Silver Venom! Mahindra Scorpio S4 (2016): Ownership Review


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This is my first time, writing an ownership review so please bear with me if I make mistakes, thank you. Also, wherever I mention top variants, I mean S8 and S10 models.

Caution: Long review. Proceed at your own risk!
Deepest apologies for back to back posts. Had to do that because of some last minute editing requirements. Mods, please forgive me!

About us and the reason for the change:
Hope you all don’t mind. We’re a family of four – Dad, mom, my brother who’s married and now lives in Bangalore and me. Dad, brother and I are SUV and bullet lovers whereas mom likes hatches better (she also likes the bullet though – score!). We bought a 2003 model Jeep in 2006 – it’s still with us and is going strong! Ever since it’s advent, dad and I began to use our faithful Maruti 800 less and less. It simply wasn’t enough. Getting in was a pain, driving on the nightmarish roads was a worse experience because no one bothers to give way for a small hatch and adding to that was the fear of hitting the underbody thanks to the one-foot-deep potholes. Mom however, liked it and even started to talk about giving away the Jeep instead, in antagonism to which I started world war III.
DSC05523.JPG
2007-01-14 KolK 02.JPG
As the days rolled by, the M800 went out less and the need to give it away became glaringly evident. It was more than 12 years old but here’s the surprise; odo reading – 24000. Yes, you read that right! As good as new with only one small dent caused by our gate. Engine was teenaged, no underbody damage at all, interiors still looked showroom-fresh, even the gloss was intact as can be seen in the pic below, taken in 2014 (that dent is visible on the rear door, near the window).
DSC06289.JPG
We started looking up resale prices and all the websites showed numbers between 30k and 40k. However, because of the 24k odo reading (USP? :lol!:), we got a sweet deal for 65k. I talked shop and convinced the owner by taking him out for a drive in it and he was more than pleased.
So, within a week, the little white girl left our home. Did feel a little sad at first but not much. Now, the new-comer had to be decided.
Criteria:
1. Should be a genuine 7-seater. No compromise.
2. Should have at the very least, an AC.
3. Should be fairly high-positioned. Ground clearance should be appreciable.
4. Should be within Rs 9L maximum.
5. Used cars were okay but odo reading should be below 50k
6. At least some visual appeal.
Options:
1. Bolero:
Reliable, trusted, widespread, very economical on the wallet. Yes, to all but one of dad’s friends owned one and dad and I did NOT like the jump seats. We felt like some stage performers trying to fit their body in a one-cubic-foot box! Immediately ruled out.
2. Xylo:
Excellent engine, loads of legroom but too bulky and could rank nowhere in the looks department.
3. Innova:
Ticked our boxes but pricey. Used ones were either too used or too pricey. No, thanks.
4. Chevy Tavera:
Ticked our boxes but was a sure way to befriend the petrol-station guys. I already have good friends and TAI is also contributing to it wonderfully. So, no thanks.
5. TUV 300:
Really good vehicle. Very nice interiors. Very good value for money. Dad was totally into it while I was totally against it. For me, the short, abrupt rear end simply didn’t cut it. Looked as if the designer got a phone call from his angry wife and left the job unfinished but our guys thought that it was the design and implemented it. My disinterest and the third-row space drove us away (phew!)
6. Scorpio:
Again, a wonderful box-ticker but was a bit out of reach. Used ones with the mHawk engine(we were particular about that) were either costlier than the new base variants or were terribly used. We saw one with 5L kms on the odo!
Our search ended fruitless. It was then that one of dad’s colleague talked us into getting a new Scorpio. Though reluctant, we still went to Kodai cars, Nagercoil to see the new Scorpio (cat-face as my dad used to call it).
Cat Face Funny.jpg
There was a white S4+ in the showroom. We were told that it’d come to a little over 11L OTR. I sat in all the front and middle seat positions and was more than satisfied. When the back door was opened, there came the real shock. The jump seats were wide with a capital w! We were told that it was the nine-seater variant. Nine? Meh, maybe for a short trip to the train station but nevertheless, we were drawn to the car as a whole and dad was willing to squeeze out another 2L if needed. We went through all the models and had our eyes fixed on the S4 because we did not want anything extra, just an improvement over the Maruti. 4wd was also unnecessary because the Jeep was a 4wd vehicle.
Booked the silver-coloured S4. Tentative date was two weeks from the booking date but you know how stuff works. It took about a month. Here are the monetary details.

