Mahindra has always made tough vehicles that can slug it out with the best on India’s at-best patchy roads. The Scorpio took Mahindra from being a utility vehicle manufacturer to a modern, comfortable SUV maker which still remained affordable. The Scorpio now has got its second facelift, after the new engine and handling package. How much of an improvement is it? We have a look.

The ‘Mighty Muscular’ Scorpio, or simply the Scorpio Refresh, begins at the front with the exterior changes. It sports the chrome inverted ‘U’ in the middle of the grille that is the new face of Mahindra, flanked by new headlamp reflectors with nice lines in them that make the running lamp look like rays from the sun. The turn indicators are mock-LED lamps as well. The bumper has been redesigned to incorporate the numberplate and newly designed fog lamps, and looks a lot more muscular, as the vehicle’s new name suggests.

The silhouette remains identical, but the plastic cladding on the lower side of the rear doors now has ‘Scorpio’ in raised lettering on it. This will look especially good when mud-covered, but you’ll require nothing less than a jet of water to clean this design element effectively. At the rear the biggest change is the step that is now intergrated into the bumper, eliminating the unsightly foldable previous step. Our test car was equipped with Mahindra’s mHawk engine and the start/stop system, so it displayed badging on the flanks (‘mHawk’) and on the rear door (‘Micro Hybrid’) to that effect.

ABS and two airbags are present on the Scorpio Refresh, as are crumple zones.

The layout of the interior remains the same, but with notable additions – the four-spoke steering wheel now has buttons for the audio system and cruise control, with two unique paddle-type buttons at the rear of the conventional buttons. The 2-DIN audio system borrowed from the Xylo plays mp3s and audio CDs. It still retains the slightly confusing menu structure as the Xylo, and we wish the quality of the sound was better. Simple controls for the powerful air-conditioner lie below the audio system, and the final set of buttons houses the buttons for the fuel lid release, rear screen heater, automatic headlamps, automatic windshield wipers and the start/stop Micro Hybrid System. The gear lever gets the sporty grip from the Xylo, which some of us find a little uncomfortable since we’re used to putting our palm against the side of the lever when using first, second, fifth or reverse gear. However, since the lever is angled towards the driver, this technique wouldn’t work, so the new design makes a lot of sense. There are four cupholders behind the To the left of the centre console lies the gearbox and the grab handle above it, topped by a hollow space to store small things. The instrument cluster houses three overlapping oval dials – the left dial houses the tachometer, battery, ABS and seat belt warning signs, and one of the Scorpio’s new features: a tyre pressure monitoring system that displays the pressure in each tyre every time the vehicle is switched on. The central dial houses the now-familiar speedometer with a digital clock, odometer and tripmeter. The right dial houses the fuel gauge, oil level indicator and icons that display if the car has engaged 4WD or the low ratio.

The driving position is comfortable, with a steering wheel that tilts. Visibility is extremely good thanks to the old-school silhouette of this SUV and the large mirrors. The top-end VLX test car that we had was specified with captain’s chairs for the second row as well. These seats are flipped forward for access to the third row, which is best left to kids or short journeys due to the shortage of under-thigh support. Getting in and out of the car is not a problem, except for access to the third row. The third row of seats can be removed and stowed in the garage to offer a gigantic load-carrying space. With the third row in place, however, very little can be stored in the space that remains.

The air-conditioning unit is extremely effective and chills the cabin on the hottest days in a very short period of time. The audio system plays loudly, but the quality of sound isn’t upto the mark that the Innova has set – an improvement here would make a much better impression on prospective buyers. The plastic quality is another area in which Mahindra needs to improve – the hard, shiny dashboard coupled with the steering-mounted buttons that don’t have tactile feel make owners feel like they’re in a car that’s not as expensive as it actually is.

