It’s the battle of the heavyweights. And heavy the protagonists of our story truly are. On the one hand we have the Tata Safari, India’s first and oldest sports utility vehicle. It’s been around in the Indian market for close to 15 years. That is a long, long way to have come and with every passing year she had seen several revisions, limited editions and face-lifts to keep interest alive. Even as recently as just a couple of months ago the Safari got an all new 2.2-litre common-rail mill to keep her ageing life blood flowing.

The Scorpio on the other hand is much younger, and despite the initial burps has also had several corrective doses to refine itself. As you will have read in the preceding road test it now has a leaner engine, getting more focused on the job at hand. Which is, to completely snatch the market away from the Tata Safari.

So is the Scorpio capable monopolizing the segment? Can the new infusion rejuvenate the Safari spirit? It’s a question that needs close scrutiny since both vehicles have been revitalized in a myriad ways. In either SUV the most significant change lies under the hood. Both of them now sport smaller yet more efficient direct injection common-rail engines. Increasing emissions awareness and tightening of the norms has finally resulted in improved technology for better resource management as well as cleaner operation. In keeping with the times, the Safari gets a 2.2-litre direct injection common-rail (dubbed DICOR) engine, with the addition of a variable turbine turbocharger. In retrospect, this engine when we tested it a couple of months ago did prove to be more fuel efficient than the predecessor This of course is because of instituting better induction processes and reducing weight by employing aluminium for certain components within the engine. The offset is a sheer lack of will at lower revs, despite a generous 320Nm f max torque available between 1700rpm and 2700rpm and a gearbox with revised ratios that makes much better use of the mid and high rages. So you are definitely not going.

To be pulling any overtaking maneuvers if the gear stick is plugged into top gear. You will on the contrary be seeking to shit into lower gears to build momentum. Also on the downside is the poor noise reduction, the engine at higher revs getting so audible that even the DVD sound system finds it hard to drown out the agricultural roar.

Not so in the case of the Scorpio m-Hawk which is much more comfortable pottering around town even slung in top gear and at lower revs. In fact the all-new 2.2-litre engine (with the same bore stroke configuration as the Safari displacing the same consultant AVL) mates nicely with the older gearbox and is now better able to match the torque curve at lower revs, This ensures acceleration is smooth, refined and surprisingly quiet. Of course the enthusiasm exhibited by the older engine has been sacrificed and this is immediately evident by the dull acceleration even when compared to the Safari. This is also a direct result of the Scorpio’s engine making lesser power (121PS) with max torque too coming in at a slightly higher 1800rpm as compared to the Safari. The Scorpio however has better sound damping abilities and the engine makes a lesser racket inside the greenhouse than the Safari.

Analyzing the performance aspects of either engine both for acceleration and fuel efficiency, the Safari does come out a few rungs ahead of the Scorpio. She accelerates quicker to 100kmph, the quarter mile is quicker though top speeds of both are in the same ball park. The Safari also manages to draft better fuel efficiency figures thereby also providing a higher range than the Scorpio. Both the SUVs in fact post better performance figures than their predecessors thanks to almost a 100 kilos being shaved off with their engines getting smaller.

Nevertheless while the internals of the Safari are in a healthier state of tune, it is the Scorpio that manages to deliver a more holistic and contemporary driving experience. The clutch is lighter than that of the Safari, less steering effort is required and braking is also much improved thanks to Mahindra adding ABS to the braking system. While shift quality of the Scorpio has not improved it is nevertheless more precise than what the Safari is capable of.

The Safari is renowned for ride quality and passenger comfort. The body-on-frame construction of the Safari is ideal for heavy duty off-road jaunts. However these days it is pretty handy in-city as well. The set-up at both ends is very capable of absorbing most shocks. However the tallish stance reduces her ability to track a neat line through corners. There is immense roll which can and does unsettle the handling when pushed hard. The Scorpio on the other hand is a bit more confident in the handling department thanks to lower load over the front axles, which optimises the suspension duties. The ride though more compliant than before is still bouncy.

So the Safari has better engineering thereby offering better ride, efficiency and performance. This, in our books should make her an outright winner in the comparison right? Not really! The Scorpio is more user friendly and she goes about her duties with a crispness that the Safari finds hard to match. The Safari feels a bit ponderous and distraught when called on duty, not exactly wanting to be where she is. Neither is she put together as well as the Scorpio is. Panel gaps are huge and build and material quality feels downright cheap if not vintage. Of course there are features like a DVD system with LCD screens mounted in the headers and a reversing camera, but these are no substitute for driving experience. For that matter the Scorpio comes equipped with bucket seats in the middle row, cruise control, steering mounted audio controls, rain sensing wipers, light sensing headlamps, electronic tyre pressure indicator and parking sensors. All of it is put together handsomely. Even the scoop on the bonnet is no longer cosmetic but completely functional feeding the turbo intercooler housed just beneath.

But the key aspect that tips the scales in the Scorpio's favour is sticker price. It is after all nearly Rs 2 lakh cheaper than the Safari and that is a big advantage. I for one simply could not imagine paying around Rs 12 lakh for the Safari. A price at which the very desirable Innova enters the picture! It's that age old story of two cats fighting over a scrap that a wise monkey helps himself to while the fighters claw each other bloody ... ahem!