Ownership Experience - Mahindra Scorpio LX

It is reasonably new and nascent experience as the total ODO is about 1000km. Still, I thought to adumbrate my experience of a New Mahindra Scorpio LX 4WD.

Let me give you little background of me and on my purchase decision. I am an avid tourer and love to be on the road. I am riding bikes since last twenty-five years and also a proud owner of a Royal Enfield motorcycle. I had started driving four-wheeler since 2005 and have driven more than half a lakh kilometer on highways. Earlier I had Hyundai Santro and then had a Volkswagen Vento.

Santro and Vento both were very good vehicle for the straight highways, Both possess good driving comfort and I really enjoyed driving them each mile. Since our trips are not always on highways, we do lot of jungle, villages and off road place, I always felt the need of a SUV with a good ground clearance. Also off late I felt the need to have more seating capacity with a little more engine power. I wanted a vehicle, which can be used as family vehicle with the reasonable comfort with a decent off-roading capability.

I also had a budget constrain of maximum 12Lakh. Based on the some initial homework and test drive I made the following desired list

Mahindra Scorpio

Mahindra Scorpio Gateaway

Mahindra Thar

Tata Safari Strome

Maruti Gypsy

Force 4X4

Renault Duster

Nissan Terrano

Ford Ecosport

Out of the above I had rejected the following

Mahindra Thar – I liked the look of Thar It is definitely a head turner and must have for someone who wants 4X4 in sub 8 lacs. I rejected Thar because it was not at all comfortable for parents for long drives. This is very good as second vehicle and for off roading and flaunting.

Tata Safari Strome – Good vehicle, considerable amount of improvements in its new avatar in terms of facelift and suspension. But this was out of reach as the 4X4 is almost 16lacs. Parts are costly and maintenance is heavy.

Maruti Gypsy – Good petrol vehicle. Again no comfort for parents and family. No diesel version available

Force – Nice but post sale service reviews was really not so good.

Renault duster and Nissan Terrano – Better driving comfort then any of the vehicles mentioned above but not a VFM. This is just 5 seator, no 4X4, Monocoque chesis design and price is almost 14Laks.

Ford Ecosport is not in the same segment. Price is good around 10 lakhs but power to weight ratio is not good as per autocar review. I also find it little cramped from inside. However I like the car for its price.

Now I was left with the option of Mahindra Scorpio and Mahindra Scorpio Gateaway. I was fascinated towards Gateaway and really wanted to buy it but family response towards the vehicle in terms of looks was not favorable at all.

So the decision finally was to go with Scorpio. There were two 4X4 variant. The top most model VLX and LX. VLX has the ABS, and airbags and more bells and fancies like tiretronix, micro hybrid intellipark etc. LX was the bare minimum 4X4 without ABS, Airbags and no frills of course. The price difference was almost 2.5 lakh. LX was the perfect fit on the budget and hence the decision was to go with Mahindra Scorpio LX- 4WD.

Dealership and purchase experience

Since I was clear on the brand, I choose to go the nearest Mahindra Dealer (G3 motors -Nerul) . Being a finicky guy I had taken many test drives and the good sales guy there never got agitated and tolerated me every time may be because I made a little personal connect with him or the auto industry was on downturn on sales.

It was a 4WD and it seems these vehicles are made to order and hence it takes little longer to deliver as compare to non-4WD. It was booked on 27^th February 2014 (the Mahashivaratri day) and the delivery date was committed on 31^st March 2014 (the Gudi Padwa day). Though these dates do not make any difference to me but coincidently still these were the dates.

As promised, the dealer kept up their promise and tried there best to deliver the vehicle on the said day. It was difficult; as many people wanted the delivery on the same auspicious day but they really did there homework and the vehicle arrived 2 days before the delivery date. It was also a challenge to get the RTO registration done, as because it was Saturday and Sunday then Monday was holiday for Gudi padwa.

I had a list of 80 Items (14 pages) to be checked for the vehicle delivery. The list was longer than the PDI list of G3 motors. I took my list and started checking the vehicle. The vehicle was largely ok except few issues like wheel balancing, some rattling sound, electrical isuues, speedometer sensor issue etc. G3 motors could not resolve the issues, as there were holidays in service center However, I was promised that these will be corrected any time at my convenience.

