The Mahindra Scorpio Turns 10!

Mahindra and Mahindra have been the masters of the jeep business in India and while the company made its name by building the Willys and subsequent derivatives based on the same age old layout, the time had come to look at a more urban product. India was changing and so were demands. Sticking to their roots, Mahindra decided to venture into the SUV space with a ‘Made-in-India’ entry level SUV which could also cater to global markets, thus was born the idea of the Scorpio.

It took five years and painstaking efforts to realize the dream, however in June 2002, the dream was realized and the Mahindra Scorpio rolled out of the production line. The project was pegged at an initial Rs 400 Crore but according to sources this investment ended up touching Rs 550 Crore by the time the production ready model rolled out.

Based on the basic body on ladder design, the Scorpio boasted of a robust design that immediately caught the fancy of the Indian buyer. Its butch looks, powerful engine, seating capacity, independent front suspension and overall fit and finish was commendable and the icing on the cake was the stellar pricing. The vehicle however was far from perfect and was plagued with issues pertaining to ride quality, rear seat space, braking, handling, overheating, and a faulty steering rod. Despite these telltale flaws, the Scorpio muscled its way into the Indian market and found takers by the dozen. It was an overnight success story and goes to show that design plays an important role in a buyers perception and if the price matches that perception, you have yourself a winner.

Mahindra didn’t wait long to sort out the niggling problems and was quick to address most of the issues. The steering rod was replaced with a more robust option, tweaks to the cooling system sorted out the overheating issues, double caliper brake boosters were installed and minor tweaks were made to the suspension system. The result was as superior product that now only had three major causes of concern, namely ride quality, handling and rear seat space. The quick response from Mahindra won many more hearts and the Scorpio surged on in the market. But the story doesn’t end there.

Keeping with the times and the prevailing emission norms, Mahindra moved from using an intercooler and turbo charged DI engine to a Common Rail Diesel Injection unit in 2005. At this point, the company also changed the tyre size from 15 inch wheels to 16 inch wheels in order to further aid braking, ride quality and handling. While braking was under control, ride and handling improved only slightly, however the CRDe engine was a revelation and also offered an increase in power output and torque, which made the Scorpio even more desirable.

In 2006 the Scorpio witnessed its first major facelift and this extended to some mechanical changes as well. The revised design mainly involved changes to the rear lights, which went from being small bulges to large towering lights that flanked the rear glass. The major change however lay underneath for the rear leaf spring suspension was finally done away with and an independent suspension unit was installed. This drastically changed the ride quality for the better, however handling was still a questionable trait.

In 2008, Mahindra introduced the all new Scorpio. While there were no significant changes to the body, albeit for the reworked headlights, the interiors were spruced up, fit and finish improved, and a few millimeters of extra legroom was created for the rear seat passengers. In addition to that, Mahindra finally got rid of the 2.6 litre CRDe engine and plonked in their state of the art 2.2 litre mHawk engine. The new engine was lighter, smaller, yet more powerful and offered an increase in torque as well. The Scorpio also received further tweaks to the suspension and the end result was and still remains rather commendable.

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While Mahindra has been able to sort out most issues, the Scorpio still has a pronounced body roll and handling can get the hair on your neck to stand up, however it’s a vehicle that has gone from strength to strength and has found takers across India both in the urban and rural environment. It’s been used in motorsport as well and has done a fantastic job in the Raid de Himalaya numerous times and has become the SUV of choice amongst the adventurers. It’s a success story like no other and the sheer admiration that owners have for their Scorpio can be argued beyond reason.

Maybe its success can be credited to its robust build and design, or maybe its just got to do with pricing it right, Sometimes I even feel that the Scorpio’s success has a lot to do with national pride, but having been a proud owner myself, I’ll have to say that the reason behind the Scorpio’s staggering success lies in the fact that it makes an emotional connect with its owner. It has a personality, a quirk and an attitude that owners can relate to and this bond is what has made the Scorpio what it is today.

Ten years has been a tremendous journey, and now along with all the Scorpio owners and future owners I patiently wait for the next upgrade, for that should take the Scorpio to a whole new league. Happy Birthday Mahindra Scorpio and I hope to celebrate many more in the years to come.