Launched in 2002, the Mahindra Scorpio has become an established name in the SUV segment. With refreshments given to the car, in the form of facelifts and updates from time to time, the SUV has managed to survive in the Indian market for almost 17 years now. That said, 17 years is quite some time in the automotive world and the Scorpio has started showing signs of ageing. Moreover, with new safety norms being implemented from next year, Mahindra has finally decided to bring out a next-generation model of this iconic SUV, which has already reached the roads of India, undergoing testing, allowing Mahindra to do some final tweaks before unveiling the car at the Delhi Auto Expo next year.
Captured in a video, this test mule reveals quite a few interesting details of the upcoming SUV. Made from the ground up, this new generation model appears to retain the ladder frame chassis with a body bolted on to this frame. This would make it more capable off the road when compared with its rivals. Up front, we see Mahindra use a new grille design, comprising vertically aligned slats. The bonnet also seems to extend further ahead than before, presumably done to comply with the upcoming pedestrian safety norms.
When viewed from the side, one can notice that this new generation model appears much longer than before, translating to more room in the interior, and perhaps even front facing seats for the third-row passengers. The rear tailgate appears to be quite tall, which translates to a lower loading lip, making it that much easier to load and unload luggage. The lack of a step, which is integrated into the rear bumper for easy ingress and egress of rear passengers is missing, further increases the probability of having front facing rear seats.
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Apart from the safety norms, this new generation model will also have to comply with the upcoming emission norms. This new generation model will be equipped with a BS – VI compliant motor. This 2-litre oil burner would be also offered in other Mahindra cars, including the next generation Thar and the XUV500 as well, in different stages of tune. In the Scorpio, this motor is expected to generate around 170 horses and a twist of 400 Nm. While we wait for more details to come out, do have a look at this spy video capturing the car, uploaded on YouTube channel Lemon Green Studios.