Meanwhile, I had also ordered few accessories from Mahindra –

Matting - 1,663

Car Body cover- 1,500

Fog lamp- 3,325

Center lock- 4,275

Power Window Relay- 2,090

Rear Guard and Front Guard- 7,125

Wheel Cover- 2,000

Scuff Plate- 713

Roof Mount Chiller- 6,175

Leather seat cover - 8,075

Head Light Relay Cutout with 100/90 bulb- 1,520

Parking Sensor with camera - 6,650 ( ordered from Outside Mahindra)

I took the Parking Sensor with camera from out side shop and given Mahindra for fitting. I had spent a day with the dealers so that they fit it as per my satisfaction. I was surprised that they also cut the wires as the existing wire did not had current in the socket given for Roof mount chiller :(. They did cut the wire for fitting the parking sensor with camera.

I find it bullshit as they say if we get some fittings done from out side they warranty will be void because out side mechanics may cut the wire. Any way I was upset with this activity. When I had complained about it I was told that they will check the wiring and replace it if required.

The D’day - The day before my delivery, I was given a time 11:00am. I reached at 10:00am to do the final PDI (pre delivery inspection). Did the final check-up and it was quite ok. Vehicle was cleaned properly. Dealer quickly finished explaining about the documents to me and then they did some small things to make the delivery experience little more memorable.

The General Manager, Sales Manager, customer service executive and sales executive was there during the pooja which they had arranged from their side. They also gave Small Gudi (since it was a gudi padwa), chocolates for kids and vehicle key for us. It was pleasant and memorable when they took the photograph, framed it instantly and given to us as memory. Over all it was a pleasurable experience.

I thanked them given a small token of appreciation to the sales executive and drove the most awaited Scorpio with a happy feeling :).

They had given 2 liter of diesel and 8 liter coupon. We went first to fill the free diesel and then reached the 3M-car care center for the following

Engine Shield - 1,650

Antirust treatment for five yrs- 4,484

3M products are of good quality and they did the work in less than 2 Hrs and handed over the vehicle to me. The only discomfort was 3M did not apply the anti rust chemical in the under tank and chassis, not sure why?

First look and 1000km driving experience

Before the ride experience, let me first let me tell you my impression of the vehicle interiors and exteriors.

The Likes

Driving pleasure with a high seating position with a clear view of the road
Smooth riding with almost noiseless cabin at low speed
Power, Performance and mighty macho looks
The head lamp power (with a relay and 90/100 bulb)
Reasonably spacious
4X4 Option
Sturdy SUV with a command of respect on the road
Good and powerful engine - 2.2L m-halk version with a good mileage
Support wheel in the suspension
Decent build quality (could have been little better though)and adequate space

Other than above I like many other advanced features such as mHawk engine, digital immobilizer, collapsible steering column, crash protection crumple zone, illuminated spoiler, sporty bonnet scoop and P235/70 R16, Radial Tubeless and 4X4 with low and high option.

The Dislikes

Interior fit and finish quality could have been better
Smaller Glove box, which does not close properly, may be after few days it will go worse.
Power window switch is given at a discomforted position which is not user friendly
No one touch operation for windows
Carpet fitting was not in a proper condition- the lower blower air flow gets obstructed as the vents was on the sides where carpet covers the vents
Considerable amount of body roll (may be I had always driven hatchback and sedan and this was my first SUV)
Since it has vehicle tow anchor at the back, camera need to be fitted in the side, which does not give the correct view and rear guard, cannot be fitted.
Substandard Cloths upholstery, No arm rest, No proper place for tools
Little Notchy gear shift (I think I will be accustomed soon)
Could have a better build quality – lot of rattling sound, from the doors, from the steering wheel, from the roof mount chiller
Ground clearance compromised by the side steps and the low front bumper skirts.

First look and 1000km driving experience

Before the ride experience, let me first let me tell you my impression of the vehicle interiors and exteriors.

Driving Experience

Driving Comfort: I just completed 1000km in odo and I must admit the driving is quite comfortable. The driving seat is giving the full view of the road. Having said that the vehicle needs at least 5.7meter turning radius, which is sometime difficult in the crowed city. The arm-rest and the seat height adjustment is a genuine miss. The power window switch for both front and back are not in a comfortable position and rear lock of power window is of no use as all the switches along with the lock are in the same place.

Suspensions: Suspensions are OK could have been little better. While the Car with is not on his full capacity, every bump is felt but it reduces considerably while the car runs with full capacity. One thing I liked is they have given a support (or a hit prevention wheel not sure what it is called) in the suspension, which is not available in many models of Scorpio.

Brakes: Braking is good at about speed till 100kmph it takes effort while you run at 120-130 you will have to be careful of the braking distance. Even though the breaks are good but the feel is not there. It would have been good if they had given rear disk instead of classic drums. Since there is no ABS the driver need to be very cautious in turns at high speed.