Ex-showroom price: Rs 9,67,654

Tax and Registration: Rs 1,00,945

Insurance @ Mahindra: Rs 43609. Opted out and availed from United India Insurance. So, insurance amounted to only Rs 24000

Temporary registration and delivery charges: Rs 4355 – no idea what this was.

Extended warranty: Rs 20038

Value added services and accessories: Rs 13000 (approx.) Opted out of that.

Loyalty bonus for owning the Jeep (Mahindra product): Rs 5000. In case we had exchanged the Maruti at Mahindra, we would’ve gotten only Rs 25000 instead of the Rs 65000 it deserved. Don’t exchange old cars at Mahindra. As a matter of fact, don’t exchange your old car at any dealership without researching and finding buyers yourself.

Offer: Rs 25000. Actually, it was Rs 32000 but since we didn’t avail insurance from those guys, they swallowed Rs 7000 from the offer which was still a profit for us anyway.

In all, it came to around Rs 10,62,000. Calculating from the above details gives a lower value, I know. Maybe, I missed something.
Delivery was smooth. No damage or anything, 88 kms on the odo which was inevitable because we asked them to drive it from the Tirunelveli showroom to Nagercoil instead of going there and taking delivery ourselves. Lazy much? Nope, college much.
Anyway, on to our journey that started off with the ribbons coming off before anything else.

P.S: Pictures were taken on my Lumia 540 so please don't expect DSLR quality:stupid:
 
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Re: Silver venom! 2016 Mahindra Scorpio S4

This is my first time, writing an ownership review so please bear with me if I make mistakes, thank you. Also, wherever I mention top variants, I mean S8 and S10 models.

Caution: Long review. Proceed at your own risk!
Deepest apologies for back to back posts. Had to do that because of some last minute editing requirements. Mods, please forgive me!

