2023 Mahindra Scorpio
About the 2023 Mahindra Scorpio
Last updated Jun 07, 2024Mahindra has been in Australia since 2007 with its Pik-Up ute, but brand recognition and consideration is basically non-existent when it comes to passenger vehicles such as the Scorpio SUV.
Mahindra has been making cars since 1954 when it was the official producer of Jeeps in India. The brand has had partnerships with the likes of Peugeot, Renault, Kia, Ford and others – It even makes military gear for Airbus. So while you may not have heard of the brand, that doesn't discount from the fact that it has great credentials.
In 2024, with every OEM continuously raising their prices across the board, blaming everything from inflation to cost of materials and production, it’s rather unique to see that India’s Mahindra has come up with a family-friendly and reliable SUV for an almost inconceivable price. But there must be a catch? Some will tell you that its lack of active safety features is it. Still, the reality is that the Scorpio got a five-star safety rating by global NCAP, is equipped with a pretty decent powertrain, is pretty damn capable off-road and has one of the best setups for families with two or three kids, thanks to its unique 2+2+2 seat configuration.
You would be doing yourself a disservice but not at least taking the Scorpio for a test drive if you are after a brand new, affordable, reliable and off-road capable family-friendly SUV.
Summary
Excellent value for money
Great on-road comfort and off-road capability
5-star GNCAP safety rating
Some annoying 'features'
Lacks active safety systems
Relatively unknown brand for SUVs
Price & Specs
Reviews
News
Scorpio Range Guide
Scorpio Z8 features:
- 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels
- Double-wishbone front suspension
- Watt’s linkage rear suspension
- Automatic LED projector headlights
- LED projector fog lights
- LED tail lights
- LED sequential indicators
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Chrome door handles
- Power-folding side mirrors
- Sunroof
- Silver roof rails
- Rear spoiler
- 4.2-inch monochrome digital instrument cluster
- 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wired Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
- 2 x front USB-A ports
- Second row USB-C port
- Dual-zone climate control
- Second row air-conditioning
- Activated carbon filter
- Cooled glove box
- Leatherette-wrapped steering wheel
- Leatherette-wrapped gear shift lever
- Keyless entry
- Push-button start
- Coffee Black leatherette upholstery
- Driver lumbar support
- Second row one-touch tumble
- Third-row fold and tumble
Scorpio Z8L adds:
- 7.0-inch colour digital instrument cluster
- Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
- 12-speaker Sony sound system
- Wireless phone charger
- Front camera
- Front parking sensors
- 6-way power driver’s seat
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Interior
Given the low purchase price of the Mahindra comapred to its rivals, you could be mistaken in thinking the interior would be out of date and cheap in feel, however the Scorpio is actually a rather nice place to be.
Unlike most other manufacturers that go for black anywhere they can to save costs, the Scorpio's coffee-coloured dual-tone interior blends in beautifully with the dark tops on the doors and dashboard.
You won't find another car that can match the Scorpio's interior feel for the price in this segment. The steering wheel, the switchgear, the buttons across the dash and the fast and crystal clear 8.0-inch infotainment screen are all part of a package you would expect to get for at least $20,000 more.
Although the infotainment system doesn’t have built-in navigation, the ease at which Apple CarPlay connected and worked throughout out testing period made that somewhat unnecessary. We also tested the microphone by making numerous phone calls and the quality on both ends was clear and very usable.
There are some strange quirks though, like the slightly out of date USB-A charging port at the front, with the far more modern USB-C port for the kids in the second row.
It’s not really a big deal because even with the new iPhone 15’s US- C port, you can get a USB-A to -C adapter for less than $20, but it would have been nice to get a fast charger Type-C adapter at the front so that CarPlay and fast charging can happen concurrently.
Mahindra also offers the most thought-out wireless phone charger in a car we’ve seen lately. Not only did it fit and charge my iPhone 15 Pro Max without issue, it also held the device nicely in place.
This is far more than we can say even for the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Audi, which seem to have made a wireless phone charger that only works if the car never moves.
