The Scorpio That India Wants But Mahindra Won't Sell!
Mahindra currently sells a number of hit SUVs in India, including the Scorpio-N, Thar, XUV 7XO, and others. However, what it does not offer enthusiasts is a hardcore, off-road-ready lifestyle pickup truck. Over the years, it has offered the Scorpio Pik Up. However, it was never meant for enthusiasts. Now, you may think that this will be the case for Mahindra across the globe, right? Well, you'd be wrong because Mahindra in South Africa and Australia sells a Scorpio Pik Up, which we Indians want in India but won't get.
Recently, a video showing this exact Mahindra Scorpio S11 Pik Up truck has been shared on Instagram by Mahindra Montana, which is a Mahindra dealership located in Montana, South Africa. It starts off with a sales representative from Mahindra showcasing the fully built Scorpio Classic Pik Up called the Karoo Mist Edition overlander vehicle. He mentions that there is no need to spend hundreds of thousands on a custom-built bakkie.
For those who may not be aware, bakkie is a common name for pickup trucks and utility vehicles in South Africa. These vehicles are meant to be used for hardcore off-roading and other utilitarian and adventure expeditions. He then starts showing the vehicle, which gets an aggressive overland kit. It includes complete front and rear metal bumpers, bigger all-terrain tyres with multispoke alloy wheels, sports bar, heavy-duty suspension, and others.
Following this, the video then shows the interior design of this bakkie. He mentions that on the inside, the Scorpio S11 Karoo Mist Edition gets leather upholstery, automatic gearbox, automatic climate control, touchscreen infotainment system, and other creature comforts. Overall, it is a much more premium version of the pickup truck which is sold in India by Mahindra.
As mentioned, the vehicle seen in the video above is called the Mahindra Scorpio S11 Karoo. The name “Karoo” comes from South Africa’s famous semi-desert Karoo region. Now, from the factory, these vehicles are stock. However, they are fitted with all the accessories and parts at Mahindra's Durban plant. These Scorpio Karoos are seen as the more affordable alternatives to the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger pickup trucks in the South African market.
The Mahindra Scorpio S11 Karoo bakkies come equipped with heavy-duty steel front and rear bumpers, rugged bull bars, blacked-out bars and side steps, chunky all-terrain tyres, wider wheel arch claddings, and Karoo graphics. Some of the variants also get roof-mounted overlanding racks and cargo accessories, along with soft tonneau covers and roller shutters.
As for the interior, they come loaded with premium features and leatherette upholstery. Coming to the powertrain side of things, the Scorpio S11 Karoo bakkies come equipped with the same 2.2-litre mHawk turbo diesel engine. This engine is capable of producing 103 kW of power and 320 Nm of torque.
As for the gearbox options, these are offered with 6-speed manual and 6-speed AISIN-sourced torque converter automatic gearboxes. They also feature part-time 4WD with shift-on-the-fly functionality. Additionally, these bakkies also get a low-range transfer case, Eaton mechanical locking rear differential, and other components which help in serious off-roading.
Now, there will be a lot of off-roading enthusiasts and Scorpio lovers reading this and questioning why Mahindra does not offer these Scorpio Karoo bakkies in India. Well, the answer to this is very simple. In India, even today, lifestyle pickup trucks are not a high-selling product. Most buyers in India still prefer to buy traditional SUVs over these lifestyle pickup trucks.
One of the biggest examples of this is the Toyota Hilux, which, when compared to the Fortuner, sells very poorly. In India, pickup trucks are seen more as commercial vehicles rather than premium lifestyle vehicles. Additionally, the regulations in India also keep our cars and SUVs boring from the factory.
As seen in the images and video above, the bakkies sold in South Africa and other models sold in Australia by Mahindra are equipped with metal bumpers. Now, they are allowed to offer these metal-bumper-equipped vehicles from the dealerships because these countries have vast remote areas and harsh off-road conditions.
So, collisions with wild animals are very common, and in case any such incident takes place, it becomes hard for help to reach. As a result, they are allowed to be fitted with metal bumpers and other overlanding kits. However, in India, these heavy metal bumpers and bull bars are not road legal.
This is due to the Indian pedestrian safety rules and regulations being much stricter. These bumpers and more rugged parts can cause serious injuries to pedestrians. So, as much as we all would love to have these Scorpio Karoos in India, we won't be seeing them anytime soon. Till then, the only option for Indian buyers is to opt for aftermarket parts. However, if caught by the authorities, the vehicle can be seized as aftermarket structural parts are not allowed in India.