The Scorpio is a household name in the Indian car market since the year 2002; the SUV has many accolades to its name including ‘Best car of the year’, ‘Best SUV of the year’ and much more. While the first generation SUV was introduced back in 2002, the second generation was introduced just after four years in 2006. Much later Mahindra decided to up their game and introduced the third-generation SUV back in 2014. Now after almost three years of its production Mahindra has decided to launch the facelift variant of the SUV.

The 2017 Mahindra Scorpio facelift variant will most likely get some exterior and interior updates while there won’t be any significant change under the hood. The SUV was caught testing couple of times already which gives us an idea that it will most probably launch towards the end of 2017.

The Scorpio is one of the first SUV’s which was developed in-house by M&M engineers. M&M engineers also developed the 2.2 Litre mHawk engine which powers some other Mahindra suvs at the same time. While the launch of the new Scorpio facelift is nearing, we are here to provide you all the details of the facelifted SUV available at this moment.

Mahindra & Mahindra has officially discontinued the Scorpio Automatic from India. The Scorpio automatic variant was launched almost two years ago and was available with the S10 grade and was available with both two-wheel as well four-wheel drive configuration with a starting price of INR. 13.13 Lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi).

Mahindra has removed the Scorpio AT variant from their Indian website entirely; the automatic variant was powered by the 2.2 Litre mHawk diesel unit which produced about 120 Bhp and 280 Nm of torque. This same engine is also available with a manual variant as well.

Now there are no words on yet on why Mahindra took the decision to discontinue this SUV variant, but few reports on the internet state that Mahindra has plans to introduce a new & modern Automatic gearbox when they introduce the facelift model in the Indian market. There is a fair chance that the new Automatic gearbox will be equally smooth and responsive as the ones found in the new XUV500.

Apart from the Automatic gearbox on the Scorpio and XUV500 Mahindra also offers AMT gearbox as well with the TUV300 and the Nuvosport.

Currently, the Scorpio price range starts from INR. 9 Lakhs onward while the top end variant priced at INR. 15.35 Lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi).

Mahindra has stored a lot of surprises for their fans in the coming months. The renowned Utility vehicle manufacturer has planned lots of new launches for the Indian customers to stay on top of their game. Last year the Automaker lost a lot of their ground because of the increasing competition from manufacturers like Hyundai, Maruti and also Ford. Some of the products like the KUV100, Nuvosport also failed to attract the attention of the buyers which was also one of the causes of their failure.

So to regain their lost control Mahindra is planning atleast 4 new product launches in the year 2017. Below provided are the list of 4 such cars and few others which will be launched in India in the year 2017 and early 2018.

Mahindra has recently introduced the Scorpio Adventure edition. The SUV is a limited edition model which has gone on sale and is actually slightly pricier than the standard top end trim. Mahindra did introduce the Scorpio Adventure edition last year as well, and it came with few cosmetic updates to its exterior and interior but unfortunately has not received any mechanical changes under the hood.

The newly introduced 2017 Scorpio Adventure edition gets the same kind of cosmetic treatment as well but has it received anything new apart from that? For that, you have to go through this overview article.

Click past jump to read more about the 2017 Mahindra Scorpio Adventure Limited edition

On this auspicious occasion of Independence Day we actually decided to do something different. We know all of you are in happy cheerful holiday mood and enjoying this special day with your family and close friends we actually decided to look back and enjoy some proud moments from the Indian automotive world.

Here is a quick look at 6 of the very special Indian cars which has made all the difference in the Indian automotive scenario and even made our India proud in International market as well.

Click past jump to read more about the 6 Indian cars which made all the difference

Mahindra & Mahindra has introduced the completely new Scorpio which comes with ‘Intelli-Hybrid’ technology which is actually a newly developed mild hybrid technology. This new system is available across the entire manual gearbox equipped variants which actually uses Mahindra’s renowned mHawk diesel unit. The new Scorpio Intelli-Hybrid is priced at Rs 12.84 lakh (ex-showroom, Navi Mumbai) for the top S10 2WD variant.

According to Mahindra the new Intelli-Hybrid technology can reduce fuel consumption by up to 7%. The system comes into effect while you actually accelerate or decelerate the vehicle. The electric motor assists the other motor and creates brake energy redistribution. The intell-Hybrid technology also consists of start stop technology as well which automatically turns off the engine while the vehicle is stationary and uses the brake energy to charge the battery. In other words the new technology by Mahindra works just like SHVS technology which was invented by Maruti and used in some of their cars. The intelli-Hybrid technology also helps in contributing towards greener and cleaner environment.

