Mahindra Scorpio 2023 Review

The 2023 Mahindra Scorpio is priced from just $41,990 drive-away for the entry-level Z8 variant, and from $44,990 drive-away for the top-shelf Z8L grade.

That makes both versions of the Indian car-maker’s all-new flagship SUV a lot cheaper than any other large diesel four-wheel drive wagon available in Australia.

Key off-road SUV rivals include the top-selling Toyota Prado (from $62,830 plus on-road costs), 4WD versions of the homegrown Ford Everest (from $58,290 plus ORCs), the popular Isuzu MU-X (from $54,900 plus ORCs) and LDV D90 (from $51,990 drive-away), plus the Toyota Fortuner (from $51,965 plus ORCs), Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (from $49,940 plus ORCs) and SsangYong Rexton (from $47,990 drive-away).

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 for ABN customers or from July 1.

But unlike its most popular rivals – almost all of which are twinned with ute models, just as the Scorpio will spawn the next Mahindra Pik-Up – Mahindra says there will be no waiting time for Scorpio buyers, with plenty of stock now ready for delivery via a dealer network that will expand to 60 outlets with the addition of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra showrooms in coming months.

Mahindra expects the Scorpio, which will be joined by the new XUV 700 medium SUV later this year, to become a top-three or top-four player in Australia’s 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 2023 Mahindra Scorpio Z8 comes standard with six seats (including two middle-row captain’s chairs), but is otherwise very well equipped for its segment, even in base form.

Standard kit across the range includes Rich Coffee brown/black synthetic leather trim, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear selector, a cooled glove box, push-button start, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, power-folding side mirrors and dual-zone climate-control air-conditioning with second-row vents.

There’s also 18-inch alloy wheels and LEDs for the (automatic) headlights, fog lights, tail-lights and indicators.

The Z8L flagship adds a six-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, a 7.0-inch colour info display to replace the Z8’s 4.2-inch mono screen and a host of other technologies (see below).

Just five exterior colours are 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 with a 20-litre tank that’s designed to span the vehicle’s 15,000km/12-month service intervals.

The Scorpio is the first model to come with Mahindra’s generous new seven-year/150,000km warranty for private buyers.

The 2023 Mahindra Scorpio received a five-star safety rating under the Global New Car Assessment Program (GNCAP) test regime, but is unlikely to attract the same maximum safety rating from ANCAP locally because it lacks autonomous emergency braking (AEB), which will become mandatory for all new vehicles sold in Australia from March 2025.

Other advanced driver safety aids unavailable in the Scorpio include lane keeping assistance, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and adaptive cruise control.

Mahindra says the Scorpio will eventually be fitted with AEB for Australia – as well as a second-row bench seat, making it a seven-seater – and submitted for local ANCAP testing, but provided no timeline on when that will happen.

For now, standard safety features across the Scorpio range include electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, trailer sway mitigation, rollover mitigation, tyre pressure monitoring, reversing camera, hill hold control, hill descent control, two ISOFIX and top-tether child-seat anchors for the second row, vented brake discs all round and six airbags including side curtains – but they don’t entirely cover the third row.

At base level, the 2023 Mahindra Scorpio comes with an average-sized 8.0-inch central infotainment touch-screen with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and USB ports front and rear (USB-C).

The multimedia system covers all the basics and is reasonably intuitive, responsive and easy to navigate, but there’s no native satellite navigation, no digital radio, no front 12V outlet and no electric park brake.

The up-spec Z8L adds wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless smartphone charger, 12-speaker Sony sound system, front parking sensors and a front camera with HD image storage.

The 2023 Mahindra Scorpio comes exclusively with 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 – outputs that are lower than all of its rivals.

It’s matched as standard with a six-speed Aisin automatic transmission and a selectable 4WD system with dual-range transfer case and 2H/4H/4L options, plus an electro-mechanical Eaton rear diff lock, brake-controlled traction control and 4XPlor off-road driving modes including Normal, Snow, Mud/Ruts and Sand.

Because the 2023 Mahindra Scorpio is shorter and, at just 2085kg tare (2100kg for the Z8L), significantly lighter than its direct rivals, it’s also a fair bit more fuel efficient at 7.2L/100km combined.

Automatic engine idle-stop helps too, although it doesn’t react as quickly as some systems and, oddly, doesn’t restart the engine if deactivated at standstill, which as we discovered can leave you stranded at the lights.

A relatively small 57-litre fuel tank equates to a driving range of just under 800km, but Mahindra says it is working with local aftermarket suppliers to develop accessory snorkels, roof racks, nudge bars, bull bars and 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.

On the road, the 2023 Mahindra Scorpio is a pleasure to drive. A commanding driving position, good visibility all round and a dual-pinion electric power steering system that returns a 12.6m turning circle make it relatively easy to manoeuvre in urban environments like car parks.

The steering is super-light at low speeds but weights up nicely at speed and, combined with a reasonably firm chassis tune, makes it enjoyable to throw into bends on the open road with confidence.

