Mahindra Scorpio-N Detailed Review | Off-Road & On-Road Review

Well, you must have guessed what we are up to today, yes, it's off-road day and we are going to have oodles of fun and I have got the Scorpio N for the purpose. Now, I have been told that the Scorpio N does few things better than any other car in its segment and off-roading is definitely one of those also because it is one of the most affordable proper 4x4s available in the market and to test exactly its metal, we are heading to a natural off-road track, yes, it's not a curated track, it's a natural track and we are going to see that if the Scorpio is able to prove its metal or not. One thing is for sure that we and you are going to have a lot of fun, then what are we actually waiting for, let's go and have some fun, let's hit the track. Hi, I am Shubham Parashar, you are watching Park Plus, your car app and let's go off-roading. Well, I am quite thrilled for the trek today but utni hi exciting or scenic is the drive to this location. Finally, we are at our off-road location but before I actually set out to hit the track, let me show you how off-road and terrain modes actually function in the Scorpio N. So, in the Scorpio N, you get 4 terrain modes, you have normal, you have snow, you have mud and ruts and then you have sand. Now, to engage it, we have this rotary knob here and the way of engaging it is quite interesting. So, just what you have to do that you have to rotate it and you will see the light shifting towards the mode. So, right now, I am going to do rock crawl, so I have put it in mud and ruts. Now, here, you will have to wait for a second till the time it engages and then you will see that four-wheel high engages automatically in mud and ruts and in snow mode and also in sand mode but if you have to engage four-wheel low, so you have to stop the car, shift to neutral and then you can engage the four-wheel low. Once the light stops blinking, it means that four-wheel low is engaged. Yes, in this range, Scorpio is one of the few cars which gets a proper shift-on-fly 4x4 system and further aids to help you while off-roading like you have 360-degree camera view. So, I get the full view of the front on this screen. So, just in case, if I don't have a spotter and I need to go off-road, I can manage a little bit from here. Also, on MID, whenever I am turning the steering, it shows me in which direction my wheel is. So, that is also quite helpful when you are taking the rough terrain. So, now done with all the 4x4 education, let's go and finally hit the track. So, finally the thing for which we are here, off-roading. Till now, we managed in two-wheel drive, you know, till the time we reach the place. But after this, since we have mild terrains now, we are now off-roading in four-wheel high. Now, in four-wheel high, honestly, these minor undulations or minor articulations, it's a breeze. It's a cakewalk for the Scorpio N because till now, I just need to control my steering inputs and, you know, navigate the steering and it is able to manage it pretty well. So, no scraping of the belly and I want to floor it and this thing just goes. So, in four-wheel high, you won't have any issue as such. But now, we have arrived at our main obstacle, in front, where danger is written. Now, that's the obstacle which we'll have to cross and let's see in four-wheel low, whether the Scorpio N is able to do it or not. But to do that, actually, first, just shift to neutral and engage four-wheel low. Now, since it's engaged, first, let's reverse a little just to build the momentum and then, let's try. And it's a cakewalk but we are right in the middle of the obstacle. So, here, I want to show you something very interesting other than all the 4x4 aids, why the Scorpio N has actually managed to do it. So, let's go have a look at that. I mean, it's difficult to even walk here but just see the frame, the kind of angle the Scorpio N has pulled off. But how did this become possible? See, 4x4 transfer case, four-wheel low range, all these mechanicals are right in their place but any off-roader needs to have the basics correct. Now, what are the basics? Approach angle, ramp angle, ground clearance, departure angle. So, these are the things that help the vehicle to move ahead of the obstacle and make it possible. So, approach angle is the point where the front section of any vehicle is in contact with the obstacle. That is the approach point and the distance in between is called approach angle in case of Scorpio N. That is enough because as you can see, the vehicle hasn't rolled down anywhere and we have managed such an extreme position easily. Now, if we talk about the middle part of the vehicle, then the wheel base is 2750mm. So, till the front wheel approaches the obstacle, the rear wheel is somewhere closer to the obstacle so that the vehicle gets an angle and the distance is not too much or not too little, it's just the right distance that you need. So, in that case, it helps to give it a proper angle and that is further complemented with the 187mm ground clearance offered here and that's why it hasn't scraped its belly or floor pan anywhere. The vehicle hasn't reached the middle of the road. Then, lastly, if I talk about the departure angle, then even here at the back, the vehicle hasn't rolled down even once when we are crossing the obstacle and that's why here, it has to overcome the obstacle and to take the car ahead is very easy and that's despite having the spear wheel mounted right at the bottom. Now, apart from this, what also is very important is that in these 18-inch wheels, you have ample profile in the tyres. So, in a rocky situation where there are a lot of rocky stones, you know, these are very sharp stones right here but still, the tyres are easily able to manage it and these are not off-road tyres. These are