Mahindra stings flagship Scorpio Z8L with price rise

Introductory drive-away pricing for the recently launched Mahindra Scorpio six-seat body-on-frame SUV has now lapsed, with the flagship Z8L variant receiving a $1000 price rise.

The 2023 Mahindra Scorpio Z8L is now $45,990 drive-away. It’s worth noting pricing for the entry-level Scorpio Z8 remains unchanged at $41,990 drive-away.

It’s unclear exactly why pricing for only the Mahindra Scorpio Z8L has gone up. A Mahindra Australia spokesperson confirmed the Scorpio Z8L hasn’t received any spec changes – and confirmed there is currently stock of the entry-level Scorpio Z8 at dealers.

Current wait times for the popular Scorpio Z8L flagship model on the other hand can be up to two to three months, depending on the exterior paint colour. Deep Forest and Napoli Black are currently the most sought after colours.

Mahindra Australia confirmed the update which will bring Apple CarPlay to the Scorpio is imminent. It also confirmed it will be available in both wired and wireless forms.

All Scorpio variants have six seats and are powered by a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel producing 129kW and 400Nm. This is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with drive sent through a part-time four-wheel drive system.

As recently reported, Mahindra is already looking at expanding the Scorpio line-up.

“I think powertrains and seating options are being evaluated both for XUV700 and Scorpio,” Mahindra’s automotive boss Veejay Nakra recently told CarExpert.

“Scorpio, we are working on upgrading to a seven-seat as part of the mid-product cycle update,” said Ankit Taneja, national manager of Mahindra Automotive Australia.

It’s unclear whether this configuration would join or replace the existing six-seat layout, which features second-row captain’s chairs.

The company has previously confirmed the vehicle would receive autonomous emergency braking as part of a refresh, sometime before a March 1, 2025 deadline mandating its fitment on all new vehicles in Australia.

Only then will Mahindra look at having the Scorpio assessed by ANCAP.

While the Scorpio is currently offered locally in just two trim levels – Z8 and Z8L – both with six-seat configurations, a turbo-diesel engine and four-wheel drive, Australian Government approval documents list another three certified for sale.

These comprise the 4×2 Z4, Z8 and Z8L, which feature the 129kW/400Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four, six-speed automatic transmission and six-seat layout, but with rear-wheel drive.

The Z4 features smaller 17-inch alloy wheels – and while detailed specifications aren’t listed on the documents, in India this trim foregoes a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, coffee/black interior finish, automatic LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, and the sunroof.

There’s an even wider range of variants available in India.

On the subcontinent, the Scorpio can be specified with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 149kW of power and 380Nm.

As with the turbo-diesel, it’s offered there with a six-speed manual transmission as standard.

For now, the Scorpio contrasts neatly with the similarly sized but conceptually different XUV700 that’s just gone on sale in Australia.

The body-on-frame Scorpio is diesel and four-wheel drive-only, while the unibody XUV700 is petrol and front-wheel drive-only. However, Mahindra is also looking to expand the local XUV700 line-up, with a diesel all-wheel drive option on the table.

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