The only unfortunate thing is the base S2 trim actually misses out the newest technology because this is actually equipped with the older 2.5-litre diesel motor instead of the new 2.2 Litre unit. However the variant gets Mahindra’s Micro-Hybrid start-stop technology. Moreover the 1.99 litre which has been meant for the market of Delhi and NCR regions also misses out this new feature.

In terms of features the new Scorpio gets an automatic transmission system and voice messaging system as well. The new Intelli-Hybrid system is available with the S4, S4+, S4+ 4wd, S6+, S8, S10-2WD (Manual Transmission) and S10-4WD (Manual Transmission) trims. The 2.2 Litre m-Hawk engine is capable of producing about 120 Bhp of peak power at 4000 rpm and 280 Nm of torque in between 1800-2800 rpm.

Mahindra is known as the SUV maker of India. The automaker boasts several popular SUVs in its stable. Mahindra Scorpio is a rugged looking yet stylish model from the Indian automaker. The car comes with a strong presence on road. It can also act as a perfect off roading vehicle for the adventure lovers. Here is a video of a Mahindra Scorpio crossing a raging river twice within one minute. Check out.

Mahindra Scorpio is available in six different trims. On the powertrain front the car sports two different engines options. One is a 2523 cc m2DICR four cylinder turbocharged CRDI engine churning out 75 bhp of peak power at 3200 rpm and 200 Nm of peak torque between 1400 rpm to 2200 rpm. The other engine is a 2179 cc mHawk turbocharger CRDI engine kicking out 120 bhp of peak power and 280 Nm of peak torque.

It’s been half a year, 2000 cc diesel engines are banned in Delhi and NCR. Because of that several automakers like Mercedes Benz, Toyota, Mahindra & Mahindra, Audi, BMW has seen steep decline in their sales figures. While automaker like Toyota has threatened not to launch any new models in the country, automaker like Tata Motors and Mahindra has changed their strategy to equip the Delhi and NCR spec large cars with sub 2000 cc engines. On the other side, the sales of petrol cars have been increased.

Meanwhile Supreme Court has announced they are open to lift the ban on 2000 cc and larger diesel engine powered cars in Delhi and NCR. But condition remains, as the Apex Court has suggested an one time cess to impose on the large cars. Which means the price of these cars will significantly increase. Another question remains; who ever pays hefty, gets the license to pollute? No wonder, another big debate is awaiting.

Meanwhile, we take a look at the popular SUVs with 2000 cc or larger diesel engines under the hood, which have been greatly affected by the ban in Delhi and NCR.

Both the Toyota Innova and the Mahindra Scorpio are very popular cars in Indian market. The Toyota Innova has been the best selling model in the MPV segment for a decade, while the Mahindra Scorpio also has been selling in the Indian market for quite long time. Although structurally the Mahindra Scorpio is built for off roading jobs, but the Toyota Innova is most favourite for the people movers like fleet operators.

Here is a video shot in the way from Leh to Pangong, which show a Toyota Innova struggling to overcome the challenge of rocky, bumpy road. The large car somehow managed to cross the spot but with lot of effort, while the Mahindra Scorpio crosses the spot without much effort. Although the next generation Innova Crysta is more than just a people mover, but the old model was not built to take on the rough roads. Take a look at the video here.

Mahindra & Mahindra is known for being the SUV maker of India. The automaker has several popular SUVs in its stable. Indian customers are generally fond of two particular segments when it comes to cars; compact hatchbacks and SUVs. The Mahindra being the manufacturer of the tough SUVs have always been popular among Indian customers. The automaker organizes off-roading trips for its customers in the rugged and rocky region like Spiti valley in Himachal Pradesh, which is known for challenging the drivers with its rocky trails.

Here is a video which shows how a contingent of Mahindra Thars and Mahindra Scorpios taking on the mighty Spiti valley roads, or shall we call it off-roads. Take a look.

In the wake of anti diesel vibe in India in regions like Delhi and Kerala, Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra is planning to introduce petrol engines to its very popular models like Scorpio and XUV500. The Scorpio has been one of the most popular models in the product lineup of the largest SUV maker of India.

On the other hand the Mahindra XUV500, which is the range topping model from the Mumbai based automaker is also pretty popular. Equipped with the diesel engine both these models have been facing the trouble of ban in states like Delhi and Kerala. Now the automaker is gearing up to introduce the petrol engine to both the models, and expect the petrol versions of these SUV to launch later this year only.