Despite the surprising lack of body roll in corners, ride quality is a standout feature of the Scorpio, which can be a bit fidgety over sharp lumps but remains calm and composed over a wide range of road surfaces.

Body control is a highlight though, and the Scorpio keeps to a minimum the type of mid-corner wheel deflection that blights many body-on-frame SUVs over mid-corner bumps.

Matching the well-sorted ride/handling package is a willing and refined new diesel engine that’s smooth, quiet, flexible and never feels underpowered despite its modest outputs, thanks to the relatively low kerb weight.

Operated by a conventional gear shifter, the six-speed auto is equally user-friendly and consistently extracts the best from an engine that delivers peak torque over an accessible 1750-2750rpm, but feels a bit anaemic near its 3500rpm redline.

The only real blight on the driving experience is a driveline knock when you hit the accelerator on the move, and the auto-locking rear diff that can be felt opening and closing in low-speed off-road situations.

The 2023 Mahindra Scorpio is well-equipped for extended Outback treks and reasonably hard-core bush-bashing, with plenty of mechanical traction – despite the firmish chassis set-up and 255/60R18 MRF Wanderer highway tyres – thanks to all the requisite off-road specs.

These include double-wishbone front suspension and a Watts linkage live rear axle providing a decent 227mm of ground clearance, an approach angle of 27.2 degrees, departure angle of 21.3 degrees and breakover angle of 23.5 degrees.

There’s a proper low-range reduction ratio and an auto-locking rear diff to go with the shift-on-the-fly (up to 80km/h) 4WD system with selectable off-road modes including Normal, Snow, Sand and Mud/Ruts, plus a full-size spare, hill descent control and frequency-dependent damping.

Side steps are standard and towing capacity is listed at a relatively meagre 2500kg braked (750kg unbraked), payload at 525kg (510kg for the Z8L), GVM at 2610kg and GCM at 5155kg.

In addition to more than a million kilometres of development driving overseas, Mahindra also tested the Scorpio locally to ensure it’s fit for Aussie conditions. A team of engineers subjected three vehicles to 120,000km of local road testing over six months, including towing in 45-degree heat, driving them for consecutive 17-18-hour days and a 10,000km non-stop gravel road stint.

The 4x4 wagon feels solid and air-tight, with doors that require a firm thud to close and a body that’s stiffer than the segment average, claims Mahindra.

The 2023 Mahindra Scorpio cabin is spacious, comfortable, well designed and very quiet, with hard plastic surfaces on the dashboard, door cards and kick panels being the only obvious cheap materials, although some off-road enthusiasts might appreciate their scratch resistance.

A loose-fitting driver’s side arm rest was the only quality control issue we encountered in the several vehicles we drove but, disappointingly, the steering column is not reach-adjustable, there’s just one central cup holder up front and, apart from lacking full-length side curtain airbags, third-row occupants also miss out on air vents and USB ports.

Indeed, the twin rear bench seat is very much an occasional-use or kids-only zone with limited legroom, because the Scorpio is almost 300mm shorter than its key rivals and no longer than some mid-size SUVs at less than 4.7m overall on a 2750mm wheelbase.

Mahindra is quick to point out that, at 4662mm long and 1917mm wide, its combined 8.93-square-metre footprint places it firmly in the industry’s large SUV segment, and that the Scorpio offers six per cent better visibility than its key rivals, three per cent more shoulder-room and class-leading headroom and legroom.

But the Pininfarina-designed SUV is a lot shorter than the Everest (4940mm), MU-X (4850mm), Pajero Sport (4825mm) and Fortuner (4795mm), even if it’s taller than all four models at 1857mm and wider than all but the Everest and MU-X (which are just 6mm wider).

The result is 756 litres of cargo space behind the middle-row seats (almost 150L less than Everest) and almost no space behind the rear seat when they’re in place. And when they’re not, the third-row bench folds up behind the second row – not into the floor.

But at least the tailgate is hinged on the correct (right-hand) side for our roads and, while the Scorpio’s rear seat might never offer the legroom, safety or amenity of its direct competitors, nobody heads Outback with seven people on board anyway.

And for those who want a large 4x4 wagon for its go-anywhere capability rather than people-carrying capacity, a benefit of the Scorpio’s short body and tight rear packaging is improved off-road ability.

Absolutely – if you don’t care about the missing safety and multimedia features, the lack of seven seats and the tight third row in the 2023 Mahindra Scorpio.

But while some might rejoice in the lack of lane-keeping system interference, there’s really no excuse for any car-maker to launch a new vehicle today without potentially life-saving auto-braking tech, especially when it’s standard in almost all small cars and will soon be mandated.

That said, when Mahindra does add AEB and a second-row bench seat within a couple of years, the Scorpio will become a welcome addition to the growing off-road SUV market while – hopefully – remaining cheaper than its chief rivals.

So adventurous Aussie families and grey nomads on a budget should certainly consider the Scorpio in future.

2023 Mahindra Scorpio at a glance:
Price: From $41,990 (drive-away for private buyers until June 30)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 129kW/400Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 190g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (Global NCAP)