The Mahindra Scorpio is one of India's more popular SUVs, having been in production since 2002. The Scorpio has consistently received updates over the years, with the last major update coming in 2017.
The latest generation Mahindra Scorpio gets an engine update. It still comes with the MHawk 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine that puts out 140 PS of power and 320 Nm of torque with a six-speed manual transmission in the higher variants, while the entry-level variant gets the same engine with a five-speed manual transmission.
This engine now meets BS-VI norms with the introduction of selective catalytic reduction (Ad Blue) technology.
With the 2014-2017 model of the Scorpio, Mahindra used to offer a six-speed automatic variant as well, but that was discontinued. Now, even the four-wheel-drive variant has been discontinued from the latest update.
The Scorpio now comes in only four trim variants S5 (5-speed manual), S7, S9 and S11.
The reason Mahindra is trimming the model line up is that there is reportedly an all-new Scorpio in the works that will be an even more premium vehicle. This is an all-new design. The current Scorpio has the same bodyshell since 2002, with updates to the chassis, engine and features mainly.
The S11 variant comes with alloy wheels, projector lamps, automatic climate control, cruise control, reverse camera, powered mirrors, automatic lights, rain-sensing wipers and a few other features. Compared to other vehicles in the same price bracket (Rs 12 lakh to Rs 18 lakh), the current Scorpio does feel utilitarian.
However, it continued to sell consistently over the year, with sales hitting 5,135 units in the month of January, before dropping sharply in February and March, as the production of the BS-IV emissions-compliant variants was stopped and dealers cleared inventory.
The four-wheel-drive variant has also been dropped because it accounted for less than 5 percent of total sales. Mahindra will be launching an all-new Thar later this year which should cater to the needs of off-road enthusiasts. Reportedly, even the Mahindra XUV500 all-wheel-drive variant has been dropped.
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