Mahindra Scorpio achieves nine lakh production milestone: What makes it popular

Mahindra & Mahindra has announced that it has achieved the nine lakh production milestone for its Scorpio SUV. The SUV has been in production since June 2002, making it one of the longest-running car nameplates in India! The Mahindra Scorpio is one of the top-selling SUVs for the carmaker in India, and is also exported to a few other foreign markets.

Mahindra currently offers the Scorpio in two guises - the Scorpio-N and Scorpio Classic. While the former is the second-generation version of the SUV that was launched in the country last year, the Scorpio Classic is a rejigged version of the first-gen Scorpio that has been on sale in the market since over two decades. Despite the introduction of the more modern, new-gen Scorpio-N, the Scorpio Classic continues to perform well, and hence, is sold alongside the new model.
Thanks to its macho appeal and capabilities, the Scorpio has been a popular choice for police personnel, as well as politicians. The Scorpio Classic retains the utilitarian, practical approach, while the Scorpio-N offers latest tech and features in a bid to attract a wider group of buyers. Despite its modern approach, the Scorpio-N also boasts off-road cred, thanks to its ladder-frame chassis with optional 4x4 configuration. It should be noted that the Mahindra Scorpio-N is the only ladder-frame mid-size SUV in India.

The Scorpio Classic is offered with a single 2.2-litre diesel engine making 132 PS and 300 Nm, mated to a 6-speed MT with power being fed to the rear wheels. The Scorpio-N gets the same 2.2-litre diesel engine, offered in the same state of tune with the lower variants, and 175 PS/370 Nm (400 Nm with AT) with the higher ones. The Scorpio-N is also offered with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol motor putting out 203 PS of max power and 370 Nm of peak torque (380 Nm with AT).