2022 Mahindra ScorpioN Review: Proving India's 'Atmanirbhar' engineering might

Click here to watch the video review of the Scorpio-N.

Mahindra Scorpio, the legendary Indian SUV is back in a new avatar. The SUV was once the most aspired vehicle for many middle-class buyers. Launched back in 2002, the SUV went on to become an instant hit. There were some initial problems but they weren’t enough to stop the Scorpio from blazing the sales charts and more than eight lakh Scorpio's have sold since then proving its popularity.

One of the key reasons why the Scorpio went on to become such a massive success was the way it looked. Indian customers loved the Scorpio right from the start because it was all muscular. The SUV looked beefy, chunky, and huge, and that’s what people wanted from an SUV. However, something the Scorpio always lacked was sophistication, class and premium feel.

All that seems to have changed with this, the new Mahindra Scorpio-N. The new Scorpio N, the SUV’s third generation in the last twenty years is armed with new-age features and Mahindra claims this is a new breed of Scorpio and is future-ready.
We’ll soon find out if that is true, but the bigger question is that does this model have the same Scorpio DNA that we know and love or has it evolved into something altogether new? Read the complete review for all the answers.
Mahindra Scorpio-N: Exterior
Let’s talk about dimensions first. The Scorpio-N measures 4,662 mm in length, 1,917 mm in width, and 1,857 mm in height. The wheelbase has now gone up by 70 mm to 2,750 mm.

The new Scorpio-N looks very different from the previous Scorpio. It no longer has the raw appeal, but we think it’s a positive step because the new Scorpio-N still looks muscular and has the visual bulk but at the same time, it looks premium, which is something the old Scorpio did not have. The old Scorpio looked a bit rough, but the new Scorpio-N looks like an expensive SUV without missing out on muscular character.

Talking about the overall design of the new Scorpio-N, it is very different from the earlier generations. At the front, it gets a vertically slatted grille with chrome and a muscular bonnet with strong character lines. The hood scoop is no longer there and it also gets new twin-pod projector LED headlights and the C-shaped LED DRL units shaped like a scorpion’s sting.

Moving on to the side, it gets beefed-up wheel arches with 17 or 18-inch wheels depending on the variant and the 255-section tyres which look chunky. There’s also a chrome line that runs from the base of the A-pillar to the top of the C-pillar and ends in a stylised sting which gives it a premium stance.

The rear with its vertically stacked LED tail lamps does give a very Volvo-ish look. The entire rear-end design is brand new and does not resemble the previous generation from any angle. One interesting thing here is that even though the new Scorpio-N gets conventional bench seats and not jump seats for the third row, the new Scorpio-N gets a side-opening door carried forward from the previous generation Scorpio.

Mahindra Scorpio-N: Interior and features
Step inside the cabin of the new Scorpio-N and this is where you will find a radical change compared to the older Scorpio.
The interior layout is no longer basic and upright like the Scorpio Classic and gets a major quality improvement. The interior gets a coffee brown and black theme that's constant across the cabin which looks good and unique.

The piano black centre console looks nice and premium but attracts a lot of dust and fingerprints. It houses vertically-oriented air-con vents and the eight-inch infotainment system with AdrenoX connected car tech with built-in Alexa that uses a Snapdragon SD6 processor for 70+ connected car features. It also gets a 12-speaker Sony system with 3D immersive audio. The sound quality from the system is impressive and will be loved by many audiophiles.

There are all the expected features such as wireless charging, front camera, parking sensors, auto headlamps, auto wipers, drive modes (diesel), dual-zone climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, electric sunroof (not panoramic), electric driver seat, etc. The driver gets an analogue speedometer and tachometer along with a 7-inch digital driver information screen, which displays navigation, drive information, driver drowsiness level, settings and much more.

The steering wheel is flat-bottomed and looks similar to the XUV 700. It gets steering-mounted buttons to control the infotainment system, cruise control, and instrument cluster. It feels nice to hold and gets leather wrapping. However, it is adjustable for height only.

Moving on to the second row, customers either can have captain or a bench seat configuration for the second row. Talking about comfort, the Scorpio-N offers generous leg room, knee room, and headroom. Under-thigh support is also quite impressive and it also gets rear A/C vents with a blower control and a USB-C charging port.

The third row can be accessed by tumbling forward the left seat of the second row. As previously mentioned, the Scorpio-N gets conventional bench seats and not jump seats for the third row. Getting inside the third row isn’t that hard, but the seats aren't too comfortable for longer durations. Additionally, there are no AC vents back here, nor cupholders or charging points for devices. That said, adults can sit in the third-row for short durations making it a usable row.

Mahindra Scorpio-N: Engine and Transmission
The Scorpio-N is offered with two engine options and two transmission choices. There is the 2.2-litre mHawk turbo diesel engine which offers two separate states of tune depending on the variant. The base variant Z2 produces 130 bhp of power and 300 Nm of torque, while in the Z4 and upper variants the diesel motor puts out 172 bhp with 400 Nm of torque. The diesel here gets three driving modes called Zip, Zap, and Zoom.
The petrol is the 2.0-litre mStallion turbocharged engine that produces 200 bhp of power and 380 Nm of max torque.