As Delhi-NCR and Kerala, both comes with bans imposed on cars bearing 2000 cc and above diesel engines, Mahindra launched a Scorpio and XUV500 with smaller 1.99 cc diesel engines in NCR, which somehow saved the company from a steeply declining sales figure in the national capital region. Now the company believes taking an all diesel approach would make negative impact on its business in near future, which led the company to develop petrol versions of the popular SUVs. Not only that, in future all the Mahindra cars will come featuring both petrol and diesel engines. The automaker is investing a total of INR. 1000 crore to develop the petrol engines.

We Indians have a general fondness toward the SUVs. In recent years, the compact SUVs have become immensely popular in the country. Despite being too price with high end technologies and features the compact SUVs offer us a chance to unleash our off-roading loving souls, and that too without shelling out plenty of money.

In last five years we have seen compact SUVs like Ford EcoSport, Renault Duster grabbing large chunks of the Indian market, while last year Hyundai launched the Creta, which also become popular in very short span. But, as it seems, the Maruti-Suzuki Vitara Brezza, which is the first compact SUV in the market from the Indo Japanese automaker has broke all records. Weeks after the launch of the car Vitara Brezza raked in half a lakh bookings.

Here we brought you a list of five compact SUVs, which you can afford without shelling a huge chunk of your saving, and yet you can get the desired performance both on and off the roads. Let’s take a look at those five SUVs, which offer value for money.

Global NCAP is an independent body who conducts crash safety test on various cars across the world. They came into the limelight when they tested five of the most popular small family cars of the India including the Tata Nano, Maruti Alto800, Hyundai i10, Ford Figo, Volkswagen Polo back in the year 2014. All the Indian popular hatchbacks scored miserably at the 2014 Crash test raising a big question about safety of their occupants.

Now after almost two years of that horrible incident, Global NCAP once again proved that the Indian manufacturers has not taken any big step after that horrific crash test results two years ago towards the safety of the passengers.

Global NCAP recently conducted a new test on five different popular Indian cars this time and the results are unexpectedly shocking. The five cars which were tested this time included the popular Renault Kwid, Maruti Suzuki Celerio, Maruti Suzuki Eeco, Hyundai Eon and Mahindra Scorpio. Unfortunately all of them failed the test miserable leaving a big question once again about the safety of the adult occupants inside the car during the time of crash. What is even more disappointing is also the fact that these were the results after increasing awareness about vehicle safety in India over the past two years.

So why the Indian manufacturers are still making sub standard cars which are not even able to provide even the basic safety features for its occupants? What is even more shocking as well as surprising is also the fact that these cars were crash tested at speeds of 64 kph which is an average speed on our highways. Indian roads are considered one of the most dangerous and unsafe roads of the world but still we are lagging far behind when it comes to road safety. Although many auto makers are providing airbags nowadays even in the base variant but there are still many automakers that are not moreover a big question is also raised about the structural integrity of these passenger cars.

Below provided are the actually crash safety test results of the five various cars that were tested recently

Mahindra has been known as the SUV maker for Indian market. Their ranges of SUVs are simply breathtaking. If we have to talk about the Mahindra brand, we just can’t ignore the Scorpio, as it has been one of the revolutionary models from the brand in Indian market. Not only in India, the Mahindra Scorpio has garnered global appreciation as well. The present generation of Mahindra Scorpio doesn’t only look stylish, but it also comes with a rugged, bold and muscular appearance. The car looks sporty and truly exhibiting its off-roading capable character.

Mahindra and Mahindra has just launched a special edition of the popular SUV in Indian market, dubbed as Mahindra Scorpio Adventure, which is based on the top end trim of the model S10. The car comes with manual transmission, and it is available in both 2WD and 4WD versions. Priced at INR. 13.07 lakh (ex showroom, Navi Mumbai) the Mahindra Scorpio Adventure is an SUV specially designed for those, who love to go of roading trips in those rugged Himalayan terrains.

Here are a few things to know about the Mahindra Scorpio Adventure.

Mahindra & Mahindra, the country’s leading utility vehicle manufacturer has launched the Mahindra Scorpio 1.99L and Mahindra XUV500 1.99L in Delhi. The bookings for the vehicles were opened a few weeks ago. The Scorpio has a starting price of INR 9.67 lakh whereas the XUV500 begins from INR 11.58 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom, Delhi.