normal road tyres and still, you don't have any major issue here. That is because there is ample profile in the tyres so that you get enough cushioning and all of it together, the Scorpion can manage an ascent of 57 degrees when it is going up and a descent of 47 degrees when it is coming down and that is quite extreme and yes, makes it quite a capable off-roader. So, this is the obstacle part of the story where we are going to rock crawl but the story doesn't end here. The picture is yet to come because now we are heading towards our next obstacle which is my personal favourite because we are going to have some fun in the water. Yes, we are going for some water splashing. So, let's see you there. Well, off-roading is always fun when you have a capable off-roader in your hands. But, utna hi maza aaya on our way and back to this location where we came across all kind of roads. Uphill climb, downhill slope, hairpins, single lane gaon ke raste where we got a proper idea of its ride quality and last but not the least, we also crossed some narrow lanes and honestly it wasn't difficult making our way through thanks to its 5.4m turning radius which is helpful on hairpins as well. And finally, we are on the highway. And finally, after crossing off-road, lanes and hairpins, we are on our way back to our home. And here, let me start with the road presence because the Scorpio N dominates the road. Now, there are two aspects here. First of all, the kind of feel you get being behind the wheel. So, just because of the ride height, you are sitting almost one floor above and you feel that literally you are the king of the road. You get such a dominating position. Seriously, on a serious note, you get a very commanding view right from here, right from this seat. So, that is very helpful to navigate it through the traffic and then you get quite eyeballs on the road because the way Scorpio N looks in the wing mirror, it has that quintessential butch, robust appeal of an SUV. So, that is something which I quite like. Yes, in terms of road presence, I think there are fewer cars that can compete with the Scorpio N in this segment. Also, highlights which you tend to notice when the car is on the go. Just for example, the headlights, you know, they are not very sleek but at the same time not overly humongous and the double barrel setup of the projector LED beams, you know, high beam is different, low beam is different. Again, adds to the SUV flavour. The grille is also not too huge. It's just the right size and has just the right amount of chrome detailing there. On the top, there is a sleek line or the slats have a lot of sleek detailing and the hood itself. It's quite a long hood. Overall, in terms of look, if I talk about the rear, then the tower-like taillights, I think we all have loved. It's an evergreen design which we like. Yes, the boot is quite a flat end. It feels a little too tall from the back but again, I think that is something which Scorpio buyers really appreciate. So, in terms of design and especially in terms of road presence, I think, it has got that game spot on. Now, after that, the most important thing which, you know, we would like to point out is the cabin filter that has, you know, gone up by leaps and bounds. Because here, the kind of material that you get, you have soft touch material, almost at all the places, you will be frequently brushing your hands. Here, on the dashboard, on the armrest, on the door pads, you have soft touch and I quite like the colour treatment. It's all black treatment. After that, you know, it has that brown finish there. So, there's a good balance there. You know, it's not too bright and it is not, at the same time, too dark. Now, if I talk about the features, then you get all the right features like 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. People are now used to bigger touchscreens but I think this is, for me, just the right size. So, there's no problem in looking at it and I like the angle. I like that it is not a standalone unit but nicely integrated in the central console. And, it comes with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and you have direct access with all these physical buttons for a variety of controls. For Aircon vents, by the way, you get dual zone Aircon controls here. So, dual zone AC you have here and after that, wireless charging you have here. Now, one thing which is missing is that there's no Type-C charging port. You have USB charging ports only. And, if I talk about this, then one-touch access for settings, music controls, everything. So, quite handy in all those terms. Then, in terms of features, you get all the necessary features like you have a sunroof and I love that 12-speaker Sony sound system. Very premium. Immersive mode is something that I absolutely love. Now, some features that are omitted are that you don't get ventilated seats, you don't get a powered ORVM. This is a manual adjustment for dimming the ORVM. But, again, those are the features that we can manage without. At this point, if it would have been added, it would have added a good value for money quotient but, overall, I think it is not a deal breaker. So, this was about my experience and how I like the cabin. Now, let's see how happy Surya is in the third row. Air ducts, no air con vents, very uncomfortable space. So, we can say that the third row seat is basically limited for children only. Here, it is not that for adults, they will be very uncomfortable and even people of our framework will not be able to manage it at all. Right. And, Nitin, you tell us, how are you feeling in the second row? The second row is comfortable but, because it is a 4x4, either its floor is a little raised up. So, I am fine. Thigh support is also fine. But, I will not say that it is very comfortable. But, overall, if we look at the