Mahindra’s new Scorpio: Classic, with different playing field

This tough, no-frills SUV sure has an air of indestructibility about it thanks to the body-on-frame chassis

Mahindra is continuing the legacy of the OG Scorpio with the Scorpio Classic. How does it fare on the road? We find out.

Speaking of the exteriors, Mahindra has retained the Scorpio’s charm by not interrupting much with the overall styling. The grille up front gets a redesign with chunky chrome strips and the new twin-peaks logo. The headlamps, which are still halogen units, get a slight redesign inside the housing, and the bumpers get a new look as well. What is new for the Classic is the ‘Galaxy Gray’ paint shade. The bonnet scoop has been retained, albeit for aesthetic purposes only, and the sharply raked windshield is characteristic of a Scorpio helping it retain its boxy look.

Over to the side, the 17-inch alloy wheels get a refresh, and you have new accents on the door as well. What is carried over is the chunky body-coloured cladding and the sharp kink in the roof that helps give it a tall stance.

The rear has an air of familiarity since Mahindra brought back the long reflectors over the tail-lamps. There is a ‘Classic’ badge on the side-opening tailgate, and the squared off look with a big spoiler completes the design.

Safe to say, Mahindra wanted to make sure the essence of the Scorpio is not lost, and by the looks of it, they have succeeded. Hop inside (quite literally) the Scorpio Classic, and it is like stepping into a time machine. The flat and upright dashboard, high seating position and chair-like fabric seats are reminiscent of previous Scorpios.

New bits for the Classic include a faux-wood panel on the centre-console and a new 9.0-inch Android-based touchscreen with a USB hidden right under it. The screen is fine for most part, but with no Apple CarPlay or Android support, you need to make use of the third party applications that are not all that intuitive.

The steering has been refreshed and gets the basic controls for media and calling. Some ergonomic flaws, however, remain, like no bottle holders in the front door pockets, and an extremely narrow cavity to access the seat height adjustment. At the rear, the wide bench can easily accommodate three abreast, and the flat floor allows for foot space too.