The Mahindra Scorpio facelift has been launched in India with prices starting from Rs. 9.74 lakhs.

Mahindra Scorpio Facelift
The Mahindra Scorpio facelift price ranges from Rs. 9.74-15.56 lakhs (ex-showroom, Mumbai)

This Children’s day, Domestic UV-maker Mahindra has come up with a new kid on the block. However, this is the same kid we’ve been seeing since June 2002 as the Mahindra Scorpio, albeit with various improvements and changes over the years. Launched as a mid-life facelift to the 2014 Scorpio, the latest entrant has been priced from Rs. 9.74 lakhs for the base variant to Rs. 15.56 lakhs for the top-of-the-line trim (ex-showroom, Mumbai). Apart from a cosmetic uplift and change in engine tune, the company claims to have worked on the NVH levels as well.

The best part about the Mahindra Scorpio facelift has to be the phenomenal bump in performance. Engineers at Mahindra have increased the power and torque output from the same 2179cc mHawk engine (and 1997cc in Delhi NCR), which now utilises a 6th-gen Borg Warner turbocharger to deliver 140 BHP of power and 320 Nm of torque. In addition to that, a new 6-speed manual transmission has been introduced to make it better-suited for the highways. The fuel tank has a sizeable capacity of 60-litres. The 140 BHP tune is limited to the top two variants while the base variant gets a 2.5-litre m2DICR engine (75 BHP) and the rest are powered by the same MHawk unit in the 120 BHP tune.

Being a facelift, changes to the front end are limited to new fog lamp housings and a 7-slat grill which is inspired from the Mahindra Imperio (which has a 5-slat unit) but is reminiscent of the Jeep Compass. The slab-sided profile remains largely unchanged with new 5-spoke alloy wheels, new side steps and revised positioning of the turn signals. The rear end witnesses a major overhaul as the tail lamps are not clear-lens units anymore. Dimensions remain unchanged at 4456 mm x 1820 mm x 1995 mm (length x width x height) with a wheelbase of 2680 mm and turning radius of 5.4-metres (5.65-metres for 4WD).

The Bolero-maker hasn’t changed the dashboard design of the Scorpio but there are a few additions to the cabin to make for a premium experience. Sadly, the 6-inch touchscreen unit with GPS navigation and bluetooth has been carried over from the earlier Scorpio. In addition to a sunglass holder and larger storage spaces, the facelift gets steering wheel, seats and gear lever clad in faux-leather upholstery. The Scorpio no longer feels utilitarian because of a host of modern features on offer including static bending projector lamps, reverse parking camera, 1-touch lane change indicator, auto window roll-up, automatic climate control, cruise control and LED tail lamps.

Bit by the odd-even bug, Mahindra has also introduced new variant names – S3, S5, S7 and S11 – for the Scorpio lineup. The S3 variant is the most affordable variant and gets a m2DICR engine while the S5 and S7 variants get the 120 BHP MHawk unit. The new 140 BHP tune is standard on the top-end S11 trim and can be had as an option in the S7 variant. Along with a new Pearl White shade, shift-on-the-fly 4WD system is exclusive to the S11 trim. Other colour choices include Diamond White (not available on S11), Napoli Black, Mist Silver and Molten Red. Save for an updated 9.1 Bosch ABS, there is no change in the braking or suspension hardware. Thus, the Scorpio can now be had in 3 seating configurations (7, 8 and 9 seater) with a choice of five FWD variants and one 4WD variant. Automatic transmission variants are expected to follow later.

Mahindra Scorpio Facelift Price

* S3 – Rs. 9.74 lakhs
* S5 – Rs. 11.22 lakhs
* S7 – Rs. 12.34 lakhs
* S7 (140 BHP) – Rs. 12.64 lakhs
* S11 – Rs. 14.34 lakhs
* S11 4WD – Rs. 15.56 lakhs

(All prices, ex-showroom, Mumbai)

Mahindra Scorpio Facelift Launched
The mHawk engine in its most powerful tune produces additional 20 BHP of power and 40 Nm of extra torque
Mahindra Scorpio Facelift Front
Headlamps on the Scorpio facelift get clear lens indicators and subtle chrome highlights
Mahindra Scorpio Facelift Interior
Faux-leather upholstery makes the cabin look more premium and upmarket
Mahindra Scorpio Facelift Grill
The front grill gets vertical slats inspired from the Imperio
Mahindra Scorpio Facelift India
The Scorpio facelift rides on 235-section 17-inch tyres with 5-spoke alloys
Mahindra Scorpio Facelift
The Scorpio badging inside the new red lens tail lamp cluster is well concealed
Mahindra Scorpio Facelift Rear
Tailgate, though still bulging out, looks better without the black plastic applique
Mahindra Scorpio Facelift
The Mahindra Scorpio goes against the likes of Tata Safari Storme and Renault Duster