There is no doubt in the fact that the Mahindra Scorpio still remains a popular choice amongst the SUV lovers of India after a lot of new SUV’s are introduced by different auto manufacturers in the same price range. India’s largest utility vehicle manufacturer introduced the next generation Scorpio in 2014 and now what it looks like from the spyshots is that Mahindra is actually planning to introduce a special edition Scorpio in the next couple of months.

The SUV which was caught testing in these spyshots actually is getting a new body graphics, while it also looks like that it actually also gets Black alloy wheels and brake callipers painted in Red. The other noticeable changes in this special edition Scorpio comes in the form of silver colored door handles, silver finished claddings towards the lower half of the body and lastly roof rails finished in chrome. Although there are no images of the interior available yet but expect it to get some tweaks as well to match with the overall exterior finish. You can expect completely new upholstery and perhaps some new features for the comfort of the passengers inside.

Hopefully there will be no changes made to the drivetrain and the specila edition Scorpio will be powered by the same 2.2 Litre mHawk four-cylinder diesel engine, which is actually capable of producing about 120 Bhp of peak power at 4000 rpm and 280 Nm of torque available in between 1200-2800 rpm. The engine is paired to a 5 speed manual gearbox but there is also a chance that it might get the advantage of six speed automatic transmission as well.

Mahindra is one the leading auto manufacturers known for their range of amazing stylish off road passenger cars. They have been the strongest competitor in the off roading vehicles in the Indian automotive sector for long time. If we have to talk about the off roading cars from Mahindra, then we must not forget the legend Mahindra Scorpio. It has been the best and most popular car in the segment for long time.

Although, lately, there are so many other auto manufacturers bringing up their array of off roading vehicles, but no matter what, it is an undeniable fact that Mahindra Scorpio still is one of the most popular off roading car of the nation, and that too with sheer style. Specially, the youngest generation of Scorpio comes with extreme urban appeal. It has been named as the ‘SUV of the Year’, ‘Peoples SUV of the Year’ several times.

Do you park your car outside your house at night? What if tomorrow morning you suddenly found out that your car is gone? That might just not be shocking, but also heart wrenching. After all, we know you put your hard earned money into that that car, and strong connection you have with your car.

Well, we don’t have any intention to frighten you. But, the car thieves do have plenty of ways and reasons to make you frightened. After all, it is a very common practice in India. Usually car thieves love those cars, which come with greater resale value. Popularity of the model is also a great factor while stealing a car. Therefore the cars from makers like Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra come top on the list of car thieves.

Hindustan Ambassadors have been immensely popular in India for decades. Presently these iconic cars are out of production, but still in use vehemently. Many people in their middle age still consider this old beauty as their tried and tested cars. Not only that. Although, the taxi cabs are gradually growing in Indian metro cities, but Indian taxi riders at large still prefer the old yellow cabs, which are all Hindustan Ambassadors. Now you must be thinking why we are talking all these irrelevant facts. Yes, we know that you know it all. But the fact is, being such a popular car and with great resale value Hindustan Ambassador is also a great attractive pretty thing to the car thieves.

Here we brought you a list of cars, which are the most stolen cars of India. Take a look.

Ever since Mahindra launched the new Scorpio way back in September 2014, we knew that the automatic variant will be coming. But it took them 10 months to launch it. Mahindra has silently launched the automatic variant of the new Scorpio and they have launched it around the same time Hyundai launched the Creta diesel automatic.

The new Scorpio comes with restyled exterior that includes new headlamps and tail lamps and a new grille that makes the car look aggressive. But the main changes are a new modular chassis and new suspension, all designed to reduce body roll.

The automatic transmission will available on the fully loaded S10 variant only. The SUV will be powered by a 2.2 litre mHawk diesel engine producing 120 BHP and 280 Nm of torque. It will be mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission which is available as an option. It will be available for both the two-wheel drive vehicle and the four-wheel drive vehicle. This transmission is the same unit that was available in the previous generation Scorpio but now shifts faster. The transmission gets a manual ‘M’ mode for more torque and manual control and a Winter/ Wet ‘W’ mode for more grip while driving over slippery surfaces.

The new Mahindra Scorpio S10 automatic costs INR 13.13 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the two-wheel drive car and INR 14.32 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the four-wheel drive car.

Although this is not official yet but according to the report Mahindra Scorpio AT has been launched in India and it is available only with the top end S10 trim only. Fortunately this automatic variant is available in both 2 wheel and 4 wheel drive. Just as I mentioned above this announcement has not been official yet and thus the original prices are not known however we feel that the Mahindra Scorpio AT is expected to be priced a Lakh above the existing manual variant prices.