About us and the reason for the change:
Hope you all don’t mind. We’re a family of four – Dad, mom, my brother who’s married and now lives in Bangalore and me. Dad, brother and I are SUV and bullet lovers whereas mom likes hatches better (she also likes the bullet though – score!). We bought a 2003 model Jeep in 2006 – it’s still with us and is going strong! Ever since it’s advent, dad and I began to use our faithful Maruti 800 less and less. It simply wasn’t enough. Getting in was a pain, driving on the nightmarish roads was a worse experience because no one bothers to give way for a small hatch and adding to that was the fear of hitting the underbody thanks to the foot-deep potholes. Mom however, liked it and even started to talk about giving away the Jeep instead, in antagonism to which I started world war III.
View attachment 216270
View attachment 216271
As the days rolled by, the M800 went out less and the need to give it away became glaringly evident. It was more than 12 years old but here’s the surprise; odo reading – 24000. Yes, you read that right! As good as new with only one small dent caused by our gate. Engine was teenaged, no underbody damage at all, interiors still looked showroom-fresh, even the gloss was intact as can be seen in the pic below, taken in 2014 (that dent is visible).
View attachment 216273
We started looking up resale prices and all the websites showed numbers between 30k and 40k. However, because of the 24k odo reading (USP? :lol!:), we got a sweet deal for 65k. I talked shop and convinced the owner by taking him out for a drive in it and he was more than pleased.
So, within a week, the little white girl left our home. Did feel a little sad at first but not much. Now, the new-comer had to be decided.
Criteria:
1. Should be a genuine 7-seater. No compromise.
2. Should have at the very least, an AC.
3. Should be fairly high-positioned. Ground clearance should be appreciable.
4. Should be within Rs 9L maximum.
5. Used cars were okay but odo reading should be below 50k
6. At least some visual appeal.
Options:
1. Bolero:
Reliable, trusted, widespread, very economical on the wallet. Yes, to all but one of dad’s friends owned one and dad and I did NOT like the jump seats. We felt like some stage performers trying to fit their body in a one-cubic-foot box! Immediately ruled out.
2. Xylo:
Excellent engine, loads of legroom but too bulky and could rank nowhere in the looks department.
3. Innova:
Ticked our boxes but pricey. Used ones were either too used or too pricey. No, thanks.
4. Chevy Tavera:
Ticked our boxes but was a sure way to befriend the petrol-station guys. I already have good friends and TAI is also contributing to it wonderfully. So, no thanks.
5. TUV 300:
Really good vehicle. Very nice interiors. Very good value for money. Dad was totally into it while I was totally against it. For me, the short, abrupt rear end simply didn’t cut it. Looked as if the designer got a phone call from his angry wife and left the job unfinished but our guys thought that it was the design and implemented it. My disinterest and the third-row space drove us away (phew!)
6. Scorpio:
Again, a wonderful box-ticker but was a bit out of reach. Used ones with the mHawk engine(we were particular about that) were either costlier than the new base variants or were terribly used. We saw one with 5L kms on the odo!
Our search ended fruitless. It was then that one of dad’s colleague talked us into getting a new Scorpio. Though reluctant, we still went to Kodai cars, Nagercoil to see the new Scorpio (cat-face as my dad used to call it).
View attachment 216274
There was a white S4+ in the showroom. We were told that it’d come to a little over 11L OTR. I sat in all the front and middle seat positions and was more than satisfied. When the back door was opened, there came the real shock. The jump seats were wide with a capital w! We were told that it was the nine-seater variant. Nine? Meh, maybe for a short trip to the train station but nevertheless, we were drawn to the car as a whole and dad was willing to squeeze out another 2L if needed. We went through all the models and had our eyes fixed on the S4 because we did not want anything extra, just an improvement over the Maruti. 4wd was also unnecessary because the Jeep was a 4wd vehicle.
Booked the silver-coloured S4. Tentative date was two weeks from the booking date but you know how stuff works. It took about a month. Here are the monetary details.

Ex-showroom price: Rs 9,67,654

Tax and Registration: Rs 1,00,945

Insurance @ Mahindra: Rs 43609. Opted out and availed from United India Insurance. So, insurance amounted to only Rs 24000

Temporary registration and delivery charges: Rs 4355 – no idea what this was.

Extended warranty: Rs 20038

Value added services and accessories: Rs 13000 (approx.) Opted out of that.

Loyalty bonus for owning the Jeep (Mahindra product): Rs 5000. In case we had exchanged the Maruti at Mahindra, we would’ve gotten only Rs 25000 instead of the Rs 65000 it deserved. Don’t exchange old cars at Mahindra. As a matter of fact, don’t exchange your old car at any dealership without researching and finding buyers yourself.

Offer: Rs 25000. Actually, it was Rs 32000 but since we didn’t avail insurance from those guys, they swallowed Rs 7000 from the offer which was still a profit for us anyway.

In all, it came to around Rs 10,62,000. Calculating from the above details gives a lower value, I know. Maybe, I missed something.
Delivery was smooth. No damage or anything, 88 kms on the odo which was inevitable because we asked them to drive it from the Tirunelveli showroom to Nagercoil instead of going there and taking delivery ourselves. Lazy much? Nope, college much.
Anyway, on to our journey that started off with the ribbons coming off before anything else.
Fantastic job Brain. Proud of you My friend!!
 
