An Indian icon?

IT IS A STRETCH TO TERM THE SCORPIO ICONIC but there’s no disputing the indelible mark Mahindra’s SUV has left on Indian roads, nor the fact that the new Scorpio is actually rather good to drive. I was reminded of this after spending a week with the fourth generation SUV – the office garage didn’t lack for some nice cars but I had the most fun in the Scorpio, and I’m not making this up!

It’s all a far cry from the very first Scorpio. Back then I was tasked with picking up our first test vehicle from the plant in Nashik and I can tell you that drive to Pune made my hair go white. It was incredibly unstable, the front and rear ends did two different and always unexpected things, the brakes had alarming fade and I was actually relieved when it broke down before we hit Pune. It was unfinished and that’s being generous. But credit where credit is due, Mahindra sorted it out and the second gen with the mHawk motor was so, so much better that I ended up spending a year piling on 50,000km on my long term test vehicle.

Commendably – despite the basic formula remaining unchanged – the Scorpio still remains relevant today. They say the chassis is new and all that but the ‘feel’ of the Scorpio is exactly like my long termer a decade ago. That low speed jiggle and constantly unsettled ride remains a trademark as does the overriding sense of toughness that means you never have to slow down irrespective of what is happening to the roads. The proportions, unchanged over 15 years, make for excellent visibility and pin-point accuracy. The headlamps remain unbelievably bright. The stereo remains awful. The seats are even more comfortable (the front, not the back!). There’s enough power to power oversteer on dirt and there’s so much torque you can stick it in sixth at barely 60. The chassis no longer feels ready to topple. And there are new silly things like the power window switches moving to the door pads (where you’d expect them) except every time you turn the steering wheel your elbow smashes (painfully!) into it.

Much to my delight I also found out that there is nothing faster than a white Scorpio for the city commute. I’m not sure if it’s because of the white-Scorpio-driving demographic or the aggressive face (or is the demographic buying it because of the aggressive face?) but nobody messes with you; everybody gives you a wide berth.

You could call the Scorpio a dinosaur in the age of monocoque SUVs but it can also do things no softy-SUV can. It endures and endears. And it is fast becoming an icon of our times.