The new Mahindra Scorpio AT would be getting the six speed torque converter unit while the previous Scorpio AT was a 5 speed unit. This new transmission will be paired to a 2.2 Litre M-Hawk four cylinder diesel motor which produces about 120 Bhp of peak power at 4000 rpm and 280 Nm of torque between 1800-2800 rpm. The booking for the Automatic variant already commenced and there is a waiting period of 1 month.

Some of the Mahindra Showrooms has already started taking booking for the new Scorpio AT variant and the customers can book their automatic variant by paying a token amount of INR. 1 Lakh. The Automatic Variant has not received any styling change in its exterior not any cosmetic change in its interior but will sport the new automatic badging towards the rear of the SUV which will help it differentiate it from the manual variants.

Stay with us because we will definitely reveal the prices as soon as the new is official

Mahindra launched their new generation Scorpio in the Indian market almost towards the end of the year 2014 and now decided to add one more variant to the already existing 7 variants of the SUV.

The S4+ variant which has been added recently has been placed on top of the S4 variant and gets mostly upgraded safety features which comes in the form of a dual front airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution system (EBD) and lastly a seatbelt reminder, warning and panic brake indication. Apart from all these the S4+ variant also gets an optional shift on fly all wheel drive which was previously available with the S4 variant but now the S4 variant will only get rear wheel drive now. Beside all this the new generation Scorpio generally gets the follow me home headlamps.

The new generation Scorpio S4+ will be powered by a mHawk 4 cylinder Engine, Variable Geometry Turbocharger with Intercooler, 4 valves per cylinder, Common Rail Direct Injection Technology which generates about 120 Bhp of peak power at 4000 rpm and 280 Nm of torque in between 1800-2800 rpm. This engine unit is mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox.

The S4+ variant with all that addition will definitely be priced Rs. 40,000 to 50,000 more than the S4 variant. The S4 variant has been priced at around Rs. 8.60 Lakhs (ex showroom).

Nowadays we all are aware with the term recall which has been made popular by many auto manufacturers in India. Recently Indian auto major Mahindra & Mahindra has also recalled 2300 units of the different variants of some of their popular SUV XUV500, Scorpio and also their MUV Xylo, these vehicles have been recalled to mend a defective vacuum pump in engines which were manufactured during the time period of May this year. The following recall exercise is in keeping up with SIAM’s voluntary code on vehicle recall declared by the manufacturer.

This preventive measure has been taken by Mahindra which includes inspection and then replacement of the Vacuum pump if needed. The owners of the vehicles will be contacted by the company individually and will also change the faulty part if found defective entirely on the manufacturers own expense. Mahindra will carry out their inspection on 2300 units of their Scorpio (Vlx/Sle/Lx), XUV500 (W4/W6/W8) and Xylo (H9/H8/H4) variants.

After the Voluntary recall code was authorized in India on July 2012, over 7 lakh vehicles has been recalled in the Country by almost all the auto manufacturers which includes General Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Honda Toyota and also Ford. Even some premium auto manufacturers like Audi have also recalled their products in order to change defective airbags.

Mahindra is planning to add one more variant to the already existing 6 variants of their popular Scorpio SUV soon but unlike its other variants this SUV variant will come equipped with an Automatic Transmission. Recently the Automatic variant of the Mahindra Scorpio was also spotted being tested on Indian roads.

The second generation Scorpio which was launched recently is powered by a 2.2 Litre M-Hawk 4 cylinder engine which also comes with Variable Geometry Turbocharger with Intercooler, 4 valves per cylinder, and also Common Rail Direct Injection Technology, this engine produces about 120 bhp of peak power and 280 Nm of torque while the base S2 variant is powered by a m2DICR 4 cyl 2.5 L, 4 stroke, Turbo Charged, Direct Injection, Common Rail Diesel Engine which produces about 75 bhp of peak power and 200 Nm of torque. Both the engine are mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox but now the manufacturer is all set to introduce a 6 speed automatic gearbox which will most probably be placed on top of all the variants and thus will come loaded with all the equipments and goodies offered with the S10 variant.

Now there are still no updates about whether Mahindra will be launching the Automatic gearbox only with the all wheel drive variant or even with the lower variants as well. Expect the new Mahindra Scorpio with the 6 speed automatic gearbox to be launched in India by the beginning of January 2015 in India priced about 1 lakh rupees higher than the existing variant.

