Indian brand’s new flagship SUV to debut officially on June 27; Australian release likely
Mahindra has revealed its answer to the ever-popular Isuzu MU-X, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Toyota Prado in the form of the 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N, an all-new large off-road SUV that carsales understands is firmly on the radar for local introduction.
Described by its creators as the ‘#BigDaddyOfSUVs’, the new Mahindra Scorpio-N will be released in its native Indian market on June 27 with both petrol and diesel power, and sold alongside its predecessor, which in turn will be rebranded as the Mahindra Scorpio Classic.
Reports out of India suggest the Scorpio-N engine line-up will be similar to that of the inbound Mahindra XUV700; namely a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder good for 147kW/380Nm and a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel offering up to 114kW/450Nm depending on the transmission.
Underpinned by the Mahindra Thar’s relatively new ladder-frame platform and predictably available with the choice of 4×2 and 4×4 configurations (the latter including a low-range ratios), Mahindra says it has designed the Scorpio-N “to meet the aspirations of the young and tech-savvy customers” in the market for a robust full-size SUV.
The rugged chassis is wrapped in a similarly rugged body featuring a boxy front-end, contrasting skid plates, black body cladding and the signature elevated hip line seen on various other Mahindra SUVs, although in this instance it’s not pronounced enough to interrupt the overall square theme.
Mahindra clearly has high hopes for its new flagship SUV given it’s intended to “redefine the SUV segment in India”.
“The All-New Scorpio-N is expected to recreate benchmarks in the SUV segment in India yet again,” Mahindra and Mahindra automotive division president Veejay Nakra said.
“With an unmissable design, thrilling performance and high-end technology, we continue to carry forward the Mahindra legacy of building authentic, tough yet sophisticated SUVs.
“The Scorpio-N signifies our commitment towards bringing world-class SUVs to the Indian market and creating a delightful ownership experience for our customers.”
Provided it gets given the greenlight Down Under, the Scorpio-N will join the aforementioned XUV700 medium SUV – due here later in the year – in local showrooms alongside the established Mahindra Pik-Up, a replacement for which should inherit the new Scorpio’s fresh platform within a year or so.
In the meantime, the existing Mahindra Pik-up will finally become available in automatic dual-cab form in the second half of this year – and become compliant with Australia’s new ADR 85 pole side impact regulation due in force for all new models from November 1, 2022.
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Keyword: New Mahindra Scorpio-N aims at Toyota Prado