Thread Starter #3
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Exteriors

As the post title says, this is about the exteriors.
I was surprised at first that the expensive variants were running around with the black rear applique whereas we got the body-coloured one. I learnt very recently that the black one was only in the older versions thanks to the TAI community. Thankful for that because for me, it was just too loud and overdone, no offence to anyone who likes the black coloured tail gate. The height of the SUV is obvious in this pic. Photos of the front will be uploaded soon. Apologies for the inconvenience.
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What I liked most about the newer vehicle was the massive 17” wheels. They added a bit more personality because the smaller ones seemed too tiny on such a large vehicle.
I was disappointed though, at the panel gaps. Okay, even the panel gaps on metal were forgivable by the standards I had in mind but the gaps on the cladding were ruthless, easily spanning more than a centimetre!
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Same sad story for the tail gate. Even the glass area had a 1-centimetre gap. A little bit of a downer there.
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I would’ve also preferred the back step to be made of aluminium instead of plastic because it’s not pretty to see the plastic flex when people step on it. At the very least, some reinforcement would’ve been welcome because it’s one of the places where weight is going to be a full-time customer.
The beadings and door linings, while they do their job perfectly, do not look neat and based on the way they look, I’m not sure of their longevity.
One evident area of cost cutting in the exterior was the door handles. The plastic faded within a month or so and now it looks grey and sickly. Note the difference between the handle plastic and the plastic surrounding the keyhole.
WP_20161122_08_05_47_Pro.jpg
On a brighter note, the build quality of the metal is solid. If proof is needed, just knock on the bonnet and you’ll hear the sound of decent-gauge sheet metal talking back. The plastic is also considerably thick and so are the steel rims. They are made from really heavy-gauge metal. This is not so surprising because the wheels are very heavy. Be sure to have a weight-lifter nearby when you change a flat tyre.
The overall quality was satisfactory. The colleague of my dad was constantly asking us to upgrade the looks and stuff. We, on the other hand didn’t give it a single thought, at least not at that time. I was NOT a fan of the body coloured cladding, really! To me, it looked as if the body coloured cladding made the vehicle look boxier whereas the black cladding made it look a little more rounded and less toy-ish. :stupid:

Differences observed in exterior between S4 and top variants:
1. No alloys. Weren’t looking for them either.
2. Spoiler on the already tall vehicle on higher variants. I didn’t like that one bit. Happy that we didn’t get that.
3. Chrome bits, ski racks, the misleading grab-handle-like thingy. Wanted none of that.
WP_20161122_11_19_00_Pro.jpg
Yes, the body-coloured door applique would’ve looked boring if the cladding had also been body-coloured.
4. No LED eyebrows, which was the one flashy-flashy thing I wanted! To be honest, that was a dirt-cheap move by Mahindra. I mean, what are they going to save in that? Instead, park-lamps are just two smaller bulbs, switched on in the pic. That was a rude shock and a huge disappointment. Note the gap above the light assembly. It may be a bit exaggerated by the camera angle but the gap was big nevertheless.
DSCN1305.JPG
5. No projector lamps, cornering lamps and stuff but that’s okay because we weren’t expecting those on a lower variant anyway. Plus, the halogens are pretty powerful.
6. No rear wiper. Its need was felt in the rains. Felt like it should have been included on all variants because first things first, it is not a comfort feature, it is a safety feature. Didn’t miss the defogger by the way.
 
Thread Starter #4
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Interiors and features

