Jan 04, 2008 11:20 PM
11608 Views
I am a satisfied owner of a Scorpio. Its more than 3 years old and has done over 40, 000 KM on the speedo. Most of the driving I do is in city with frequent long drives through very rough roads. And by rough I mean some real mean rough roads.
The Scorpio is definitely not a luxury car. Its an SUV and had to be treated such. On the highway, its the king of the road. Has great handling even at high speeds. I have noticed though, that if your wheel balancing or alignment is even slightly off, the handling takes a big hit. So keep the suspension tuned and you got the best. On rough roads, the stiff suspension does seem a little too stiff. But the suspension is a solid, well built and can take a good beating. It might squeak if you abuse it too much; take it to the dealer and ask them to clean the suspension bushes and re-torque the suspension bolts and fitments and you are back in the game. I recently did this and cost me about 200 Rs.
The engine, hmm. how do you describe a beast ? I own a pre-CRDe version and I must say, I am very satisfied with the engine as well. Its a little loud when you are idling or driving within the city, but get on a cruise mode at around 110-120 KMPH and you've tamed the beast. Its silent, has a lot of reserve power even at those speeds and the torque from the over square is just unbelievable. The turbo is not too effective at low RPMs but get into the 1800-2000 range and the turbo kicks in. The engine is the masterpiece in the Scorpio. Its got some real SUV characteristics and fits into the car quite well.
I am told the mHawk has a new engine which churns out 120 BHP. I
also read recently that this monster is capable of churing out 140 BHP
or more, but has been de-tuned to 120 because the transmission and the
axle cannot take the power. The new engine, more powerful, quieter and
is about 98 Kg lighter than the previous one. Also its has a modular
construction, which means that Mahindra can potentially build a V6 on
the same block.
(I recently saw a Scorpio which had done more than 200, 000 on the clock. The engine was still in great shape; the body had so many dents the owner decided to go in for a paint job :))
Brakes need a little more servo, and Mahindra has corrected it in the CRDe and later versions with a bigger disc and better servo. The steering needs an adjustment option (which I guess is available now)
There are many things about the car that I like, and just cant live without. Most important among them is the height. Its addictive. Once you are used to the height in the Scorpio, sitting in a sedan can actually scare you. I dont think there is any other SUV that has so much of the height advantage as the Scorpio. Sure, getting into and out of the car is a little cumbersome, but try walking into the car rather than sitting into it.
Anyrate, as a Scorpio owner for the last 3+ years, I'm completely satisfied. The vehicle is good, service is good, maintenance is not too expensive and for the price that you pay, you get a great great deal.
