He benefits of a heart transplant can be dramatic. But why have three? Especially when you're in the pink of health. That's the first question we asked M&M's engineers, who have given the Scorpio its third engine in five years. The Scorpio is known for its zesty performance, so why bring a new motor when the existing engine is doing a good job? Is the new 2.2-litre mHawk so much better than the current 2.6 CRDe? The answer to the first question points to M&M's future product strategy. The compact and lighter mHawk, with all its high-tech bits and pieces, will be the power train platform for Mahindra's future line-up, which includes export models, an all-new Scorpio in 2010 and even a hybrid option. The answer to the second question is given in our exhaustive road test below.
Before we get under the hood, let's see what's different from the outside. There's not much actually; there are no changes to the body and the only differences are a set of alloys, a set of small 'mHawk' badges and some subtle decalling on the sides, which we couldn't decide if we liked. Some found the chequered effect of the stickers interesting, others thought the Scorpio had broken out in a rash. But what there is no debate on is that even after five years, the Scorpio still has a special road presence, especially in black.
The talking point of the latest Scorpio is an all-new engine that has been developed from a clean sheet of paper by Mahindra. This 2.2-litre common-rail diesel has very similar specifications to the latest 2.2-litre Tata motor for the Safari And that's not surprising, as both engines were developed with help from world-renowned engine specialists, AVL. However, unlike the Tata engine which produces a maximum of 140bhp, the mHawk motor puts out just 120bhp, which is only 5bhp more than the existing CRDe unit. Maximum torque, too, is up by a miniscule 0.2kgm over the 2.6. Increases in power and torque over the entire rev range however are higher.
The biggest change, or should we say reduction, is with engineweight.The 2.2 is an incredible 82kg lighter than the hefty CRDe and this has had a good impact on performance, fuel economy and handling. The compact mHawk motor allows for a more effective top mounted intercooler, fed by that aggressive bonnet scoop which now plays a functional role.
The 2.6 CRDe has acceptable noise levels, but the new 2.2 engine is even quieter throughout the rev range. Vibrations levels are lower too and, overall, the mHawk feels more refined than even the Safari However, the whistle from the variable geometry turbo which, though not irritating, is a bit prominent when it rises in pitch along with engine revs. The mHawk's dutch is much lighter as well, but the feel-good factor is interrupted when you try to selecting first gear. There's a distinct 'step' you have to wrestle with when you move from neutral to first and the gearshift in general is very notchy, requiring considerable effort. The gear ratios are unchanged and Mahindra has even used double synchro rings for first and second gear for a smoother shift, but it's anything but that. Infact, the 'improved' transmission with a new housing is probably the weakest link of the Scorpio's powertrain.
The impressive part of the mHawk engine is its overall flexibility and ability to pull cleanly from low revs. The old 2.6 CRDe felt a touch more tractable, but the mHawk has a more linear power delivery and wider power band with a considerably stronger top end. The overall result is fewer gear changes (thank God!) and better cruising ability.
With a power-to-weight ratio that is significantly better than the 2.6 CRDe, the mHawk is expectedly quicker and cracks the 15-second barrier to 100kph, which makes it the quickest SUV in its class. In-gear performance, too, is better and you never feel a shortage of power. But the truth is that the old CRDe feels quite punchy in the real world too and, on part throttle, the mHawk's performance advantage is not so obvious. The top speed of 152kph is also similar, but with greater speeds in each car, thank at other engine's ability to rev higher.
What has significantly improved is the fuel Consumption, which should please Scorpio owners. The mHawk was more frugal than the CRDe in both our city and highway cycles, returning a decent 10.6kpl and 13.6kpl respectively, which is better than the older engine.
While the Scorpio's engine was always its strong point, the ride and handling wasn't. Ever since it was launched, Mahindra's engineers have toiled to tame the Scorpio's unruly road manners and the mHawk is yet another effort in this direction. Mahindra has enlisted the help of Lotus Engineering to tweak the suspension, which has to be recalibrated to match the reduced engine weight. Though the suspension layout and design have remained unchanged, there are new springs and dampers in the front. The suspension bushes have also been optimized after Mahindra played around with six different sees of bushes. This, along with changes in the suspension geometry, has taken out unwanted compliance in the suspension system to make the Scorpio’s handling more direct. The coil-sprung suspension at the rear is largely unchanged, except for some alternation of the spring rates.
The re-tuned suspension has made a genuine difference in the way the Scorpio handles. There’s far less drama in quick lane-change manoeuvres and the steering, though unchanged, seems to have a more connected feel as a result of the tidied-up suspension. But the inherent vagueness of the steering is till there. While cornering, mid-corner bumps have less of an effect and you feel more confident piloting this SUV despite the considerable body roll. Hit a bad patch at high speeds and the Scorpio doesn’t get as unsettled as before and this new-found stability also does wonders for braking Slam the brakes, and the mHawk doesn’t dive on its nose with the rear threatening to get unstuck like it used to. The Scorpio stops confidently in a straight line, the three-channel ABS cutting in when the tyres start losing grip.
While there is a noticeable difference in handling, the ride isn’t as much of an improvement. The re-tuned suspension absorbs bums better at low speeds, and the faster you go the better it gets, but this is only from the front seats. Middle-row passengers do get tossed around quite a bit, especially over sharper bumps, and you will certainly hear loud protests form third row passengers who are sitting behind the rear axle line. However, the gentle bobbing motion that was characteristic of a fast-moving Scorpio has now become a more level and stable ride in the mHawk.
The main limitation of the Scorpio remains its high centre of gravity and a ‘track-to-wheelbase’ ratio that is wide off the mark. So, despite all these improvements, the Scorpio is nowhere near the Innova, which is still in a different league as far as rode and handling is concerned.
Most of the Scorpio’s interiors are carried over from the older 2.6 CRDe. The design is the same, and yes, the black-and-red-themed dashboard with the faux carbon-fibre centre console looks better and gibes the interiors a sporty feel. This black-and-red interior theme extends to the sears too. Mahindra has used better seat fabric, but the seat design hasn’t changed. Te seating position is nice and upright and the sliding middle row tackles the legroom problem to some extent. The seats are firmly bolstered and it takes sometime to find a comfortable position. In this 8-seater version, the forward facing third row of seats is quite cramped and best for short trips. And with all seats in place, there is less luggage space than in a small hatchback. However, the last bench is detachable to liberate a large storage area.
The mHawk engine is only available in the VLX trim. You get lots of features, like alloy wheels and a MP3 CD player with USB and SD card ports, along with steering mounted controls, but what's interesting is the high-tech equipment the VLX is loaded with. Rain-sensing wipers, a tyre pressure-monitoring system (it isn't always accurate), auto headlights, parking sensors and cruise control (quite pointless in India). Some of these features seem like overkill, especially when Mahindra has left out basics like power-operated side mirrors, which the Safari has.
Since the mHawk comes only in the fully-loaded VLX version, you are forced to pay Rs 9.79 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai) Mahindra should offer a cheaper version of the mHawk with a few features removed, but if you don't want to spend so much, you can still buy the 2.6 CRDe in LX, DX and SLX trims.