After setting the sales charts on fire in India, Mahindra Scorpio N is earning laurels in international markets. Besides carrying forward the Scorpio legacy of being a tough and rugged SUV, it is also one of the safest cars going around after it was awarded a five-star safety rating by Global NCAP around the same time last year.
The SUV was again crash tested, this time by Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP), and shockingly was awarded a 0-star safety rating. But there’s a good reason for it. Introduced in Australia earlier in April this year and in New Zealand in August, this ANCAP safety rating applies to all variants.
In regards to this development, a spokesperson from Mahindra was quoted saying, “At Mahindra, our dedication to delivering SUVs that are safe, authentic, and reliable is unwavering. A prime example of this commitment is the Scorpio-N, which became the first body-on-frame SUV in India to secure a 5-star safety rating under the Global NCAP’s new crash test protocols, effective from July 1, 2022.
This significant achievement highlights our commitment to safety and the protection it offers to Scorpio-N occupants. The Scorpio-N’s exceptional performance in these rigorous tests demonstrates its strong structural integrity and the effectiveness of its inherent safety features.
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has specific requirements, which were updated on January 1, 2023, that include the mandate for certain safety features. We at Mahindra are committed to our promise of safety and are working towards meeting these unique safety regulations and requirements for Australia as part of our product mid-cycle update.”
Mahindra Scorpio N tested by ANCAP
Keen readers will note that Scorpio N is not equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). In order to comply with the Australian safety norms, all passenger and commercial vehicles are required to be equipped with ADAS along with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system, and a lane support system (LSS). Neither of these features are offered on any variant of Mahindra Scorpio N.
We can expect Mahindra to offer ADAS in Scorpio N in the near future which will help the SUV gain a more positive result at the ANCAP safety crash tests. As of now Scorpio N has scored 44% in Adult Occupant Protection, 80% in Child Occupant Protection, and 23% in Vulnerable Road User Protection. However, more importantly it scored 0% in Safety Assist.
The ANCAP report mentions that a seat belt reminder (SBR) system is fitted as standard to the front seating positions only. Seat belt reminders are not provided for any second or third row seating positions.A driver monitoring system (DMS) is not available. A speed limit information function (SLIF) is not available. A child presence detection (CPD) system is not available.
Watch Video: Mahindra Scorpio N awarded 0-star safety rating in ANCAP
Mahindra is offering the Scorpio N with a six-seat layout for the Australian market whereas in New Zealand it comes as a seven-seater SUV. ANCAP summarises that this vehicle is not suitable for transporting young children in the third row seating positions.
Mahindra Scorpio N powertrain specs
Mahindra offers Scorpio N with two engine options: a 2.2-litre diesel unit, producing 130 bhp and 300 Nm or 173 bhp and up to 400 Nm, based on the variant chosen; and a 2-litre turbo-petrol engine producing 200 bhp and 380 Nm of peak torque.
Both of these engines are mated to a 6-speed manual transmission as standard. The more powerful diesel and petrol engines come with a 6-speed automatic gearbox option as well. The SUV gets a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) setup as standard, while the 173 bhp diesel unit is also available with an optional 4-wheel-drive (4WD).