This vehicle formed a major pillar of success for the Indian auto manufacturer Mahindra when it was launched almost 12 years ago. From there it has traveled a long distance and also went on to become one of the most popular SUV’s of all time amongst the Indian consumers, be it old or new Scorpio sold like hot cakes and every other Scorpio owners never had any major complaints about their vehicle. The Scorpio brought a revolution amongst the Indian auto market in a true sense but now with the increasing competition in this segment it was time for Mahindra to take back their aging Scorpio back to their workshop where all the magic happens and reintroduce a new generation Scorpio which could take on its modern competitors.

We have all seen the new camouflaged test mule of the Scorpio being tested on our Indian roads which indicated to only one thing that Mahindra is all set to launch the new Scorpio soon and when it is finally out in the open let me inform you that it looks much improved and modern yet it carries the old Scorpio proportion with it which instantly gives you an idea that this can’t be anything else than the mighty Scorpio.

This new Scorpio beside the new exterior and interior also carries an all-new chassis and so for those of you who complained about the ride and handling of the old Scorpio will have to take back their words after driving this brand new Scorpio. Today we are here to share with you our first impression of the Scorpio and I am sure many of you were eagerly waiting for this SUV too. So without any further due let us get straight into the details of this SUV.

Click past jump to learn more about the 2014 Mahindra Scorpio

Mahindra will be launching their facelift Scorpio on 25th November 2014 in India and although nothing much has been revealed about this new Scorpio yet but Mahindra has already started taking bookings for this new popular SUV.

A Countdown clock has also been displayed at the Mahindra Website which clearly states that the launch date is not far enough now. Although we have seen couple of spy shots of the facelift Scorpio being tested on Indian roads but Mahindra officials hasn’t released any official details of the soon to be launched Scorpio yet. But we can certainly tell you that the new facelift Scorpio will definitely get lot of new styling updates amongst which one important update is definitely the new Daytime running lamps integrated with the headlamp unit (watch the video), it surely looks superb which also gives a more wild and aggressive look to the upcoming SUV.

The new Scorpio will also get many other new design elements too. Expect a new and premium interior this time with the new Scorpio with various sitting arrangements and capacity. However nothing much has been changed under the bonnet though and hopefully the facelift Scorpio too will also carry the same engine which powers the current SUV. The new Scorpio will also be available with new trims and variants.

The Bookings were exclusively opened for existing customers who wanted to upgrade their existing Scorpio with the facelift version on 15th and 16th September while the bookings are now open for the regular customers so if you are a huge Scorpio fans and want to get your hands on one then here your chance.

Click past jump to watch the new Teaser Video

Despite its shoddy build quality and "trying too hard to be cool" design, the Mahindra Scorpio has proved itself to be a great value-for-money product. It has been battling out in a market where SUVs are bought more for their presence and a status symbol, than their actual capabilities.

The Scorpio certainly seems to tick all the right boxes for an average Indian SUV buyer from the urban as well as the rural areas. The success of the Scorpio continues to be the driving Mahindra sales across the country and abroad. In the middle of all these, even Tata Motors has had a tough time keeping up with the Scorpios success.

It is not just one segment; in fact the Mahindra Scorpio leads sales across all SUVs in India. It even surpassed the recently launched Renault Duster and Ford EcoSport to claim the crown of the ’hot favorite’ amongst SUV buyers in India. M&M sold over 50,900 units of Scorpio in FY14, whereas the sales of the Duster stood at 46,700 units and the Ford Ecosport clocked 45,000 units in the same period.

So, why is the Indian public so crazy about the Scorpio even though it doesn’t handle well, has terrible high-speed dynamics, the interior looks out of date, the plastics bits looks cheap and the exterior is not as modern as an EcoSport or a even a Duster.

Its success could be attributed to one of many factors including its price. The highly competitive price and sheer number of features available, along with easy maintenance and low running costs makes it extremely popular here in India.

Mahindra’s flagship SUV Scorpio always has been popular amongst the mass for its rough and tough image. Now a popular online shopping farm Snapdeal is providing a bulletproof kit for Scorpio which can easily protect you from a 9 mm pistol attack. The Bulletproof kit will be sold by Defense Land Systems which is a joint venture between M&M and British manufacturer BAE Systems which specializes in light armored vehicles, specialist military vehicles, mine protected vehicles, artillery systems and other land weapons systems and vehicles. Its headquarters is situated New Delhi.

The armored body kit will include bulletproof glass which will be fitted on the front screen and all the windows. The bulletproof glasses which will be fitted are of International quality with same size and curvature which will give the look and feel of original scorpio.