Now, the closest thing to a luxury interior I ever lived with (I’ve been in better cars but haven’t owned them) was the basic, non-AC cabin of the M800. So, the moment I stepped into the Scorpio in the showroom, I was in for a pleasant surprise. Same with our own Scorpio. The front seats were comfy, the position was comfortable. Being used to vehicles where you can see the bonnet, that (feature?) was a huge bonus.
The power steering worked like a charm and I wondered what more would people want because till then I was driving the Jeep. Hardcore jeepers, you know what I’m talking about!
The air-con is good in the first and the second rows whereas the third row takes time to cool down. Not a pleasant experience in summers. Overhead vents in the third row would’ve been welcome. There are two vents but the reason for their existence is the actual question since they are non-functional. Maybe we can route the AC to those vents?
WP_20161122_11_56_53_Pro.jpg
The pedals, gear lever, controls are all pretty well-placed though the key hole could’ve been in a place easier to reach without having to look for it. Also, I don’t see much usefulness of the keyhole illumination when it switches off the moment I close the door. Does it really expect me to put the key in the keyhole, standing outside the car, or with the door open? Think about that situation on the side of a busy road! A five-second timer would’ve worked like a charm.
The second row was also comfortable except in the middle. A major design flaw being the AC unit, protruding like an uninvited guest and eating up valuable leg space. At times, my evil mind even thought of picking up a power-saw and sawing it off!
Another thing that is seriously needed in an SUV of this height is a grab-handle (like the one in the Jeep shown in the first pic below) on the dashboard, above the ‘limited-use’ glovebox. My mom complains each and every time she gets into the car that it’s difficult to get in.
WP_20161201_15_10_36_Pro.jpg
DSCN1324.JPG
Like I mentioned before, the jump seats are really big and the rear row is nowhere near cramped. On one particular journey (only 20 kms to and fro), we tapped out most of the nine seats. Dad and my uncle on the front, mom, my aunt and my sister-in-law with her two-year-old in the middle, her four-year-old daughter and my cousin on one of the jump seats and me on the other and there was still room for another person if required.
Fold all those rear seats and you get more than 1000 litres of space. Even with the second row intact, there’s decent amount of space. That said, putting the second row back in place is next to the twelve Herculean labours. The locks don’t engage easily and need a lot of pressure to operate.
All these things however, are present across all the variants. Let’s go down to where the S4 differs from the officially reviewed S10 and the other high-end variants that have ownership reviews already.
Centre console:
If you read a S10 review and step into a S4, you’ll be in for a big shock, not a rude one, provided you know what you’re buying.
1. To start off, the steering wheel is all black without any inserts.
DSCN1306.JPG
2. There is no chrome anywhere inside the car for that matter. Remember a similar photo with chrome in the official review? Good thing I’m not a chrome-lover. To me it’s just a pain in the neck to maintain.
WP_20161122_11_20_48_Pro.jpg
3. There are no controls on the steering wheel.
4. There’s no music player so that place is just a black plastic panel which can be removed if you want after-market systems installed.
5. There’s no touch screen, instead of which you have the basic function knobs spread out comfortably.
WP_20161122_12_00_02_Pro.jpg
6. Backlighting is light-green and not blue. Looks nice to me.
WP_20161129_07_06_51_Pro.jpg
7. Speedometer console also backlit in greenish yellow. No gear indicator here but the others like temperature, fuel, trip A/B and odometer are all present.
WP_20161129_07_06_16_Pro.jpg
8. Power-window switches are in the centre! I didn’t like that. They could’ve been placed on the respective doors. Those five idiots a.k.a buttons (including the window lock) sitting in the centre means no cubby holes. Not being a fan of the one-touch up/one-touch down feature, I was happy that we didn’t get that. Apologies for my hand sneaking into the picture.
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9. Mirrors are manually adjusted so the place for that knob is left blank.
General interior:
1. Door unlock handles are entirely different. To lock, you press it towards the door. Works sometimes, sometimes mom who sits in the middle row, gets trapped inside and I have to get out of the vehicle, central-lock it and again unlock it to open the door – annoying with a capital A.
Desktop.jpg
2. The door handles themselves are a bit different. The angle of inclination at which they are fixed varies from higher variants. This is comfortable though.
3. Interior lamps are entirely different. No timer function. Simple ON always, ON when door is open and OFF.
WP_20161122_11_57_09_Pro.jpg
4. No height adjustment for seats. Again, we weren’t looking for it.
5. Relative sitting inside: I want to keep this bottle somewhere. Where are the door storage pockets?
Me: Don’t even think about it.
Yes. Not a trace of door pockets, anywhere.
Front door:
DSCN1298.JPG
Rear door:
DSCN1300.JPG
 
Thread Starter #5
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Engine, driveability, handling and aftermarket installations:

