Rs 11.99 lakh and 19.49 lakh (all prices are ex-showroom, India). The question is — does it have the necessary tools to repeat history and make a mark in the crowded Indian SUV space once again? We recently headed to Pune to find out! How is it different from the previous generation model? To put it simply, the only thing similar between the Scorpio-N and its predecessor is the name tag at the back, and even that has an ‘N’ added to it. In case you’re wondering, it’s a play on the ‘power of N’, which signifies exponential growth, and that isn’t just a marketing gimmick. The Scorpio-N really is different and better in every single way compared to the previous generation Scorpio. Not a single body panel, engine component or mechanical part have been carried over by Mahindra. But, that’s not to say the old Scorpio will not be sold in India. In fact, Mahindra will sell it alongside the new-gen Scorpio-N as the Scorpio Classic and is expected to be available in two variants. [caption id=“attachment_10852771” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N. (Image: Abhinav Jakhar/Firstpost)[/caption] From an engineering standpoint, Mahindra has gone into full nerd mode with this all-new SUV. For example, the team at their Chakan plant has reduced the weight of the body by 293 kilograms, while the chassis weighs 213 kilograms lesser. Everything from torsional rigidity of the frame and body to the high-strength steel has been improved to make the Scorpio-N a much more able handler. The double-wishbone front suspension along with the five-link rear with Watt’s linkage helps reduce movement during cornering as well. Mahindra has also equipped the Scorpio-N with ‘Frequency Dependent Damping’, which basically helps soften suspension over bad roads and stiffens it over a smoother bit of tarmac. It’s evident that the homegrown brand hasn’t skimped on going all out with the Scorpio-N. What’s the design language like both inside and out? From an exterior standpoint, the Scorpio-N has some subtle design cues that hark back to the older Scorpio. The most instantly recognisable of which is the tall taillamps. At the front, the Scorpio-N gets Mahindra’s new logo along with an imposing front grille and bonnet line. The LED DRLs under the headlamps also look subtle and clean. Along the sides, once again, things have been kept quite classy. The Scorpio-N’s design isn’t fussy or overdone, it strikes the right balance and doesn’t seem overbearing in any shape or form. [caption id=“attachment_10852851” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N. (Image: Abhinav Jakhar/Firstpost)[/caption] At the rear, things are slightly different though. It’s not to say that they are wrong or bad in any way, but the masculinity of the overall design is slightly lost because it appears to make the Scorpio-N slightly narrow thanks to the tall tail lamps and slightly angular shape of the side opening rear tailgate. But, I have to say, I do love the bigness of the Scorpio. That also shows in the tech sheet as it has more leg space and headroom than the previous generations Scorpio. Overall, a marvellous job from the Mahindra design team. [caption id=“attachment_10852841” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N. (Image: Abhinav Jakhar/Firstpost)[/caption] This continues on the inside, with Mahindra adopting a flavour of functional yet luxurious interiors. There are no big screens or overtly geek stuff, just straightforward yet beautiful analogue dials along with a perfectly shaped and placed 8-inch touch-screen with AdrenoX infotainment system. By the way, the Scorpio-N also comes with Alexa compatibility, which allows you to perform a range of different tasks through voice commands, and I have to say, it worked like a charm. There is also of course the usual bits these days like connected tech features, Android Auto & Apple CarPlay compatibility. [caption id=“attachment_10852791” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N. (Image: Abhinav Jakhar/Firstpost)[/caption] I also loved the fact that the Scorpio-N has at least some physical buttons for the infotainment system and air conditioning. The gear level feels, just like the steering wheel, feels nice and chunky to hold and operate. A slightly puzzling omission though is that for adjusting the rake on the steering wheel. It can be adjusted for height, though. However, one miss has to be the fact that the centre armrest isn’t adjustable or too spacious. Since we were not driving the top-spec version, there were also a bunch of buttons with no functions, which did seem slightly odd. But, that’s more nitpicking than anything, if I can be honest. [caption id=“attachment_10852811” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N. (Image: Abhinav Jakhar/Firstpost)[/caption] The second row is spacious and comes with its own AC fan control knob and one Type-C charger just under the AC vents. Surprisingly though, there aren’t any AC vents or charging ports for the third row of passengers, and space is also at a premium. It’s best suited for children or shorter individuals over shorter drives. Although, the rear quarter glass is quite large and gives a greater sense of space. Also, the second-row seats cannot be adjusted for front and rear movement but do get a tumble feature for easier access to the third-row of seating. Nevertheless, the Scorpio-N scores highly when it comes to comfort, thanks to the well-countered seats and the amount of space on offer. How is the drive experience? The Mahindra Scorpio-N comes with three powertrain options, which are available in five trim levels - Z2, Z4, Z6, Z8 and Z8 Luxury. The Z2 and Z4 come with a 2.2-litre diesel engine which produces 132hp and 300Nm of torque. The higher trims get the 175hp and 400Nm torque and, of course, the four-wheel drive system which sets it apart from the competition. While the 2.0-litre petrol engine is available on all trims and produces 200hp and 380Nm of torque in the automatic version and 370Nm in the manual one. The 175hp-powered Scorpio-N even gets three driving modes, and the automatic variant gets 400Nm of torque, as mentioned earlier, but that is reduced to 370Nm in the manual. [caption id=“attachment_10852831” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N. (Image: Abhinav Jakhar/Firstpost)[/caption] The brand new Scorpio-N comes with two gearbox options - a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic (torque converter). The SUV is rear-wheel drive as standard but higher-spec diesel variants get Mahindra’s new XPLOR 4WD system with four terrain modes and a low-range option as well. However, Mahindra is yet to announce the price for the 4WD-equipped variants. It’s got a mechanical locking rear differential paired with an ESP-based brake locking front differential. On the safety front, the Scorpio gets two airbags as standard, while the higher variants get six airbags. There are also other safety offerings like Electronic Stability Control (ESP), Roll Over Mitigation (ROM), Traction Control System (TCS), Driver Drowsiness Detection and a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). [caption id=“attachment_10852901” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N. (Image: Abhinav Jakhar/Firstpost)[/caption] Let’s get to the most important bit though, what’s the brand new Scorpio-N like to drive? There are no two ways about it - the Scorpio-N is much better to drive than the previous-generation model. It handles corners brilliantly for a ladder-on-frame SUV and feels extremely sophisticated and refined on the move. Sure, there’s a bit of bopping at high speeds on highways but overall Mahindra has to be commended for the fantastic job done to the Scorpio-N from an engineering standpoint. The gearshifts are smooth and the steering feels relatively well balanced for an SUV of this size. FYI, I got a chance to sample only the petrol-powered version with the six-speed automatic gearbox and came out of the experience very impressed, indeed. You want to drive this car, and it isn’t in any way difficult or cumbersome. For that, I tip my hat off to Mahindra once again for a job well done. Verdict Given the aggressive pricing of the Scorpio-N, Mahindra has set its sight to disrupt not only the space occupied by the Tata Safari and Kia Caren but also the Hyundai Creta, MG Hector and Kia Seltos. There’s no question about it in my mind, Mahindra definitely has another winner in their lineup of SUVs in India. [caption id=“attachment_10852781” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N. (Image: Abhinav Jakhar/Firstpost)[/caption] So, if you’re out looking for a spacious, powerful, good looking and feature-loaded butch SUV which can handle the rough stuff along with the smooth, the all-new Mahindra Scorpio-N demands your attention and one can’t help but stand up and take notice of this exceptionally well-made automobile!