Transmission options include a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic for both petrol and diesel engine options. For off-road enthusiasts, there is a 4x4 variant also on offer with the diesel engine only.
Mahindra Scorpio-N: Performance and Handling
Our primary test unit was the top-of-the-line Z8 variant with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.
The petrol engine is a refined unit and the engine provides considerable power delivery at any given point in time. With 200 bhp of power on tap, it has enough grunt to get this mass moving at a fairly rapid pace.

The acceleration is more than satisfactory, and the turbo lag is very well contained. The 6-speed torque converter gearbox is paired well with the engine and the shifts are pretty smooth and happen at a decent rate. There are no paddle shifters, but you can shift manually via the gear lever.
In terms of ride quality, the Scorpio-N feels far better than that of the previous generation. The body roll was the biggest issue with the previous model. At higher speeds, there was a lot of body roll due to the tall design of this SUV, and high-speed cornering is something you wouldn’t want to do on the older Scorpio, as this would induce tremendous body roll to the point of a rollover.

Mahindra claims that they have worked a lot on reducing the body roll and that is evident when you start driving it. We pushed the car hard around corners and despite having a ladder-frame chassis the new Scorpio-N does not roll around like the previous generation and it has got things very much under control. However, to get the body roll under control the ride quality has been compromised a bit as the suspension is inclined a bit more towards the stiffer side. Of course, this trade-off offers big handling and stability benefits that are worth it.
Mahindra Scorpio-N: Off-road capabilities

We also experienced the off-road capabilities of the new Scorpio-N at a trail in Lonavala. The Scorpio-N comes with selectable 4WD (shift-on-the-fly) and selectable terrain modes (Normal, Snow, Mud & Ruts, Sand). There's also a mechanical and brake locking differential that electronically controls the slip at each axle.

The new Scorpio-N's 4-wheel drive system works well and when the going gets tough, the 4-low mode comes to the rescue. The off-road course includes steep inclines, declines, slush, articulation, side inclines, and many more. You can switch to 4H or 4L at the press of a button and we did most of the course on 4H and had to engage 4L in some areas for more traction and torque. In general, the SUV just sailed through all obstacles smoothly.

Mahindra Scorpio-N: Safety
The safety features of the new Scorpio-N include 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, all-wheel disc brake setup, tyre pressure monitoring system, driver drowsiness alert, front and rear parking sensors, roll-over mitigation system, hill hold control, hill descent control, and much more. Although the new Scorpio-N hasn’t been crash tested yet, previous ratings of Mahindra vehicles indicate possibilities of a good rating for this one as well.

Mahindra Scorpio-N: Colour options
There are 7 colour options to choose from - Napoli Black, Everest White, Royal Gold, Deep Forest, Red Rage, Dazzling Silver and Grand Canyon.
Variants and Pricing
The Mahindra Scorpio-N will be offered in 5 variants, namely Z2, Z4, Z6, Z8 and Z8L.
The base Z2 variant was announced with a sticker price of Rs 11.99 lakh for the petrol MT and Rs 12.49 lakh for the diesel MT.
The Z4 MT will cost Rs 13.49 lakh for petrol and Rs 13.99 lakh for diesel. The middle Z6 variant will only be available in diesel and will cost Rs 14.99 lakh for the MT.
The top-of-the-line Z8L diesel with manual transmission has been launched at Rs 19.49 lakh, and the lower Z8 diesel with manual transmission will be on offer at Rs 17.49 lakh.
Prices for the automatic transmission and 4WD models will be announced on July 21. It should be noted that these introductory prices will only be applicable for the first 25,000 bookings.
Mahindra Scorpio-N: Conclusion
The Scorpio-N has made progress in every department where the previous Scorpio lacked and that’s a positive step. The earlier Scorpio was a bit rough and agricultural, it wasn’t sophisticated and never had a premium image, but the new Scorpio-N has corrected all those areas.

As far as body-on-frame construction goes, the new Scorpio-N is by far the best-handling SUV on sale under Rs 50 lakh in India. Another advantage the Scorpio enjoys is that no other body-on-frame, 4x4 is on sale presently for a similar price. The Scorpio-N is a comfortable, premium, feature-rich, rugged, go-anywhere SUV with good value for money. Mahindra definitely has another mega winner on its hands and also a long waiting period.

More importantly, after the XUV700, the Scorpio-N is another vehicle from Mahindra that will make chests of Indians swell with pride. The new 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N isn’t just a great product. It is proof that Indian automotive engineering has moved past the days when it was renowned globally for being frugal. The Scorpio-N is proof that Indian automakers (along with local suppliers) can make vehicles at par with their global rivals and in many cases be better than them. This is the second time Mahindra has proven this and once again it has launched a vehicle that not only is the best in its segment but quite simply doesn’t have any direct competition.