Mahindra & Mahindra launched Scorpio CRDe. The CRDe (registered trade mark for common-rail engines from Mahindra, like CDI of Mercedes-Benz and CRDi of Hyundai) unit was necessary for Mahindra to meet the upcoming BSIII emission norms. Equipped with a new fuel-feeding system. The non-CRDe engine from the Mahindra NEF (New Engine Family) will continue to be available in other parts of the country.  Mahindra will continue to build the Sportz if there is enough demand. Other changes to the machine include larger wheels and bigger brakes.

 

For legal reasons, M&M couldn’t use the name CRDi, and so stuck a CRDe label on the car, the ‘e’ standing, rather unimaginatively, for ‘engine.’ The injection system itself is called the BOSCH Common Rail System or CRS Generation 2.2; injection pressure is 1600 bar, leading M&M to modify the piston bowl to accommodate the higher pressure. The engine block is the same 2609cc unit, but the crankcase and cylinder head have been modified to take the new equipment; both remain cast-iron though.

 

The chassis hasn’t been changed, but there are larger 16-inch wheels, on slightly lower-profile tyres, which make for marginally sharper handling. Overall though, stability is still an issue, especially given the speeds the Scorp is capable of. It still rolls excessively, pitches around at the rear, and wallows too much. The brakes have been improved with more bite and quicker response, but still lack a linear feel, tending to grab at the last moment. They feel over-servoed as well; stab the brakes and the rear wheels lock up immediately. This is quite a pain, and can get scary if you’re forced to break mid-corner: over-compensate on the brakes and you’ll be punished with a scream from the rear, and an already jiggly rear end stepping happily out of line. The biggest thief of confidence, however, is the over-light steering, which lacks feel, and is telegraph-like in its response and accuracy.

 

The exhaust manifold was replaced by one made of a new material called Silimoly, which can withstand the 700deg C temperatures generated by the revised engine. There’s also a new foam-type air filter, which lasts for 40,000km, and also reduces the drop in pressure to 20millibar. Other long-lasting components include the new, spin-type fuel filter; oil changes will also be at longer intervals, of 15,000km. The turbo is new as well, the K04 unit replaced by a Borg-Warner K03, which is ‘softer’ and spools up quicker, reducing turbo lag and the abruptness of turbo boost.

 

A few rough edges of the original Direct Injection engine seem to be ironed out and the torque spread is that much smoother, making gear change transitions almost seamless. The new engine develops 6 bhp more (115 bhp as against 109 bhp) at 3800 rpm and 28.3 kgm of torque (as against 26 kgm) between 1700 and 2200 rpm. A revised gearbox coded NGT 530 (New Generation Transmission, what else) does a good job of sending power to the rear wheels. As in the past, you can always order your Scorpio with the Borg Warner Electric 4WD system. As you would expect, the performance is not dramatically better, but it returned a healthy 0-60 kph in 6.13 seconds and touched 100 kph in 17 seconds. Not bad, since the old DI engine took almost seven seconds for the shorter sprint and all of 21.23 seconds for the 100 kph run.

 

The gearbox hasn’t been changed much, except for a taller third gear, the ratio increased to 1.38:1 for better fuel consumption; however, the gearlever’s action has been improved, and though it’s still not very precise, the metallic clicking of the old box has gone, and the throw is slightly shorter as well. The taller third makes life easier on the highway, where it feels perfect for overtaking, but it’s perhaps a bit too tall for the city, making you drop down into second a bit too often, despite the higher torque.

 

The Scorpio has always been fun to drive; it has commanded every ounce and more all the road presence it deserves. It always had a huge chink in its armor, that of its ride. As stated earlier, it made this 2.5ton gollaith rather nervous on the highways. Overall, the change is very successful, and although the common rail advantage could have been stretched further, it does its job in getting the Scorpio up to Bharat-III norms, and making it more drivable and refined.

Filed under: Mahindra Cars in India