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


Thread Starter #16
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1> You can carry a Bluetooth Speaker or laptop for basic sound facility.
Yes, that's a great idea. Will do that in the future.
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.
They are very light in tint. The modification guy himself told that it was within permissible limits. As for the cops, they give us looks; looks that say, "I've got to get me one of those"[lol]
3> Try upgrading the tyres to AT. Scrop deserves it.
Yeah, have to do that but have decided to wait for these newbies to wear at least a little bit.
4> Stuff some nice 4300K HIDs in Those low beam Projectors.
Low beams are not projectors here. They're also halogens. As of now I'm pretty satisfied with these because we don't drive at night anyway[lol] But the need comes, I'll consider an upgrade.
 
Thread Starter #17
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Snap time!

It's been a while since I posted the review. Took the Scorp to our farm yesterday and took a few pics on the way. It was an 18 km drive with 6-7kms of roadless tracks.
Anyone who wants to test their vehicle's overall toughness is welcome use that. Narrow road, blind turns, badly broken patches, 5-foot-deep canal on one side, ten-foot-drop on the other and for the cherry on top, it's a bus route! What more does a real-life test want?[evil]
Anyway, off to some snaps.
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Pretty nice front three-quarter view, I think.
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The bridge is the original road. Scorp is resting on the older road which is abandoned because the water level reaches the new bridge when it rains.
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On the best road in that 6km stretch[:D]
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Looks like a flat trail but is actually a 20 degree incline. Went there in reverse. Please do take note of the wonderful tarmac[;)]
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Full view of the side profile. Don't miss the guy in the background who has been rivalling this for more than a decade.
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This is exactly what I see from the driver's seat.
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Neat-looking dashboard. No signs of cost-cutting from higher variants. Notice the additional rubber mats we've put? They may not be the best looking ones out there but are the best sand catchers and cleaning them? Just take 'em out and tilt 'em, that's it!
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And a parting shot
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Thread Starter #19
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Nice Ownership review Brian. Congrats on your ride. Did you consider Nuvosport while looking out?
Thanks, buddy. Well, the Nuvo was launched only in April 2016, right? But we were looking for the car way back in November 2015 itself. By the middle of December, we already booked the Scorp and got it in January. So there's that. Also, even if it was available at that time, we wouldn't have considered it because we wanted a proper seven seater and nothing in the name of 5+2 which would subtly mean that the +2 is only for kids or for a short trip less than ten kms.
 
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New Scorpio looks imposing and by the looks of it you are putting it to good use. keep it up Brian. Post more pics of it in it's natural habitat, such as no roads, and kind of tarmacs you have mentioned in one of photos.
 
Thread Starter #21
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Post more pics of it in it's natural habitat
Thanks bud. We travel very occasionally. Guess that explains the 4k in one year figure. But when we do, I'll post pics and will keep you guys updated.
 
Thread Starter #22
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Went on a small trip to Tirunelveli a few days ago. Speeds were in the range of 70 to 110 kph. Reminded me of one thing I had forgotten to mention earlier. While on the upside, the in-gear acceleration out on the highway is phenomenal[:D], it does come accompanied with an annoying friend. Yes, I'm talking about wind noise, especially at 60 to 80 kph. Maybe the wind was blowing in such a way too but that's not an excuse, is it? It does tend to be quite noticeable, to the extent that I double-checked if the windows were properly closed[embarass].
 

bhvm

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What is the condition of tyres?
Sometimes you get wind like noise from partially worn out tyres as well!

BTW, Wind noise/Tyre noise in noticeable in my i10 too. Maybe manufacturer has not used enough insulation materials as required.
 
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Speeds were in the range of 70 to 110 kph....an annoying friend. Yes, I'm talking about wind noise, especially at 60 to 80 kph. Maybe the wind was blowing in such a way too but that's not an excuse, is it? It does tend to be quite noticeable, to the extent that I double-checked if the windows were properly closed[embarass].
I own a S10. I have noticed the wind noise, but only after 100/110+ it becomes so noticeable. At 60-80kmph, it is pretty quiet. May be the butterfly windows are open. Otherwise, may be a peculiar combination of wind, road, and other noises.
 
