Hi There,
Its been now 3 months with my babe and this is what is my experience.
I too waited for about 1.5 months for the Scorpio (at Vijai Auto Sales), the promised period being 3-4 weeks at the max! I really got frustrated at times & wanted to go in for the Safari (even after knowing that its a mere 87 BHP sobber) since the delivery time for Safari was 5-7 days, here in Bangalore.
If I had taken that decision then, believe me, I would have repented in leisure today, believe me!
The amazing power of the Scorpio would just have been a dream for me (Actually, I wouldn't have dreamt it would be so fast either ;^). Thanks to many of my friends who suggested for me to wait! So, to all my friends who feel they are waiting for toooo long after booking a Scorpio, believe me, its just WORTH THE WAIT!
What I wanted to mention here was my recent experience with my Scorpio. It was the 5th morning, 4:00 AM & we were already ripping off on the NH7 (Bangalore - Tumkur) with my two girls (my Scorpio & my Arian), the final destination being GOA! Travelling for 14 hours at a stretch was a real pleasure for me & my wife, who was my only pillion~
We reached Goa after 1800 Rs worth of fuel (25.19 Rs per liter & I got a decent 12 kmpl). This entire route was screwed up badly due to the formation of the Golden Quadrilateral, but then, who cares!
One thing you need to take really seriously from me, you cant drive any other vehicle once you start driving a Scorpio (my other car is an Esteem, which I hardly use now-a-days) & believe me, if you think that 8.5 kmpl in the city & 12 kmpl outside is bad, dont go in for a Scorpio! (It goes without saying, you are losing one of the most happening pleasures of life). Anyways, no one would suggest you to go in for a Yamaha, if you care too much for the mileage!
We did enjoy a lot in Goa at the Holiday Inn Resort (MOBOR beach) for 3 full days & were hesitant to return after. We had to, so why not go to Bangalore via Jog? We took the route Goa, Karwar, Ankola, Honnavar, Jog, Sagar, Shimoga, Arsikere, Tumkur & Bangalore, and we covered all this is 8 hrs flat! (I dint drink on the day I drove back, so you can believe me on the timing!)
The drive is tremendous & the stability is unsurpassed. All the rumours about the stability, is plain bull shit. I am really happy to have this vehicle & would recommend it to any one who has the dough for it.
Coming to the stereo, the problem is with the speakers & NOT the system. The system is quite good. What you need to do is to have a pair of boxes at the back & embed the speakers in them. Believe me, the effect is really amazing.
Did I forget to mention about my Tavera test drive?? Yes, I went in for the test drive, and the first thing that almost pounced in my mind was the fact that its not an SUV at all! (Well then, why else would GM call it a ''Family Car'')? Well the main things about it are:
First things first, its more comparable to a toyota qualis, but the only thing is that here we have a more rounded version. The front reminds one a lil bit of the Tata Safari.. and the rear is van like.
Comparison to the Scorpio is not outright possible, coz its a bigger, taller, more heavier vehicle with more power. THe Scorpio is a true blue SUV, with high seating and broad shoulders, and a stance that gives it road presence, with 15 inch tyres, side cladding, the works I mean.
The Tavera has a seating which is more like the qualis, tall, narrow, but spacious.
The dash, seating position, is the same as the qualis, nothin one would enjoy driving. The instrument cluster was very basic, lacking a tachometer even. (6.7 Lakhs + on road in Bangalore).
Something that I dint like was the hand operated parking brake lever in the dash, and the long shift gearstick. And the AC vents like taken from the Maruti 800.
The panel gap finish was just like the ambassador... wide enough to stick ur finger, or whatever else, in it... especially around the rear.
One thing nice was the paint job, which truly gives it a better look. But still not worth for a car thats upwards of 6.5 lakhs.
The Scorpio does have its very small shortcomings, but that can surely be overlooked when compared to the Tavera. No reason for it to have a 2 month waiting, right?
Besides if u take into account the version that has the side claddings, the twin AC, the alloys and fog lamps, you are lookin upwards of 7.7 lakhs. Get a scorpio instead.
Alright, then who buys it? People scared of the Scorpio & how manageable it is, but still have a family larger that 5. (Mileage is similar to the Qualis. 10.5 the scorpio goes about 8-9. so not for the average minded, But still diesel is cheaper) taxi operators who want a better offering than the Sumo or the Qualis. Or someone lookin at a different vehicle altogether. Dont forget to take in mind resale and the price you will get.
Hope my views were of some help. I was really dissapointed with the vehicle overall. Should've been cheaper, people couldve considered buyin it.
Lets see if there is any other vehicle that might be a competition for the Scorpio.
Njoi,
Kiran
