I felt that the ride was more sorted in some cases than the Fortuner.
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I test drove the vehicle in Ahmedabad today. Currently the variant available for TD was the Petrol Automatic (57 km on the ODO). I have been told that the diesel auto will be made available in a couple of days from now.
We were 4 people in the car. Me, wifey, a friend and the sales person from the dealership. Car looked ‘bawaal’ in black from the front and a total Wagon R from the rear (from a distance). We were overwhelmed by the size of the bonnet and also the height. The 18 inchers look beautiful. I test drove for a good 20 km – from good roads, to open stretches, flyovers, speedbumps, rough road patches, roads with only top surface off, and rough road stretches with potholes.
Steering: One word: light. The steering is light weight and you would never feel you are driving a 4.7m 2000+ kg car. At speeds of about 80-100 kmph, you start getting the feeling that the electronics have now put more weight in the steering. At no point from 0-100 does the steering feel ‘not direct’. I use a Jeep Compass for my daily commute of about 60 km, and to me, this was a little underwhelming. Compass steering makes you feel like you are driving a heavier car than you actually are, and its just the opposite with the Scorpio N. Overall feedback; I will get used to it.
Engine: The engine is as silent as they come. Very quick ignition, and almost no stutters, shudders inside the cabin. At city speeds, no engine sound will travel inside. As long as you are driving sanely on highways, no engine sound will travel inside. Only past 2500 RPM you hear the motor.
It is a powerful motor. I wasn’t left searching for power anywhere during my drive. The crawl from standstill is good to climb your office parking ramps, small inclines on the mountains without you having to press the pedal. But once you press the pedal, the car moves peacefully. Press it hard, and the motor revvs to make you smile. The maximum I took the car was 110 kmph, and the car wasn’t out of breath anywhere.
Gearbox: I found it to be a quick gearbox if not the quickest. At sane driving, I did not feel the gearshifts. At higher revvs, it does make you feel that it takes that fraction of a second to shift to next.
Seating: I sat both in the driver seat and also for a km as the second row passenger. The driver’s seat is what makes this the big daddy I believe. Commanding position, clear view of the road, large windows, clear bonnet lines. I did not find the A pillar to be intruding my clear view of the road, though this can be verified by people who test drive the car near the mountains or hills. Rear seat: Comfortable. Enough legroom, enough headroom, enough thigh support, enough airiness, enough said. Please note that I will be using the car mostly with 5 seats and hence did not check the third row. My co test drivers were also feeling comfortable in the seats and shared my opinion of the large cabin space till the second row. Nobody volunteered to check the third row though
Ride: Well this is sorted. I have read reviews and seen YouTube videos saying this is not comparable to the Fortuner but I disagree. I have two Fortuners to compare to. From friends who drive: (2019 Sigma 4), (2015 4X2 AT). I felt that the ride was more sorted in some cases than the Fortuner. e.g., I felt that the lateral movement of the car was lesser in the Scorpio over uneven patches of roads.
Smaller potholes, rough patches etc do not travel inside the cabin. The car does not make you nervous during sudden lane changes, fast 50-60 degree corners. I did not find the car to be wobbly or unsettling on uneven patches. You can crunch miles on this car all day long.
I sat in the second row too – though I will never be using that seat personally. The car is stable, and the ride quality is excellent. I want to compare it with Innova – but then this is no Innova. It is a Scorpio and is several times better than the older version.
Brakes: Brakes are sharp, but you have to get used to them. The bite is present but the feedback is absent. Would have liked a bit more feedback on the brakes.
Cabin: The cabin is roomy and plush. The air conditioning works very well (till at least the second row). The car was standing outside in the sun and the AC cooled it down in a couple of minutes.
Overall feedback: I will buy the AT 4WD Z8 in black. Have already added to the cart and have also spoken to the dealer. The options I have are the Meridian and the Fortuner. Meridian costs about 20L more than the Scorpio and the Toyota even more! With what I test drove today, I am ready to save my money and say ‘Go Mahindra’.
Keyword: A Jeep Compass owner test drives the Mahindra Scorpio-N