Thread Starter #25
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What is the condition of tyres?
Maybe manufacturer has not used enough insulation materials as required.
Tyres are in good condition. Only a year old and have run only 4k kms. I'm sure its not tyre noise because there's a dead giveaway of wind-blowing-on-a-half-open-door noise. Yeah, maybe lack of insulation.
Otherwise, may be a peculiar combination of wind, road, and other noises.
There is a possibility. Another thing is that the road was on a windy stretch where wind blows in all directions! Maybe that is the cause, who knows? As long as it doesn't affect the car, I'm cool with it[:)]
 
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Hi Brian,
My hearty wishes to clock millions of happy miles on your Scorpio. I somehow missed to read your review back in December but I don't regret that because I would have not seen all those nice pictures along with the review [:D]. I guess you can safely remove your "long review" disclaimer from your opening post as I never realized its length due to your awesome writing skills. Kudos to you [clap]. I am a defensive driver myself (about 90% of the time) and glad to know you are one too!

@bhvm,
No cop in Tamil Nadu cares about sun films these days. In fact car decor shops have now categorized certain sun films as RTO approved. I ended up arguing with one such seller demanding a copy of RTO approval (just for fun, you know).
 
Thread Starter #27
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My hearty wishes to clock millions of happy miles on your Scorpio.
Thanks, man. Whenever we buy a vehicle or any machine for that matter, we make it a point to try and keep it for at least 10 or 12 years[:)]
I am a defensive driver myself (about 90% of the time) and glad to know you are one too!
Thanks again. It sure has its perks like having a stress-free drive, earning a name as a great driver from relatives and all[;)] and even getting an occasional thanks from other road users (they sometimes thank you if you slow down and give them way when no one else is patient enough to do so). So yeah, I'd say go defense![:D]
 
Thread Starter #28
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Second long trip

