Indian brand’s all-new large off-road SUV to undercut all of its 4WD diesel rivals on price, but seven seats and key safety aids missing
Mahinda Australia has announced a $41,990 drive-away starting price for the all-new 2023 Mahindra Scorpio, making it the country’s cheapest large diesel four-wheel drive SUV by a significant margin.
Two versions of the Indian car-maker’s first all-new model in a decade are available to order from today, and even the Z8L flagship will cost less than $45,000 on the road, at $44,990 drive-away.
That’s considerably less than 4WD diesel versions of chief rivals including the SsangYong Rexton (from $47,990 drive-away), Mitsubishi Pajero Sport ($49,940 plus ORCs), Toyota Fortuner ($51,965 plus ORCs), LDV D90 ($51,990 drive-away), Isuzu MU-X ($54,900 plus ORCs), Ford Everest ($58,290 plus ORCs) and the top-selling Toyota Prado ($62,830 plus ORCs).
However, the Scorpio’s nationwide ‘introductory’ drive-away pricing is available only to private buyers until June 30 and Mahindra is yet to advise pricing from July 1 or for ABN customers.
More importantly, the third-generation Mahindra Scorpio – known as the Scorpio-N in India and the first version of the large SUV to be sold in Australia – will only come with six seats and lacks key safety technologies that are effectively pre-requisites for a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.
These include lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert and a potentially life-saving autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system, which is standard in most new models today and became mandatory for all newly-introduced vehicles approved for sale in Australia from March 2023.
Mahindra says the Scorpio will be fitted with at least AEB for Australia – as well as a second-row bench seat instead of the launch model’s twin captain’s chairs, making it a seven-seater – and submitted for local ANCAP testing, but provided no timeline on when that will happen.
For now, it has achieved a five-star safety rating under the more lenient Global New Car Assessment Program (GNCAP) test regime.
Standard safety features include electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, trailer sway mitigation, rollover mitigation, vented disc brakes all round, tyre pressure monitoring, reversing camera, hill hold control, hill descent control, two Isofix and top-tether child-seat anchors for the second row, and six airbags including side curtains – but they don’t entirely cover the third row.
Both Scorpio variants otherwise come very well equipped (see below).
Based on an all-new ladder frame that will form the basis of the long-awaited new-generation Mahindra Pik-Up, the Scorpio incorporates double-wishbone front suspension, a Watts linkage live rear axle, electro-mechanical rear diff lock and a dual-range transfer case with 2H/4H/4L and selectable 4XPlor off-road driving modes.
It is powered by a new all-aluminium mHawk 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that develops 129kW of power at 3500rpm and 400Nm of torque over 1750-2750rpm, matched as standard with a six-speed Aisin automatic transmission.
Those outputs are lower than all of its rivals, but the Scorpio is smaller and, at just 2085kg tare (2100kg for the Z8L), significantly lighter than its direct rivals, making it more efficient at 7.2L/100km combined, thanks in part to idle-stop tech.
Combined with a relatively small 57-litre fuel tank, that means a range of just under 800km, but Mahindra says it is working with the aftermarket (which is also developing accessory nudge bars, bull bars and snorkels) to offer a rear bar to relocate the full-size spare from underneath the vehicle to the right-hinged tailgate, creating space for a range-extending sub-tank.
Designed by Pininfarina, which is owned by Mahindra, the Scorpio is classified as a large SUV but sits at the lower end of the segment in terms of dimensions at 4662mm long (similar to many mid-size SUVs), but a sizeable 1917mm wide and 1857mm tall, riding on a 2750mm wheelbase.
That makes it a lot shorter than the Everest (4940mm), MU-X (4850mm), Pajero Sport (4825mm) and Fortuner (4795mm), but higher than all four models and wider than all but the Everest and MU-X (just 6mm narrower).
Mahindra says the Scorpio offers six per cent better visibility than its key rivals, three per cent more shoulder room and class-leading rear legroom.
Towing capacity is listed at 2500kg braked (750kg unbraked), payload at 525kg (510kg for the Z8L), GVM at 2610kg and GCM at 5155kg, while ground clearance is 227mm, approach angle is 27.2 degrees, departure angle is 21.3 degrees and breakover angle is 23.5 degrees.
And a dual-pinion electic power steering system produces a 12.6m turning circle, but the steering column is adjustable for rake only.
Just five exterior colours will be available including Everest White, Napoli Black, Dazzling Silver, Red Rage and the Deep Forest green hero.
Capped-price service prices are yet to be announced but the Euro 6b emissions-compliant engine requires AdBlue exhaust aftertreatment and its 20-litre tank is designed to span the vehicle’s 15,000km/12-month service intervals.
Mahindra says it has already delivered more than 40,000 examples of the new Scorpio since its release in India in August 2022 and South Africa in November 2022, following a development program that included one million kilometres of testing across four continents, including 120,000km in Australia.
Mahindra Australia would not divulge its sales targets, but expects its first Scorpio to become a top three or four player in the large body-on-frame off-road SUV segment, which at about 60,000 vehicles annually accounts for about a third of the large SUV market.
The rejuvenated Indian brand insists it will have sufficient stock to eliminate any waiting lists in Australia, where its dealer network will expand from 50 to 60 after the opening of new urban outlets in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra in coming months (Brisbane and Perth were added recently).
The Scorpio is the first Mahindra model in Australia to offer a new seven-year, 150,000km warranty (including roadside assist) for private buyers.
2023 Mahindra Scorpio Z8 standard features:
- 4WD with Normal, Snow, Mud/Ruts and Sand modes
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Auto LED headlights
- LED fog lights and tail-lights
- 8.0-inch infotainment touch-screen
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Front and rear USB ports
- Cooled glovebox
- Reversing camera
- Push-button start
- Dual-zone climate-control air-conditioning with second-row vents
- Rich Coffee brown/black synthetic leather-look seat trim
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear selector
- Power-folding side mirrors
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Cruise control
- Anti-lock brake system
- Electronic stability control
- Tyre pressure monitoring
- Six airbags
- 2023 Mahindra Scorpio Z8L adds:
- Wireless smartphone charger
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- 12-speaker Sony sound system
- Front parking sensors
- Front camera with HD image storage
- Six-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
- 7.0-inch colour instrument display
How much does the 2023 Mahindra Scorpio cost?
Z8 – $41,990
Z8L – $44,990
* Prices are drive-away until June 30 for private buyers
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Keyword: 2023 Mahindra Scorpio: Australian pricing and specs