By IOL Motoring Staff
Johannesburg - Mahindra South Africa has launched an extensively revised Scorpio S10 SUV, featuring updated styling inside and out and a redesigned chassis.
One thing that hasn't changed, however, is its mHawk 2,2-litre turbodiesel four, rated for 88kW at 4000 revs and 280Nm from 1800-2800rpm. It drives through a new five-speed manual gearbox, however, and four-wheel drive derivatives boast a low-range transfer case, auto-locking hubs and shift-on-the-fly from rear-wheel drive to four-wheel drive at up to 100km/h.
The revised suspension set-up now runs double wishbones in front and a multilink rear layout with an anti-roll bar, giving the new Scorpio a 10.8 metre turning circle and 195mm of travel all round, while 17 inch alloys shod with 235/65 all-terrain rubber provide 180mm of ground clearance.
The Scorpio is configured as an eight-seater, with two front seats, a conventional three-seater rear bench and a second, removable three-seater bench in the cargo bay.
The big news
It's finished in blue-grey fabric with two-tone hard trim, and a new three-dimensional instrument cluster - but the big news is the 15cm colour touchscreen at the top of the centre stack, which manages infotainment features including navigation, CD and DVD playback, USB and auxiliary ports, automatic climate control, and four sensors on the rear bumper to tell you how close you are to parking by Braille.
The steering wheel has satellite controls for the cruise control and the audio system, and a voice-based warning system annoys when a door is left ajar, a seat belt is not fastened, brake fluid level is low or the fuel tank is on reserve. Automatic headlights and windscreen wipers are standard, as is tyre pressure monitoring.
PRICES
Scorpio S10 - R283 995
Scorpio S10 4x4 - R299 995
These include a three-year or 100 000km warranty and a three-year or 60 000km service plan.
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