No. I am NOT going to call an engine made of metal, a gem or a jewel or anything like that. It is an engine, an engine with a proper, satisfying mix of power, refinement and efficiency.
That aside, performance is basically what we read in the official review so no point in washing washed clothes here.
We took it to Bangalore once (about 670 kms to, 50 kms in the city and the same 670 kms back). I drove most of the time. I’m not into racing starts, drive-fast-brake-hard driving, sudden accelerations and stuff. Almost throughout, I kept it at 90 to 100 kph. I knew very well that the Scorpio was built for cruising and not for speeding or cornering.
I drove it in an anticipative style – foresee from a distance of 500 mts, which of the two stupid trucks is going to win the overtaking battle at 45-50 kph and switch to that lane reducing speed if necessary, just by taking the foot off the accelerator. The ordeal would result in a reduced speed of only 80 whereas some idiots would zip past me only to brake hard behind the trucks.
The thing is, up to 90 kph, you can hear the engine accelerating but after 100, it goes a bit silent. Because of this, I crossed 110 kph a few times and dad who was sitting beside me, pointed it out. He was like “dai, enna speed la poraannu paaththu thaan poriya?” (Hey, are you aware of the speeds you’re touching?) Of course, after that speed, the noise inevitably increases because of the increase in rpm.
In any case, a sixth gear should have been included. 100 kph needed almost 2500 rpm. I’ve never attempted to cross 3000 rpm by the way; not in the running-in period, not after completing it and I don’t plan to do so ever. An extra gear would’ve helped reach that 100 kph in 2000 rpm. Even a marginal boost in efficiency would’ve been possible.
Coming over from a Jeep where no pothole can even make it nod to the side, the suspension here really irritated my mom and shocked my dad. I knew that most modern cars had a little bobbing action but here, you let a tyre into a pothole and the vehicle sways from side to side twice or thrice after you get out of the pothole. My aunt once asked, not at all exasperated but with genuine curiosity, “intha car eppovumae dance aadittu thaan irukkumo?” (So, this car dances all the time?) A flatter suspension would’ve been better but then again, it’s not a matter of concern but definitely an inconvenience, especially if there are elderly people travelling.
On the highway during our trip to Bangalore, we measured the fuel efficiency by the full-tank method. The car had just touched 2k kms so we weren’t expecting a good figure. However, when I pressed the ‘=’ sign in my calculator, it displayed 15.17 kpl which was a good figure for this car. In my opinion, it would’ve been even better if there was a sixth gear. Yes, there’d be a slight increase in weight which would have to be compensated in some other way.
Speaking of weight, I really, really don’t know what Mahindra has smuggled into this car to make it weigh 2.5 tonnes! The 2wd version has a GVW of 2510 kilograms! Okay, remove all the payload and it still weighs nearly 2T. Really, what on earth is there to make it that heavy? Our Jeep weighs around 1350 kilograms but is still solid enough to swallow any abuse thrown at it. That’s nowhere close to the Scorpio’s weight which is 12 years newer, mind you! Seriously hope Mahindra takes steps to shed weight as well.

Within the first week of purchase, we went to a reputed car modification shop and bought some major stuff like wheel caps, a fixed full-floor rubberised mat, fog lamps, louder horns, reverse sensors and seat covers. Even added chrome strips to the grille. The work was done well and the cost was not much on the high side. Totally it amounted to Rs 17400.
Seat covers were installed very neatly must I say. Cost was Rs 6000. Light shade suncool films were also pasted for Rs 1800
DSCN1325.JPG
Floormat work was done neatly as well. It cost Rs 4000
DSCN1413.JPG
Notice the two-way switch where the defogger button is usually present? That’s the horn. Position 1 – OEM horn, position 2 – OFF, position 3 – Scare-people-out-of-their-skeletons horn. Also note the smaller switch on the extreme left. That’s for the fog lamps.
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Mahindra charged Rs 1000 per wheel cap whereas we got all four for Rs 1100. Upon checking, both wheel caps had almost the same design and the same plastic except for the logo in the centre!
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One of the two bigger aftermarket horns which cost Rs 1000 each, along with the small yet not-disappointing OEM unit.
WP_20161201_15_12_26_Pro.jpg
Hello, foggy. They cost about Rs 1500 totally.
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Reverse sensors were placed two at the corners and two in the middle rather than all four in the middle as installed by Mahindra. The corner ones are most useful when reversing out of the house as our house is in a small street. Cost of the sensors was Rs 1000
DSCN1326.JPG