The next things which will be fitted are bulletproof panel which too are built according to the International standards and will keep the passengers safe inside from all the possible directions.

Lastly the two other things which will be installed in the SUV are a bulletproof fuel tank which will be filled with special fire tank suppressant materials and tracking device with enabled real time tracing.

The total cost of bulletproofing the whole vehicle will be Rs. 12, 66,738 inclusive of all taxes. The modification could be carried on any existing model or a new one. The Kit will also come with user manual, 2 hours user training, 2 years warranty and lastly 1 year insurance cover for bullet proof materials.

Every buyer yearns to own a car that would stand out from the crowd of dreary vehicles, in today’s world. Manufacturers would take advantage of this desire and launch "special editions" that would sport some unique feature and be sold in limited numbers with a bigger price tag. Mahindra has gone down this route with their Scorpio way back in 2010 and, now, their back with a new one.

Now, we wouldn’t exactly call it new because, judging by the poster, it looks exactly the same as the 2010 edition. The 2010 Special Edition came with a bunch of chequered flag stickers that doesn’t make any sense, chrome plated alloy wheels that adds unecessary bling and a blacked out scuffplate. If you check out the teser carefully, you’ll probably notice the same features that are trying to hide under the veil.

The interior may be upholstered in leather with a roof mounted DVD screen and come standard with features that you’d expect from the top-most variant.

Even though the car may have its flaws, Mahindra has managed to push more number of Scorpios in to the roads than Renault has with its Duster. And, if people do prefer a unique Scorpio while looking for a car during the festive season (which we’re sure there are many), the Special Edition might hit it off.

Even with fuel prices skyrocketing, Indians still can’t lose their love for big SUVs. Recently, they have been blessed with many new compact and affordable SUVs to choose from . We saw the French manufacturer Renault’s Duster which became an instant hit as soon as it hit the Indian market. Later our own Mahindra introduced their compact SUV, the Quanto, which is a smaller version of the Xylo, but it was not able to remain in the limelight for a long time. Still, one vehicle from this particular Indian manufacturer still remains the favorite amongst many Indians, the Mahindra Scorpio.

Today, in our comparison review we picked up two vehicles. Our first competitor is the Mahindra Scorpio which was introduced decades back. It has a powerful engine under its hood and sits on a ladder frame chassis while the modern French vehicle from Renault comes with various engine options and also has a new and improved monocoque chassis. The Scorpio is an old work horse. So, many of the readers will be aware of this particular SUV whereas the Duster is a new player in the Indian market. It was launched a year ago and its biggest U.S.P was the pricing.

hit the jump to find out more about the Mahindra Scorpio and its rival the Renault Duster

After the launch of the Ford Ecosport in the Indian market, we are yet to see the dogfight between the Ecosport and Renault Duster, in terms of sales figures. So, after sources scrutinized the figures for the SUV segment, to everyone’s surprise, it was revealed that the old and popular SUV Scorpio, from Mahindra has scored more sales points than the Renault Duster. Renault has been enjoying the cash flow in from the sales of the Duster, though it couldn’t go any higher as the Scorpio managed to beat the monthly sales figures of Duster in another consecutive month.

The sales figures reveal that M&M did sell over 3,356 units of Scorpio in August, 2013 while that of 2,967 units of the Renault Duster were sold in the same month. In the month of July, Scorpio’s 3,256 units isn’t match for the Duster’s 3089 units. According to Pravin Shah, the chief executive of Mahindra and Mahindra, "Scorpio being a brand is still maintaining a strong image of its own even amongst the situation of increased duty and sloppy market and has made the features like the overall SUV character of styling, performance and reliability the reason for its consistent success". While speaking on the long term goals of Scorpio, Pravin Shah also dropped a hint of the facelift for the Scorpio. which will act as a key to boost the sales of the company even further.

Mahindra, the famous utility vehicle manufacturer, is all set to announce the next gen Scorpio, codenamed W105, that will see the light of day by late 2014.

The changes availed will include a re-designed front and light changes to the rear. Mahindra is well known to respond to its customer problems. So, this might hint that the next gen Scorpio will come with more space in the interior, curb the problems of short legroom. However, the new Scorpio shall be retaining the same wheelbase of 2680mm.

Under the hood, the next gen Scorpio will retain the engine line up, a 2.2-litre mHawk mill known to churn out a maximum power of 120bhp via a five-speed manual gearbox and the 2.5-litre m2DiCR 75bhp engine will be on offer too. Even being an old player in the market, the Mahindra Scorpio still manages to enjoy good sales figures, averaging 4,000 units per month which is quite appreciable and, with the facelift as an added advantage, it is expected that the existing figures will be boosted highly. The face-lifted Scorpio will not be available with an automatic transmission gearbox and, along with the changes, it is expected that the Scorpio will come with a hefty price tag as well.

