2023 Mahindra Scorpio pricing and features for Australia

Indian automotive giant Mahindra has launched its 2023 Scorpio in Australia, with sales commencing immediately from its 40-strong national dealer network.

With introductory special pricing from $41,990 drive-away for the Z8 and $44,990 drive-away for the Z8L, the Scorpio is priced to sell.

The Scorpio is a three-row, 4×4 wagon developed to compete with the likes of Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Toyota Fortuner, Ssangyong Rexton, Isuzu MU-X, Ford Everest and even the venerable Toyota Prado.

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The Scorpio has three rows but only has seats for six passengers, with a pair of bucket seats for two passengers in the second row. Mahindra says there will be a seven-seat version in the future, but no timeline has been confirmed.

The Scorpio is smaller than most of those vehicles mentioned above, and it’s closest in size to the Fortuner and Pajero Sport, both inside and out.

It’s a body-on-frame five-door wagon powered by a new version of Mahindra’s 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine, which many would be familiar with from the Pik-Up ute.

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It now features an aluminium block and cylinder head, with higher pressure fuel injection and a revised turbocharger to produce 129kW and a modest 400Nm.

In that regard it is again more of a competitor to the Pajero Sport and MU-X than the Toyotas or Ford Everest which make 500Nm. Fuel use is rated to 7.2L/100km, but it has a paltry 57-litre fuel tank.

Standard features in both the Scorpio Z8 and Z8L include

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The Z8L adds the aforementioned wireless connectivity, power adjustment for the driver’s seat, and a 12-speaker Sony sound system.

While the cabin is well-equipped, it is missing a few essentials like the rear-row airbags, reach adjustment for the steering column, and no AEB, lane-keeping assist or raider cruise control, both normally considered essential safety features.

The Scorpio has a five-star Global NCAP rating, but the omission of these features will prevent it from achieving this on the ANCAP standard.

The chassis features a double wishbone IFS with coil springs, while the rear end has a live axle on coils with multi-links and a Watts link location. The rear axle has an auto-locking differential.

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4×4 is part-time with high and low range, plus ‘4Xplor’ driving modes for various terrain. The claimed 227mm of ground clearance is very good for this class of wagon.

Towing capacity is down on its competitors at 2500kg for braked trailers, and it has a 5155kg GCM. Payload is just 525kg for the Z8 and 510kg for the Z8L.

While the Scorpio looks great in some areas it lacks some features which many consider deal breakers. Mahindra says it is working on these deficiencies for the next round of updates, but that will be some years away.

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Pricing

It is priced very sharply at an introductory price of $41,990 drive-away for the Z8 and $44,990 for the Z8L. These prices will last until June, but there is no commitment to how much they will go up, if they go up at all.

Mahindra says it has plenty of stock at its Australian dealers, and buyers will be able to take delivery of their vehicle within weeks of purchase, if not days.

Warranty

The Scorpio comes with a seven-year / 150,000km factory warranty and seven years of roadside assistance. Capped-price servicing details are yet to be announced, but pricing on Mahindra’s website [↗] for the PikUp and XUV500 can likely be considered indicative.

Be sure to check back for our first drive impressions on Wednesday, April 26.

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Scorpio Z8 features

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Scorpio Z8L features