On a conclusive note:
Speaking in general, this is worth every rupee we invested in it and we are really happy with our Scorpio. It’s still going through the free services. The usual money-plundering may be there to a certain extent and we know it; all manufacturers have that plague. First service charge was Rs 2300. They had charged us for a copper washer (God knows its use), oil filter element, five litres and one litre separately of some oil specified as EOFE… something and of course, consumables. But other than that, there was no arrogance on their part and the car itself didn’t have any niggles.
On a random note, in my opinion, I think the S4+ is a nice deal compared to the higher variants like S6, S8 etc. You get ABS, airbags and even 4wd. The looks can always be modified after purchase at a cheaper price. The main reason we didn’t get that was because our budget was already stretched and we did not want to take an electronic risk after seeing the additional number of fuses and relays the S4+ had in comparison to the S4. Coming over from barebones, remember?
As a family, we always tend to keep things for a very long time. Some examples are, dad had a 1979 bullet which was with us till 2006 – it’s still running in a nearby locality. We got a Hero-Honda Street in 1999 which I rode till late 2015. That is also serving a friend of my dad now. I told about the Jeep in the start of the review. Our Maruti was nearly 13 years old when we sold it. So, I hope we’d keep this car too for the years to come.
If my review seems biased in any sort, feel free to talk about that because to the best of my knowledge, I’ve spoken the truth. I’m not a die-hard fan of any gadget or machine to support it blindly despite the flaws (of course, my Bullet needs a little bit of slack here). The reason my family and I are happy with this car is because we did research and knew very well what we would get from each variant of the Scorpio so we knew what we’d miss in the S4.
Ask me and I'll say, not only for a Scorpio, when it comes down to buying any car, know what you're gonna get and you'll most probably be happy with it.
We also knew that there would always be quality issues because after all, there are Lamborghinis that have suffered from engine failures within six months!
That said, it is not at all an excuse for Mahindra to let quality issues go unsolved. Especially now, since they’ve become global sellers, quality niggles will soon become completely intolerable. Hope Mahindra understands the competition and strives hard to achieve optimum quality.
 
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Re: Silver venom! 2016 Mahindra Scorpio S4

Hello Brian

Congratulations for the mighty Scorpio. I went through the review in one go, very well written. There are very few reviews of lower variants of Scorpio on the internet, so a big thumbs up for posting the review.

I am having mixed opinions of the S4 after going through your review. On one hand I find the S4 being extremely well equipped for a base model. Dashboard, instrument cluster, exterior, seats, etc. feel worth the price. On the other hand some things like doorpads and cabin lamp feel downright cheap and ugly. Even my decade old Alto, which came for 1/4th the price, has better looking doorpads. Since you were already prepared for its shortcomings and have taken a calculated decision, I am sure your ownership will be a satisfying one w.r.t. interior quality and features.

That grab handle you mentioned about was present in the previous gen Scorpio. Very useful for ingress, for the elderly especially. But it looks more modern and car-like without the handle.

Just one suggestion - If you can spare some time, take it out to some open fields and do a nice photoshoot (even from Lumia will be fine :biggrin:). The reason is because the review does not have many exterior pictures and basic important things like dashboard, etc. are not covered entirely in one picture. Even better if you can take the Jeep along!

On a random note, in my opinion, I think the S4+ is a nice deal compared to the higher variants like S6, S8 etc. You get ABS, airbags and even 4wd.
100% agree. In fact, you should have opted for S4+ itself if the difference was around Rs. 50k only. Anyway, what's done can not be changed. So drive safely and enjoy the Scorp to the fullest!

And do add a basic music system if you haven't already.

Regards,
Alpha
 
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Re: Silver venom! 2016 Mahindra Scorpio S4

Congratulations for the mighty Scorpio. I went through the review in one go, very well written. There are very few reviews of lower variants of Scorpio on the internet, so a big thumbs up for posting the review.
Thank you so much man! Great to know that my efforts did not go wasted.
Since you were already prepared for its shortcomings and have taken a calculated decision, I am sure your ownership will be a satisfying one w.r.t. interior quality and features.
Yes, the doorpads aren't the best out there but I comfort myself that I won't be looking at them each time I get in the car[lol]
If you can spare some time, take it out to some open fields and do a nice photoshoot
That has been planned already and will be done within next week. My exams got postponed so I couldn't take photos on the 8th. Be prepared for a truck load of photos in a couple of days[evil]
And do add a basic music system if you haven't already.
Thought of that at first but in the end, we are lovers of random family talk, criticising stupid drivers and stuff so decided against it[embarass]
 
