Mahindra and Mahindra has been hit hard by the general downturn in the India market. The rise of fuel prices, interest rates on car loans and the slowing economy has made the company think multiple times about its future plans. The present situation has forced the company to re-think its strategy, concentrating on updating its portfolio than launching whole new vehicles at least till 2016. The first vehicle to be updated will the popular Scorpio SUV. It will be launched in late 2014, the good news is that the changes will not be limited to cosmetics. Information on the Mahindra Scorpio facelift is trickling in, so are the spy shots of it being tested in the country.
Mahindra Scorpio Facelift Spy Shots
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What’s new?
By the looks of it Mahindra seems to be making a minor change. The panels at the front (bonnet, bumper, fender, headlights, grille) and the rear door are the only things hidden, and thus being modified. You will also notice a new (similar to the one found on the XUV 500) alloy wheel design on the test mule. So, at first glance this seems to be just a cosmetic update. But tweets from Rohin Nagrani, Senior Editor, BS Motoring suggest otherwise.
The facelift on the outside will extend to all body panels except the doors, styling is set to be more masculine than the current variant. The Scorpio facelift will have wider tracks at the front and rear, which translates to a wider SUV, which leads to more interior space. The interiors of the SUV will be revamped, and we do hope this is a comprehensive one and not just shifting some elements around the cabin. Spies have reported that the test mules had their whole dashboard covered, we can expect a better looking dash in the updated Scorpio. The SUV will get more equipment, continuing the current SUVs tradition of being a value for money SUV.
The Mahindra Scorpio facelift will also receive mechanical changes, the biggest one them being a more powerful engine. The 2.2-litre mHawk engine doing duty in the current Scorpio will be tweaked for more power and efficiency. We expect Mahindra to improve the braking and handling of the SUV, which is a bit of a concern in the current model, to handle the extra power of the revised engine.
What do you think Mahindra should add to the Scorpio facelift, what additions will make the SUV more attractive for buyers? Let us know in the comments section below.
We will keep you updated on the Mahindra Scorpio facelift, do keep watching this space.