Mahindra Scorpio, the name doesn’t need any introduction, does it? The Scorpio enjoys immense popularity and a major cult following all over India and especially in the Northern parts of our country. Earlier, before the BS6 norms kicked in, Scorpio was offered in 5 variants – S3, S5, S7, S9 and S11. However, in the BS6 era, the Scorpio, up until now, was offered in S5, S7, S9 and S11 trims only. Now though it seems that Mahindra is working on bringing a new base variant which will be called S3+.
More details
Why S3 was discontinued in the first place had a lot to do with the stricter norms under the BS6 era and the relative cost of upgrading to the same.
The whole timeline
Before the BS6 era, Mahindra Scorpio was offered in 5 variants and with 3 engine options – a 2.5L m2DICR diesel which sat under the hood of the S3 which was an old engine, powering the Scorpio since 2006 and was focused towards making S3 a better fit for rural markets. Then came the 2.2L mHawk engines in 2 states of tune. A 120PS and 280Nm peak output version that powered the S5 and the S7, and a 140PS and 320Nm peak output version with a Borg Warner turbocharger that powered the S7, S9 and the S11 trims.
Now, for M&M, it had 3 engine options for a single product and to make it through to the BS6 era, it had to upgrade them. But obviously, upgrading all 3 of them for a year when the next-gen Scorpio was then due in 2021 ( it still is ) didn’t seem like a smart financial decision and especially not if we consider what happened post-April 2020. So, M&M simply upgraded the 140PS & 320nm 2.2L mHawk and offered it in 4 trim levels starting with S5. Now, it is reported that the S3+ will have a detuned version of the same, a 120PS and 280Nm, as earlier.
Expected features
The S3+ will miss out on a few features like central locking, auto door lock, one-touch lane change indicator, bottle holders, footsteps on the sides & rear, upholstery of the seat and rear demister. It will be offered in 7,8 and 9-seating configurations. Other than that, it would majorly be the same as the S5 with dual front airbags, ABS & EBD, micro-hybrid tech, tilt steering, power windows, front-charging port, unpainted bumpers, silver steel rims, LED taillamps etc.
The S5 retails for INR 11.98 lakhs ( ex-showroom, Mumbai ) and the S3+ will sit below that.
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