For those of us that have younger kids, we know full well how irritating it can be when they are in the back seat arguing or fighting with the other.
No matter how well-behaved your kids may be, siblings fight and one of the best thing you can do to avoid that happening is to physically seperate them on those long trips – say hello to the Mahindra Scorpio’s second and third rows.
Having what is often referred to as ‘commander’ or ‘captain’ seats in the back – which is basically taking the front seats and putting them in the back – is often reserved for the likes of the top-end Range Rover, Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan, though some mainstream brands are following suit (e.g. Hyundai Palisade).
Two front seats of a vehicle cost substantially more to make than a bench seat with three spaces. Yet, that is exactly what Mahindra offers in the Scorpio.
If you have two young kids like me, this is a feature you will grow to truly love. Fast-charging USB-C ports and separation of siblings in super comfortable commander seats. Lucky kids.
The third row is really for kids under 12, and if you do have three kids and travel as a family of five often, you would definitely want to make sure your youngest is happy to sit in the third row.
I put my nine-year-old son in there and he didn’t mind it one bit until his iPad ran out of charge and the cable from the second row wasn’t long enough – then the world ended.
With all three rows in use, the boot of the Scorpio isn’t all that practical but it will easily fit the week’s grocery or a couple of small carry on suitcases. Fold the third row flat and you will get a substantial 686L of luggage space.
The only annoying aspect of the boot is the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen style side-hinged door, opening from left to right. This looks cool and is very practical if you have a low ceiling or minimum height requirement in your garage, but it can have the inverse effect of making it harder to open if your garage length is limited.
Exterior
The Mahindra Scorpio's exterior design is modern but can be considered a little generic. The front very much resembles a sophisticated SUV that could easily be from a European manufacturer but the rear end and the quirky vertical taillights may not be everyone's taste. Nonetheless, pick it with a neutral colour and the Scorpio blends in with traffic.
Scorpio Photo Gallery
Ownership Suitability
The Scorpio definitely suits families of four who love to have the occasional adventure off-road. With a fantastic warranty, unbeatable value for money and a five-star Global NCAP safety rating, the Indian SUV is priced extremely well to make headway in to the Australian market.
Cost of Ownership
The Mahindra Scorpio is the first model to be covered by the brand’s new factory-backed seven-year, 150,000km warranty for private buyers.
Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km – whichever comes first.
Service Interval Timeframe & Capped Price Service
- 10,000 kms 12 mths $357
- 25,000 kms 24 mths $357
- 40,000 kms 36 mths $563
- 55,000 kms 48 mths $504
How it Drives
Mahindra could have gone cheap and produced a product more befitting of the price, but the Scorpio’s suspension setup is the same a the Ford Everest, thanks to its double wishbone setup at the front and Watt’s link system at the rear.
We took the Scorpio for a solid drive around Brisbane’s inner-city and suburban roads while also giving it a genuinely solid go off-road – on both occasions, the Scorpio never missed a beat.
The Scorpio can go places most owners would never intend to take it. In other words, it’s more capable off-road than the average buyer will ever need.
However, if you’re not into off-roading, we deem it best you freshen up on an introductory course before you take your Mahindra to the outback, but for a trip to Fraser Island or your local beach, the Scorpio won’t miss a beat.
For the 99.99 per cent of use cases on-road, the engine and transmission work seamlessly for a driving experience that never feels inadequate or lacking in go, while the ride and compliance over bumpy roads is arguably better than some more expensive rivals in the segment.
The road handling capabilities of the Scorpio are also as you would expect from a vehicle its size. It steers and goes without feeling heavy or learning into corners more than desired. It also has a modern dual-pinion electronic power steering system, making parking a far easier job than more old-fashioned systems found in some rivals.
The Scorpio utilises a system that Mahindra calls ‘Frequency Dependent Damping’, which sees it remain largely composed over both a singular bump with high damping force and bumpier roads with low damping force.
Scorpio Safety Rating
This is where Mahindra is sure to be hit with an unfavourable score from Australia’s New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) because the Scorpio in its current iteration misses out on autonomous emergency braking (AEB). This feature has become mandatory in Australia since March 2023, after the Scorpio was launched.