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Hey Brian
Congrats for the Scorpio man. One more word of congrats for making such an appreciable attempt at reviewing the car. I just loved going through every line of it; especially the humorous way in which you have expressed it all at times.
Wishing you many happy miles with the car. Amazingly, this new Scorpio may have 1000 drawbacks, but it it one such steady steed which just doesn't ever let you down. We spent over 60k kms with an S10 in less than 18 months, it is a mighty impressive SUV every way you look at it.
 
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Congratulations on buying a no nonsense, proven and fun to drive vehicle. The S4 is a very mod friendly vehicle and you can customise its looks to suit your character and it will stand out, unlike the umpteen S6 and 10s on the road.

Please put up detailed photos of the vehicle, this should be the only S4 Scorpio here.
 
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Congrats on your ride. I think this is the very first ownership review of S4 in TAI.

How is the comfort comparing with Safari Storme.

By the way, where is the first picture taken from.

Drive safe.
 
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Congrats on your ride. I think this is the very first ownership review of S4 in TAI.
Yeah, as far as I know, there is no other S4 review here[:)]
How is the comfort comparing with Safari Storme.
Haven't driven a Storme but have only sat in older safari so I'm unable to comment on ride quality. Space in second row is more in the TATA but over all, here all three rows are very much useable unlike the third row in the safari.
 
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Miscellaneous

Noise insulation and pneumatic struts; nice to know that there’s no cost-cutting here.
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I call them dust buckets.
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Simple key. No RKE (remote keyless entry) means I don’t have to worry about that odd-looking remote.
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The stock tyres on our car are Apollo apterra tyres. They’re not much satisfying in the grip department. Our house is in a street which is a little sandy and this causes insane wheel-spin whenever I enter the garage.
Easily takes up mud.
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Poor guy; spins on thin air every time.
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One bad thing. The plastic under the wheel arches is sharp, extremely sharp. I nearly cut my hand while washing the arches by directing water there. Not-so-nice finishing in the background.
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Guys, as far as my mediocre mechanical Engineering knowledge serves right, isn’t this the turbo? If yes, is this even supposed to rust like this? I understand that no coating can withstand the manic temperatures in the turbo but this much rust? Only the turbine area is rusting btw which is obvious, I guess; if that actually is the turbine:stupid:
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Dug up roads and dry weather mean one word – dust. The choice of silver was mainly due to the dust-hiding abilities of that shade. However, it can only take so much before the dust starts to show and that’s where I come in. [:D]
An hour and a half of dusting, washing and wiping and the result is a lovely reflection of just about everything!
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We spent over 60k kms with an S10 in less than 18 months, it is a mighty impressive SUV every way you look at it.
That's more than 3k in a month! My goodness! Our guy is nearly an year old and only today he crossed 3.9k[embarass]
Please put up detailed photos of the vehicle, this should be the only S4 Scorpio here.
Have taken some photos. Will upload them tomorrow.
Dont worry. The TC is a cast iron component and surface rust is completely normal.
Phew, now I can sleep peacefully. I was like, "if this rusts so much in just one year, how will it survive in the long run?" Good to know that it's nothing abnormal[:)] So, since it's surface rust, it's better that I don't try removing that rust, right? Because that will only expose more fresh metal, I think.
 

bhvm

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Well composted Review Brian!
S4 is a basic rugged beast with no Fancy electronics to fail.
1> You can carry a Bluetooth Speaker or laptop for basic sound facility. We do the same for vehicles that don't have ICE.

2> Are the Suncool Films Okay with cops? I do miss em very much on my XUV. The arms burn a lot in direct sunlight.

3> Try upgrading the tyres to AT. Scrop deserves it.
Here's my impressions-
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...iled-review-3-years-report-39.html#post509952

Install-
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...iled-review-3-years-report-38.html#post509692

4> Stuff some nice 4300K HIDs in Those low beam Projectors. You'll thank yourself for it.
 

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