The biggest new going around automotive circles is of Mahindra & Mahindra working on an all-new Scorpio. The new Scorpio is expected in 2 years time and is codenamed W105. The new Scorpio will retain the rugged body-on-frame chassis unlike the XUV500 which has a monocoque construction. The new Scorpio is expected to be an evolution of the current car’s platform and won’t be a completely new model. The 2014 Scorpio however will be longer, wider and higher.

10 years is a long time to survive in the automobile world. Most in the industry thought that when the Mahindra Scorpio was launched in 2002 the SUV wouldn’t have been the success that it is today. Timely changes and innovations we think has been the key to the Scorpio’s feat. The mean and rugged SUV over the years has seen changes to the engine and gearbox, the suspension, cabin and also mild alterations to the styling. Mahindra has been proactive with marketing and they even have a full-fledged motorsports team to promote the Scorpio and the XUV500. The Scorpio which last saw major changes in 2009, became the first SUV in the under 10lakh segment to get a Fuel saving Micro Hybrid system. While this by no means makes the Scorpio a hybrid in the league of the Honda Civic or even the Mahindra Reva-i, it nevertheless does improve efficiency even though it is only marginal. The Micro Hybrid Start Stop system comes in both the 2.5-litre and also the 2.2-litre engine. Prices start from Rs 7,58,103lakh to Rs 12,38,538lakh ex-showroom New Delhi. Compared to the regular Scorpio the price hike is only marginal and this technology is available on the VLX and the M2DI variants of the Scorpio.

Mahindra’s long awaited entry into the United States market isn’t going to happen anytime soon. The Manufacturer had plans to sell the single cab version of the Scorpio pickup in the United States but reports suggest that Mahindra has terminated its relationship with Navistar, its US distributor. There is now speculation that Mahindra would go alone in the US market but the manufacturer denies that. Mahindra currently has subsidiaries in China, South Africa and in Italy and also ships CKD’s to Brazil and Egypt.

Mahindra has launched a less expensive 4WD version of the Scorpio SUV. The Scorpio LX 4×4 has a starting price of Rs9.17 lakh ex-showroom Delhi. This variant comes without ABS and airbags and the engine remains the same. The 2.2-litre mHawk CRDe motor produces 121PS and 290 Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to a five speed gearbox which is the same as before and compared to the existing 4WD version of the Scorpio, the new variant is over 2lakhs cheaper

Except for the stickers, there are no changes made to the exteriors of the Scorpio LX 4×4 to differentiate it with the standard 4×4 variant. The new variant gets free rotating wheel hubs and gets all the standard equipment like shift on the move 4WD, rear spoiler, power windows etc.

Compared to a regular Scoprio(without 4WD), the 4x4 variant is 100kmhs heavier. The ground clearance of 180mm remain the same and so do the 16inch wheels.

If for no other reason one can buy a pickup just to make a statement. Owning a pickup tells everyone that you love the outdoors even though you might not know how to pitch a tent. A pickup like the Getaway also allows you to bully the hatchbacks on the road but that would make you popular in your neighbourhood. But who cares, a pickup is sure to make you popular with the girls. It’s a vehicle with presence and there are so few of them on our roads that you’re sure to turn heads. The Mahindra Getaway keeps the DNA of the Scorpio and is available in both, two wheel drive and four wheel drive versions. With a starting price of Rs8,14,628 (ex-showroom New-Delhi), is this pickup really fit for adventure and worth the money?

There are not many cars or SUV’s in India that can claim to be trendsetters. Other than the Maruti Suzuki Swift which made hatchbacks cool, the Mahindra Scorpio is the only other vehicle that comes to our mind (from amongst those which wont drill a hole in your pocket) which would get you noticed. Launched in 2002, the Scorpio has helped to shape the face of Mahindra from a crude Jeep manufacturer to a modern automobile giant. The Scorpio over the years has evolved into both a SUV and a MUV and Mahindra has made timely changes and modifications to the Scorpio to keep it in sync with times. Today the Scorpio is as much in demand in urban India as it is in rural India and its patrons include businessmen, students, politicians and women. With prices starting from Rs7,59,200 to Rs12,40,500 ex-showroom New Delhi, can this Mahindra SUV actually claim to be an international utility vehicle?