STING THEORY

The quintessential Indian SUV taken to the next level!

- Kartik Ware

A Did you always want the Thar and the XUV 700 rolled into one, but didn't know where to go with that wish? Well, it looks like Mahindra wanted it as well, and so we have the all-new Scorpio-N. Think of it as the Scorpio we all know, but with an enhanced four-quadrant appeal for the body-on-frame SUV audience. What's more, Mahindra got to end the car's name with an 'O', and add a clever suffix to complete it. And that is indeed what the Scorpio-N feels on the whole complete.

The Scorpio-N is a slick workhorse, merging traditional Mahindra SUV strengths with -modern functional elements. I drove the Z6 diesel automatic version, the 2WD one, and said slickness began from the moment I set eyes on it. It looked about as intimidating as a breath of fresh air that emerged from a dragon's nostrils. Mahindra's 'twin peaks' logo sat on a front end that was as stylish as it was butch. It looked proportionate and there was no overdose of chrome, either. And it somewhat looked like Mahindra stopped just short of going full Japanese with it, which is a good thing.