For those of you who don’t know what AEB does, it’s basically a system that is always looking to see what is ahead of the vehicle and then applying the brakes automatically in case the driver is not paying attention. Is it useful? Absolutely. Is it critical? Absolutely not.
For now the only authority that has tested the vehicle and released the results is the Global New Car Assessment (GNCAP), which has given the Mahindra Scorpio five out of five stars, meaning that when it comes to actually having a crash, the Scorpio is very, very safe.
Don’t forget Mahindra is a steel producer (Scorpio is built with 73 per cent high-strength steel) and, as mentioned before, even supplies Airbus with military hardware, so it’s not here making tin boxes.
In time, ANCAP will undoubtedly come out with its usual sensationalist headline around cars like the Scorpio missing out on AEB, but for most buyers who just want a safe, feature-packed vehicle that is affordable, has a seven-year warranty and will serve their needs, take solace in its GNCAP safety score because that is far more relevant in the real world than ANCAP’s nonsensical system.
In fact, the boss of Global NCAP, Alejandro Furas, said of the Scorpio after the crash test (in December 2022): “Global NCAP congratulates Mahindra on its continuing commitment to safety, achieving five stars for adult occupant protection under our new, more demanding crash test protocols.”
Scorpio Warranty
The Mahindra Scorpio is the first model to be covered by the brand’s new factory-backed seven-year, 150,000km warranty for private buyers.
Scorpio Stock Availability
The Mahindra Scorpio is currently readily available in stock for most colours and trims. Mahindra has over 50 dealers in Australia.
Scorpio Infotainment
The base model Z8 comes with a 4.2-inch monochrome digital instrument cluster but still gains a great 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Step up to the Z8L and it will come equipped with a much nicer 7.0-inch colour digital instrument cluster as well as wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto on top of a 12-speaker Sony sound system and wireless phone charger.
Scorpio Boot Space
With all three rows in use, the boot of the Scorpio isn’t all that practical but it will easily fit the week’s grocery or a couple of small carry on suitcases. Fold the third row flat and you will get a substantial 686L of luggage space.
Scorpio Fuel Economy
Mahindra says the Scorpio will use 7.2 litres per 100km of diesel, though you’d likely be over 8L/100km in the real world. The Scorpio has a 57-litre fuel tank and also uses AdBlue.
The 2023 MAHINDRA SCORPIO-N is Combined (7.2) and E10 Compatible (-).
Scorpio Dimensions
The 2023 MAHINDRA SCORPIO-N measures 4662mm long, 1917mm wide and 1857mm tall, with a 2750mm tall wheelbase.
The 2023 MAHINDRA SCORPIO-N has a braked towing capacity of 2500kg and an unbraked towing capacity of 750kg.
Scorpio Market Fit
The Mahindra Scorpio is categorised as a Large SUV
Scorpio Reliability
The Mahindra Scorpio has so far proven itself to be a reliable car given reports from other markets where the SUV has been on sale for much longer than in Australia. The diesel engine coupled with its tried and tested transmission and Bosch parts for the drivetrain are sure to prove long lasting and reliable.
With the brand offering a strong 7-year warranty and very well priced servicing costs, we would not be worried about the vehicle's reliability.
Should you buy the Scorpio
The Mahindra Scorpio deserves a lot more consideration from buyers than it currently gets. It’s a solid SUV with a great interior that drives with confidence and comfort at an unbeatably low price.
It’s an excellent choice for families of four that would appreciate the great 2+2 setup in the first two rows. It comes with a solid warranty and a five-star safety rating from GNCAP, which validates its real-world crashworthiness.
It has some annoying features that we are hopeful can be fixed with a software update that all owners can get in time, but even without, it’s a solid offering that should – at the very least – make it to your test drive list to see what your money can actually get you compared to its significantly more expensive rivals.
Mahindra Scorpio Interesting Facts
Mahindra is a huge steel producer in India and uses its own steel to make the Scorpio, of which more than 70 percent is high-strength steel.
Frequently Asked Questions
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