Body Roll: There is a considerable amount of body roll. May be I am new to SUV segment hence I feel so. During normal driving or slower speeds it is not that noticeable but at slightly higher speeds or in an uneven surfaces it becomes immediately evident. On bad roads where we expect this high riding SUV to be excellent leaves a lot be desired in terms of ride quality. Unless you completely slow down to cross every small bump and undulation, one does feel the body undergoing too much movement in all three directions. Even on hard concrete city roads, the Scorpio seems unsettled

Electrical and Lights: There were issues in electrical system in my car at least. The cabin lights were flickering, Indicator were going off and on. It seems these are the normal niggles which Mahindra has. Regarding the lights, I had installed fog lamps and upgraded the bulbs to 90/100 with a relay. I think this is must for highway driving as there are some jerks who drives with dipper on always.

Mileage: Scorpio comes with 60Ltd fuel tank with an approx. 8-10Ltr of reserve fuel With one full tank before the reserve the odo clock 750Km, which means 750Km in approx. 50Ltr of diesel. Means 15Km/ltr ☺ (mostly highways). Needless to say all this is with AC on throughout.

Cooling: AC is ok for the first and the second row, the last seat get the maximum heat, which is unmanageable without the roof mount chiller. However the extra fitting chiller is not noiseless.

Gear Box: The gearbox feels little notchy but once you get used to it, it seems quite decent to use. The fifth gear is very well positioned. It feels smooth on the highway and it is at 2000 RPM at 80 km/hr and at 2500 RPM at 100 km/hr. Scorpio does not feel strained at this speed, but the engine sounds and feels a bit unrefined above 100 km/hr inside the cabin and vibrations can be felt through the gear lever.

Engine: The mHawk Diesel engine holds a capacity of 2.2 L with 4 cylinders that delivers 120hp((89 kW) @ 4000 rpm) and 290 Nm((210 lbf·ft @ 1800-2800 rpm) of Immense torque. The mHawk comes with a top-mounted intercooler to improve turbocharger efficiency. The engine is based on the second generation Bosch Common Rail system with solenoid injectors and fuel spray design that improves fuel efficiency(This is also one of the reason I did not consider the earlier versions of Scorpio or the EX models). The mHawk is equipped with a two-chain drive stage system and hydraulic lash adjusters. It is a very good, tractable engine and does pack a lot of punch. Even though it is quite noisy and I do feel quite a lot of vibrations, especially through the gear lever, it’s compromisable On the move there is lot of torque in the very low non-turbo zone as well thus in the city during normal driving it does feel pretty decent to drive and not too many gear changes are required. But the car almost leaps as the turbo spools post 1800 RPM. The car accelerates very fast in the 1800 – 3000 RPM range. But the turbo lag and the sudden turbo surge is something I needs to get accustomed as I am not used to driving turbo engine.

Service Center Experience:

Hmm, now this is what I did NOT like at the first instance and meeting with the service engineer first time. The service engineer was shouting with another customer that how can he come without a service book and the number was not assigned to service center from the showroom. I thought this was their internal issue this could have been sorted out internally and not in front of the customer. Any way, my number came, I told them all the issues, some of the responses was

- I am not sure I can only resolve if it happens in front of me

- You have fitted extra accessories it may be because of them (thought all the accessories was from the same dealer). Then he said he would disconnect the roof mount chiller and then give me the vehicle and I can get it fitted again from the showroom… I was surprised and pissed off … finally I called the accessories guy and given the phone to the service engineer and then he spoke to each other and for me it was resolved.

Ok the test drive was taken by the service engineer with me, showed all the issued. I thought I will not get the service if I do not put pressure on the guys then I met the service head and given them my piece of mind he told he will do his best to resolve all the issues. Feels good ☺. Any way they found that the speedometer sensor is not working and they need to order the same. I was ok for that. They could not identify the electrical issues, which they said that they would check it once the sensor comes to them. They resolved all the other issues like dashboard sound, wheel alignment etc. One more thing was surprising they drove almost 45Km for testing, which I realized little later.

Final Verdict:

I am satisfied with my choice. It is not the perfect vehicle so this is true for all the vehicles but surely this is the best VFM available in the said range. This is one of the flagship and proven product from Mahindra over decades. I hope it will continue to give the riding pleasure. IMO this is the bare minimum 4X4 available in budgets.

Galleries

The first look of the mighty muscular macho machine