The Mahindra Scorpio has been around since more than a decade and the SUV has got its fair share of updates at regular intervals. The Scorpio is now getting another facelift and it is said that this update is a major one. While the overall vehicle will remain the same since the next generation Scorpio will be launched only by 2016, Mahindra has been doing extensive testing of the 2014 Scorpio all over India.
Now, we wonder what’s going on since the first test mule of the desi SUV was spotted way back in September 2013. It’s been nine months and there are still no signs of the vehicle getting launched. The updated Scorpio was now spied by our reader Rohan Bhakt on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway recently.
The 2014 Mahindra Scorpio will be coming with a host of updates. At the front, the vehicle gets new bumpers and lights while the side profile doesn’t carry any noticeable changes. The rear again will get new LED lamps and a re-designed bumper. The interiors of the updated Scorpio will carry some significant changes. The overall design theme has been inspired by the XUV500 and hence the styling elements used on the dashboard are similar to the elder SUV. The interiors will carry a more upmarket feel now and with some added features, Mahindra will surely manage to attract a lot of buyers to showrooms.
The 2014 Scorpio does not get any mechanical changes. It will be powered by the same 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine producing 120 BHP of power and 290 Nm of torque that could be tweaked for improved fuel efficiency. Transmission options include a 5-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic on the Scorpio facelift. The current Scorpio comes with a lot of downsides like bumpy ride quality compared to rivals, fit and finish quality not up to rivals’ standards, slightly poor driver ergonomics and hard and jerky gearshifts. We have also seen people complain that the Tata Safari and Toyota Innova give better comfort than the Scorpio.
Now we really wonder, what is Mahindra testing so much in the new Scorpio? The Quanto was also tested in a similar fashion i.e. very extensively and yet it managed to become a market dud thanks to quirky looks, poor handling and cramped seats placed behind the second row. The Scorpio also has its fair share of niggles and we really hope that Mahindra manages to iron out all issues from its SUV before bringing it out in the market. Since the company has tested the vehicle throughout the country, we are having very high expectations and we hope the 2014 Scorpio doesn’t disappoint since there is some really tough competition going on in this segment.
