M&M introduced Mahindra Scorpio 4×4 in the country. The four-wheel drive selector is placed next to the gear lever and is not unlike an old table fan switch. You get to wield options of 2WD (rear wheel drive for tarmac use), 4H (four-wheel drive high ratio) for inclement weather conditions and rough roads and 4L (four-wheel drive low ratio) for really difficult terrain, steep gradients and for hauling. And except when in low ratio, you can shift while on the move (as long as you keep your speeds below 100 kph). A set of neatly integrated idiot lamps will tell you where the DI engine’s power is being sent to. So far so good.

 

The first test of the four-wheel drive was restricted strictly to tarmac. On smooth, wet tarmac the vehicle on 4H mode was a revelation. The nervousness displayed by the 2WD model in our earlier road-test was now history. The road tyres suddenly felt grippier.

 

The setting was, more or less, perfect for a 4L test. The road-oriented rubber slipped and grappled for traction on the slimy rock surface that lined the bottom of the water body and the Scorpio’s progress was not as sure-footed as we would have liked.

 

It crossed the stream without any glitch and repeated the feat several times. There was no way the heavy SUV was going to wriggle out if one of the tyres got caught between big rocks under water. One, the car was heavy and two; the water level was constantly on the rise. Just for reference, that particular section would have been a breeze with a Quadro, with its shorter wheelbase and similar four-wheel drive underpinnings.

 

The Scorpio’s approach angle begs you to climb every other mound you encounter on a slush trail. While anything up to 25-30 degrees can be attempted on low ratio, the near vertical distance you cover at that angle is restricted by gravity.

 

Descending hills with the Scorpio requires a certain level of skill. You can’t leave the selector in 4WL and expect the machine to go down with the engine ticking away barely above idle. A few of attempts resulted in wheels locking up and the vehicle sliding down helplessly. The key here is never to touch the brakes and carry a certain degree of speed. That, aided by steady and slight steering corrections, will see you yielding to gravity in a safe manner.

 

The best way to enjoy the Scorpio’s low-range is to slot the car in fourth gear straight away and blast across terrain that most cars would get stuck in no time. Carry enough momentum on that gear and there is nothing much that can bog the Scorpio down.

 

As far as pure off-roading goes, the Scorpio is no match for the Gypsy King. And if you have to have a very capable four-wheel drive vehicle that drinks diesel, try getting a SWB machine from Mahindra. Act fast before they run out of good old Jeeps completely.  The Scorpio is more competent than the Tata Safari 4×4, and that is because it has a more powerful and torquier direct injection motor propelling it.

Filed under: Mahindra Cars in India