Okay, so I know that I've been in hibernation for a while and it's high time I came back. This is more of a travelogue than a review because, now I've become used to the Scorpio. It's no longer a stranger but a good friend.
Two weeks ago, we planned a pretty long drive to Chidambaram where my aunt lives. We decided to go to Rameswaram on the way, see the Pamban bridge and the temple and also see the Velankanni shrine.
So, when going from home, we went to Tuticorin first (didn't stop there though) and then took the East Coast Road (ECR). Man, gone are the days, one had to fear and loathe two-way roads. The ECR was absolute driving heaven (while driving, I was constantly reminded of the Top gear episode, 'In search of driving heaven.' Sometimes, the road was nearly geometrically straight for a full three kilometres!
I drove for the entire trip at speeds ranging from 90 to 110 kph. Touched 115 once but didn't like or want to go like that because after all, it's not a sports car. Moreover, the engine starts to voice it's discomfort slightly after crossing the 2600 RPM mark.
Of course, a coastal road (any road in India for that matter) just implies cattle. The ECR was strewn with cows and goats and in case the cattle decided to give you a break, the speed breakers were present to give you a headache but it wasn't that bad because the smooth and straight road was more than enough to relieve the mind.
We started at about 5:30 in the morning from Nagercoil. Till Tirunelveli, it was the NH44 we stayed on after which we took a detour via the Tuticorin highway.
Side note: zoom in a little on the pic and you can see all the dirt accumulated on the windshield after just 75 kms.
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After reaching Tuticorin, we headed on to the East Coast Road towards Rameswaram.
After all, the driver needs his nutrition[;)]
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After finishing our breakfast, we headed straight to Rameswaram. Stopped on the popular Pamban bridge. Often a bus would whizz past us and the whole, I repeat, the whole bridge would start to oscillate up and down!
Views like this which bring out a rounded and rich look to the Scorp are the ones I love the most:
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A middle row view of the bridge:
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The driving heaven I mentioned earlier. Honestly, even the four-laned highway has horrible and lethal undulations in some places (wonder what the idiots are collecting toll for) while this was absolute bliss to drive.
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Had a quick stroll through the Rameswaram temple (famous for the long corridors). Of course we didn't enter the centre (we're not supposed to as only Hindus are allowed) and after that, we went straight to the famous Velankanni shrine. Here also, we took a quick stroll and continued on with our journey as we didn't want to get stuck in traffic and also didn't want to drive in the night.
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Finally we reached Chidambaram, spent two days there. I for one, think that despite being a 2-tonne monster and having a large 2.2 litre engine under the hood, if driven properly, the Scorpio is happy to give you 15 kms to the litre or more always (which is usually not that easy because the manufacturers claims are always more by a significant margin). The fuel gauge doesn't drop at saddening speeds which is a delight, especially on long trips.
Backwaters near Pichavaram, Chidambaram
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Total distance covered from Nagercoil - Rameswaram - Velankanni - Chidambaram, including the small trips within Chidambaram was about 743 kms.
For the return trip, we took the road to Trichy and then came by the four-lane highway. The route till we reached Trichy was horrible with road construction going on for 25 kilometres at a stretch! Why can't the road-laying people just do 5 kms at a stretch and do the work quickly instead of making a whole 25 kms into a tortoise-speed zone?
After reaching the four-lane, things took a turn for the better but there was one thing that really annoyed the life out of me. The metal barriers placed carelessly on a national highway! The authorities say that they are there to avoid accidents and I say that there cannot be more stupid people than that. The barriers cause more accidents than ever. I mean, imagine you're doing 120 kph and all of a sudden, three barriers placed in a zig-zag manner pop up out of nowhere? Not only is it freakishly scary but also, it's a major stress factor for the drivers. Maybe a new method of population control?[roll]
Things were nice till we reached Madurai. Here, the Kanyakumari-Srinagar highway and the Chennai highway join together. Now what's so bad in that? Well, the four-lane abruptly disappeared near Madurai, and for the next ten kilometres, we had to ply on one of the worst roads in India. The worst part? It's a national highway! Shame on you, Indian roadways!
After that nightmare though, we joined the NH44 in Thirumangalam and the moment we joined that highway, a toll-booth came! Like, seriously? So we have to pay for torture, huh? We have a very long way to go, dear country.
After that, it was a straight route back home. Speeds were again in the usual 90 to 110 kph range. The funny thing is, out on the highway, the Scorpio really messes with your perception of speed because the engine almost tells you, "this speed is like butter for me," in a soothing tone. 110 feels like 90, 100 feels like 70 and 80 feels like 40! We went for a refuelling. I came down to 85 from 100 and dad asked, "Why did you slow down so much? The fuel station's still half-a-kilometre away." I could only grin and reply, "Dad, I'm doing 85," and he was like, "WHAT? Are you sure you're not doing 50?"
In all, the trip clocked 1402 kms. Another wonderful driving experience. Sure, we saw Audi's, Mercs and Beemers but I no longer get that, "wish I could get one of those," feeling. You know what I mean!
 
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Low beams are not projectors here. They're also halogens. As of now I'm pretty satisfied with these because we don't drive at night anyway[lol] But the need comes, I'll consider an upgrade.
Dont.
Projectors give a very sharp cutoff of the beam and are hence ineffective compared to normal halogens. In fact, having two halogens on both the beams which are adjustable is the best option for Indian road conditions and traffic manners.

Also, you can very easily fit HIDs in normal halogen holders if you need to.
 
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Re: Second long trip

Okay, so I know that I've been in hibernation for a while and it's high time I came back. This is more of a travelogue than a review because, now I've become used to the Scorpio. It's no longer a stranger but a good friend.
Welcome back from wonderland, hope you had nice time sleeping [lol]. Nice write up as usual, and your grin on the photos tells us how much you enjoyed this trip. The view from Pamban bridge is absolutely stunning and they should have designed a short shoulder for a few vehicles to stop without affecting traffic. And the bridge shaking is normal, to prevent itself from collapsing due to load, wind & quakes.
I agree with your mileage observation, the rental Scorpio returned close to 14 kpl for mytrip of 1000+ KM even with moderate to heavy foot, bundled with lot of idling and fully loaded passengers + luggage.

Question: what is that device you have on the left corner of your dashboard?
 

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