{"id":238559,"date":"2023-09-15T08:49:39","date_gmt":"2023-09-15T08:49:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/?p=238559"},"modified":"2023-09-15T08:49:39","modified_gmt":"2023-09-15T08:49:39","slug":"upgraded-from-an-i10-to-a-scorpio-n-4x4-initial-impressions-thoughts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/news-features\/upgraded-from-an-i10-to-a-scorpio-n-4x4-initial-impressions-thoughts\/","title":{"rendered":"Upgraded from an i10 to a Scorpio N 4×4: Initial impressions & thoughts"},"content":{"rendered":"

I had eyes fixed on the Bolero Neo as my upgrade. My requirement was very simple. A robust go anywhere body on frame vehicle.<\/h2>\n

BHPian Dodge_Viper<\/strong> recently shared this with other enthusiasts.<\/p>\n

“KD ye gaadi out and out tere liye bana hai” (KD, out and out this car has been made for you).<\/p>\n

A photo had popped up with this statement in Whatsapp from BHPian cartman. I downloaded it sometime later and saw a photo of Scorpio N and Thar side by side. He knew my love for Thar so I assumed he was talking about Thar. But no.<\/p>\n

The upgrade itch:<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

I was driving a humble Hyundai i10 1.2 Sportz which served me very well for almost 12 years. Never even in those 12 years it let me down. It worked flawlessly all the time. Never face any kind of issues. Clocked close to 1.20 lakh kms on it. It could have gone for another 10 years easily but then at some point you do realise that you have to upgrade. Given the road conditions and idiotic traffic, safety takes priority over emotional value. i10 was without airbags and ABS hence the need for a safer car was a must.<\/p>\n

Till this time I had eyes fixed on the Bolero Neo as my upgrade. My requirement was very simple. A robust go anywhere body on frame vehicle. I didn’t care about all those fancy features. I simply needed a robust car which will take me beyond the limits of my i10. My treks take me to some remote parts of Maharashtra. Since we stick to unknown and least popular treks, almost everytime we suffer due to the non existant roads\/mountain trails to reach the base. Bolero Neo ticked almost all boxes. A 4×4 was nice to have but given my initial budget of 15 lakhs, I didn’t have any option available. Thar was never considered due to it’s limitations of 2 rear seats and lack of boot space. It had to be a single car do it all. Scorpio N was launched way back in June 2022. It looked promising but I knew by the time I am in a position to buy there will be a couple of price hikes and it will not fit in my budget. I had for a short while considered the Scorpio Classic base version as well. But paying 15 lakhs for a absolute zero features car was something I couldn’t digest<\/p>\n

But that particular photo changed everything. It was at that time I had decided, my next car HAS to be Scorpio N. Its either Scorpio N or nothing else.<\/p>\n

Booking process:<\/h2>\n

Around January 2023, I had finally decided to go ahead with my car purchase. I looked up on the current prices of Scorpio N. Z4 4×4 MT variant was something I could stretch a bit from 15 lakhs. Went over videos again and again. It was a variant with basic features but I was not bothered with all fancy features. Now Mahindra had only prioritized the top end variant Z8L, hence only this variant was available at all showrooms. I had to rely only on few Youtube videos for Z4. It was some unritten rule of mine that I will test drive only the variant which I will actually buy . Went to Sahyadri motors at Baner and got the current price list. This was the first close look of the Scorpio N. Checked it inside out. Space and comfort wise it was perfect. Since Z8L was equipped with all the bells and whistles I did not test drive it on that day. Got the pricing details and promised the sales advisor of booking in few days. It was confirmed that it will be the Z4 4×4 ESP MT variant. Family had no issues with the Scorpio N. They were ok with any car as long as it was a new car. On the booking day I was told the official waiting period was a whopping 1.5 years! I knew Mahindra had prioritized the production and deliveries of only the top end variant, but I still decided to go ahead with Z4. Z8L was obviously way way out of my budget. Paid 21000 as booking amount. This was the first time I decided to have a test drive since my family had also come. Test drive vehicle was Z8L as none of the showrooms had Z4 for a test drive. I secretly wished if only I had the budget to get Z8L or Z8 atleast to get all the premium features. Who knew what was destined later. Test drive lasted for 10-15 minutes and those were enough to seal the deal. Color? RED RAGE, it had to be red, my lucky color.<\/p>\n

The painful wait:<\/h2>\n

A month or so later I got to know that there is no plan of producing Z4 for now. I was quite upset with this approach of Mahindra. Cartman again called up and brainwashed me to upgrade to Z8 atleast if not Z8L. As per his info and sources there was “hope” to get this variant early or atleast against some cancellation, since maximum bookings Mahindra had were for Z8 and Z8L, and there was greater scope of cancellations against these. My brain worked overtime doing financial calculations for the next few days and finally I decided to follow the YOLO approach. So from Z4 MT 4×4 ESP I went for Z8 MT 4×4 . The endless wait began. I was praying and praying to get it soon since I did not want any further price hike. These manufacturers are now notorious to hike prices every quarter. Finally almighty answered my prayers when I got a call from dealership on my car being allocated. One special mention for Sahyadri Motors, entire process was smooth. At no point they forced any insurance plans or accessories. They were ok for me to get insurance from outside in case they were not able to match, no questions asked.<\/p>\n

Final price breakup:<\/h2>\n