Engine

The mHawk engine displaces 2.2 litres, which may sound like Mahindra has reduced power compared to the previous 2.6-litre CRDe powerplant, but all that has been lost is weight, and lots of it. The AVL-developed engine is completely made of aluminum alloy to keep weight down, and has a variable geometry turbocharger coupled with a common-rail direct injection system that offers better fuel economy, lower emissions and higher torque and power ratings from smaller displacement. This engine has a lot of grunt once the turbo is huffing – put your foot down and the high-frequency whine characteristic of all Scorpios is still very evident. Rev it to the redline, however, and the engine doesn’t seem as enthusiastic as an Innova’s. It is happy doing its work at low revs, which bodes well for the fuel efficiency figures.

Drivetrain

Mahindra has introduced the first diesel micro hybrid to the Indian market, which is something that makes us proud as Indians. The system on the Scorpio has been revised from the original ten-second period to two seconds before the engine shuts off, provided the car is in neutral with the clutch pedal fully let out. This has contributed to a 5% increase in fuel economy under standard city conditions, according to Mahindra. While the engine is shut off, the A/C compressor is shut off but the blower keeps working, as does the audio system. However, the audio system switches off while the engine restarts, which can get annoying in stop-start traffic. The system can be disabled with the button at the bottom of the centre console, and even when enabled, will not function if the engine hasn’t reached a safe operating temperature, or the battery’s charge is running low.

The traditional Scorpio gear lever has now been swapped for the Xylo’s lever, which offers better grip. The throws still are long, cannot be hurried and sometimes they baulk when the engine is at high revs, but this is something owners get used to – it’s better to let the engine flex its muscles rather than to try lightning-quick shifts in this vehicle.

The four-wheel drive and low ratio make the Scorpio a competent mud-plugger, but we don’t expect many owners to take it on a serious off-road course. Equipped with the four-wheel drive, the Scorpio will shrug off a trip to the farmhouse in the peak of the monsoon without breaking a sweat. Even our test car, which was only two-wheel drive, took on our shoot location without breaking into a sweat.

Fuel Efficiency

The Scorpio offered fuel efficiency of 9/10kpl under regular use, which is commendable for a large SUV with four-wheel drive. During testing it refused to dip below 7kpl.

At low speeds, the Scorpio is a doddle to drive, the torquey engine, light steering and high seating position and overall shape making the driver aware of where each corner of the car is. Up speed, and only a smooth driver can extract the most out of the car – the live-axle suspension doesn’t cope very well with bumps at speed, and the amount of body roll undermines driver confidence a whole lot. At speed in a straight line, the nose still tends to bob up and down if the road isn’t smooth. The light steering feels a little vague and doesn’t transmit as much information as one would like, which doesn’t help things.

Off-road, the Scorpio has stunning ability, the short front overhang and good ramp breakover angle making it easy to crest ridges, but the rear overhang might scrape the mud where the rest of the car will make it through.

The Scorpio refresh has acquired ABS, which gives it a huge leap in performance in extreme situations. The Scorpio’s pedal has very good bite and progression, but not enough feel. The brakes are adequate, but the tyres let go first.

The Scorpio is shod with Bridgestone Dueler H/T tubeless tyres of the size 235/70 R16. They aren’t the ideal tyres for on-road situations, with their noisy tread pattern. They also run out of grip earlier than expected, but they work very well in mild off-road situations, helping the car smoothen out bumps and offering good grip when the tarmac runs out.

Our test car, the 2.2 mHawk manual, retails for Rs 9.6 lakh, ex-showroom, Mumbai. This makes it very good value for money, like all Mahindra products. However, we can’t help thinking that if Mahindra upped the price by lakh but improved the quality of the plastics on the inside, people would still queue up outside their showrooms for this butch SUV. The handling needs a little work and the styling at the rear could have been better, but the Scorpio is one of the few vehicles on sale that makes almost complete sense to the Indian car consumer, with its frugal diesel engine, automatic transmission option, great ground clearance, comfortable seats and low cost of ownership.