second row, it is comfortable. Okay. So, I think the knee room is adequate. We cannot say that it is too much. But, I think just about adequate. You know, one more thing, I think you both are sitting a bit knees up because, Surya, this is technically a 4x4. So, it needs a good departure angle. Because of this, we have seen the same thing in other SUVs like 4x4, like Fortuner, that the floor height is very high at the back. Because of which, the rear passenger is sitting knees up and it is not comfortable for adults there to give it a good departure angle. So, that is one of the reasons. But, overall, in terms of ride quality, Surya has told us. Nitin, how are you feeling? I found the ride quality to be a little better. But, yes, Surya said this point very well that the feedback of the steering is felt in the second row as well. There are a lot of body rolls in this. But, in a 4x4, I would say that, and personally, I would say that in Scorpio, you can neglect these things. But, it's a very good car. Okay. So, overall, you know, exactly in terms of body roll. So, being behind the wheel, if I talk about the driving dynamics, then similarly, I have the same experience. Ride quality again is very good. Very good. And, what I like is that it has a better high-speed ride quality than the low-speed ride quality because the car feels stable. And, there, when it goes over speed breakers or rough paths, it just smothers over them. There, you don't feel much at that time. In fact, when you are in low speed, it's then when you feel everything that goes under the wheels. Because, see, now, the body is on the ladder frame, so the ladder is quite heavy. That's why, all the undulations or the movements or speed breakers that come down, you feel that pinch. They hit a little from below, so you feel that filtering inside the cabin. At the same time, it's not very unnerving, but yes, you constantly do feel them. That's one thing. But, again, that's the character of a body on ladder car. If I talk about body rolls, then similarly, in lower speeds, every movement, every tiny input, you'll feel, because the height of the car is quite high, so body rolls cannot be ignored. But, if I'm seeing to just being assured behind the wheel, so, now, you're overacting, by the way, Surya. But, still, see, so, when I'm cornering the car, when, let's say, I'm doing decent double digit or around triple digit speeds, I think I have that confidence that, yes, I can manage, you know, around 80-90 kilometres per hour on long bend. So, that's a good feedback. Even for the steering wheel, when I'm going around the corner, surprisingly, it has good heft to it. So, you know, I am able to point the nose in a certain direction and I don't have much of a problem there. Obviously, it's not as engaging as you would expect in a monocoque car, but, again, comparatively, if I talk about the feel of the old Scorpio, then it has improved quite a lot. So, again, a very positive feedback to take in those terms. So, this was about the ride quality and its driving dynamics. But, if I talk about the engine performance, then, obviously, I am loving it and especially in this diesel. Because, right now, as we are going uphill, literally, even in two-wheel, I am getting minimum throttle inputs and the car is almost crawling while we are going uphill. And, these hairpins, even here, I don't have to slow down much because the steering inputs are quite easy. And then, just see, I am at part throttle and it is climbing up easily. So, when you are going off-road or if you are in a hilly situation, the engine performance is actually quite satisfying there. And, we have experienced this engine before in the XUV700. I will say that in the Scorpio N, the diesel engine performs slightly better. The torque hit, just when you launch the car, you know, you move away from the brakes in the automatic and it leaps. I mean, it is not literally slow crawling, it leaps. There is a sense of torque because the automatic delivers 400Nm of peak torque at about 1500-3000rpm and the normal manual delivers 370Nm of peak torque. Then, the power output is 172bhp at 3500rpm in the diesel and the petrol, on the other hand, belts out 200bhp at 5000rpm. Similarly, the petrol delivers 370Nm of peak torque at around 3000rpm. So, in terms of power output, the engine is quite meaty, quite torquey. And here, even on the highway, low-end torque, you know, kicks in nice and low. So, you know, there is no hesitation in moving the car forward. Mid-range is quite meaty. On the highway, when I am making frequent overtakes, I just need to tap on the throttle and it goes. So, it's very reassuring. For me, it is confidence-inspiring and at any time, it has got ample reserve of power. So, yes, power delivery from the engine is just no issue. Also, I quite like how the 6-speed automatic gearbox or even the 6-speed manual delivers because the build-up of power, that is quite linear. So, a smooth build-up of power, even towards the top-end, when you are doing triple-digit speeds, you don't feel any lack of power at such. So, there you go. That's a detailed wrap on the Mahindra Scorpio N. But like always, pricing remains one of the most crucial things if you are considering to buy one. So, the best part is that the Scorpio N is offered in 30 variants and prices begin at Rs. 14,26,000 going all the way up to Rs. 24,53,000. So, if you are okay with the base or mid-spec trim for a bigger three-row SUV that has all the necessary creature comforts and is offered at a price of a top-end subcompact SUV or mid-range subcompact SUV, you have that option with the Scorpio N. Or if you want a proper, kitted-up 4x4 SUV that has all the bells and whistles and don't want to spend over Rs. 50 lakh on some of the Japanese SUVs, the Mahindra Scorpio N is a good alternative and at half the price.