Current-gen Mahindra Scorpio to be sold alongside new model

Current-gen Scorpio remains a popular choice for many buyers, and will get a variant rejig and minor cosmetic update.

The current-gen Mahindra Scorpio went on sale back in 2014 and after receiving facelift in 2017, the SUV still remains a strong seller for the brand with sales numbers averaging at about 3,000 units every month. An all-new Scorpio (Code: Z101) is getting ready for a market launch in the first quarter of 2022; the next-gen model won’t replace the current Scorpio, but will sell alongside it.  

• Current-gen Scorpio to continue to be sold alongside next-gen model
• Current model to get a minor cosmetic update later this month
• Variant line-up expected to shrink

Current-gen Scorpio: Why Mahindra doesn’t want to kill it  

Ever since its launch in 2002, the Scorpio has grown to become Mahindra’s most iconic model of the 21^st century. Nearly two decades on, demand for the Scorpio, which saw a full model change in 2014, continues to be strong and still is one of Mahindra’s bestselling (and profitable) models, thanks to its rugged body-on-frame character and rich legacy.

The Scorpio is popular with VIPs and security staff who especially like the side-facing jump seats at the back. This third row configuration and the side-opening tail gate makes it easy for security personnel and guards to jump out of the car and quickly provide a security cordon for their bosses. This is something that would not be possible with a forward-facing third row. 

The flip side, however, is that crash testing agency Global NCAP strongly condemns side-facing third row seats and vehicles using this layout would automatically be penalised with a zero star rating.

In a recent interview, Rajesh Jejurikar, executive director, auto and farm sectors at Mahindra Group, had said that the company will aim to have atleast four-star rating for all its future products in the passenger vehicle segment. With Mahindra’s quest for attaining a NCAP crash test score of no less than four stars, the company may not equip the next-gen Scorpio with a side-facing third row layout in which case a large part of the Scorpio’s appeal would be lost. Thanks to the stringent crash test rules, the Mahindra Thar, rated at four stars currently, does not come with side-facing seats anymore that were offered at launch.   

As mentioned by us earlier, the next-gen Scorpio will be a grounds-up new SUV based on a ladder-frame set-up with a completely new body shell and interior and will have almost nothing in common with the current model. With an all-forward facing seat layout, a long list of creature comforts and features, Mahindra will position the new Scorpio at a slightly higher price point than the current model, thus leaving enough room for at least the lower variants to be priced comfortably below the new-gen SUV.

The current Scorpio will also get a rejig in its variant line-up with higher well-equipped variants making way for the new-gen model, leaving only the lower two or three variants to be available for sale. Additionally, Mahindra is also readying a minor cosmetic update for the current-gen Scorpio to keep things fresh for some more time.

Expect more details on the Mahindra Scorpio line-up to be revealed in the coming months.

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