Mahindra has launched the new Scorpio starting at Rs 7.98 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai) and it’s a thoroughly updated model.
We pit the new Scorpio against the XUV500, Safari Storme and Aria on paper. Although the direct rival to the new Scorpio is the Safari Storme, the other two cars are mechanically similar and have some variants that land in or close to the Scorpio and Safari’s price bracket.
The heart of the matter
All four cars get 2.2-litre diesel engines in varying outputs. In the new Scorpio, it delivers 118bhp and 28.5kgm of torque, while in the brand’s own XUV500 the output is bumped up to 138bhp and 33.6kgm of torque. In the Tata Safari Storme, the 2.2-litre unit is tuned to deliver 138bhp and 32.6kgm of torque, while in the Aria it makes an increased 148bhp and a similar 32.6kgm of torque. Apart from the XUV500, which gets a six-speed manual gearbox, all the other three cars get a five-speed manual.
Footprint fare
The new Scorpio has a wheelbase of 2680mm, and the Safari Storme has a wheelbase 30mm shorter, at 2650mm. The XUV500’s wheelbase is slightly longer at 2700mm, while the longest wheelbase is that of the Aria at 2850mm.
At a length of 4456mm, the new Scorpio is shortest when compared to the XUV500’s 4585mm, Safari Storme’s 4655mm and the Aria’s massive 4780mm.
The new Scorpio is also the narrowest at 1820mm. The XUV500 is 1890mm wide; Aria is slightly wider at 1895mm, while the Safari Storme, at 1965mm, is extremely wide owing to the foot steps on its sides.
The new Scorpio, at 1995mm, is the tallest car here. It is followed by the Safari Storme at 1922mm, the XUV500 at 1785mm and the Aria, at 1780mm.
How they stack up
Since the capacity of the engine powering these cars is the same, it does get easier to compare the outputs. The new Scorpio makes the least amount of power and the least amount of torque. Its 120bhp is considerably lower than the Aria’s benchmarking 148bhp, and the 28.5kgm also doesn’t match up to the XUV500’s benchmark of 33.6kgm. As people movers, and cars that can handle a bit of off-roading, a little torque in the reserve will only offer better drivability.
In terms of dimensions, since all of these cars are a minimum of seven-seaters, wheelbase length and width are of utmost importance. In terms of length and width, the Scorpio is the smallest; but in terms of wheelbase it is slightly longer than the Safari Storme.
However, these figures may or may not translate to real world performance. Various dynamics go into play when judging a car’s capability on road. Look to our review to find out a lot more about the new Mahindra Scorpio.