The 2024 Mahindra Scorpio is a six-seater 4×4 SUV that is very affordable for families wanting a brand-new off-roader. So let's jump straight in and see how it stacks up as we put it through our BabyDrive testing with Infasecure child seats and Thule prams…
BabyDrive Verdict
The 2024 Mahindra Scorpio has two seats in each of its three rows. In the second row, there are individual captain chairs, which my kids love, and I'm pretty fond of them as the parent, too! They stop the “she's touching me” and “she's looking at me” arguments in the back and make journeys with kids much more tolerable!
The third-row seats are bench seats. They do not have any top tether anchorages or ISOFix, so you can't install any child seats back there.
When it comes to installing child seats in the second-row seats of the 2024 Mahindra Scorpio there are ISOFix in both captains chairs. They are not within plastic guides but are nice and easy to connect to through little slits in the upholstery.
There are top tether anchorages right down at the bottom of the seat backs. They are easy to connect to through the boot. Rear-facing child seats and Infant capsules may need an extension strap to reach them.
The two Infasecure child seats I installed in Mahindra Scorpio are the Adapt More Infant Capsule, rear-facing behind the driver seat and the Infasecure Accomplish More (6 months to 8 years).
The second-row seats in the Scorpio do not move, so you can not slide them backwards and forwards to distribute legroom. With the rear-facing Infasecure Adapt More Infant Capsule installed, we could only fit about a 180cm driver in front of it. We could fit a 186cm passenger in the front passenger seat in front of the forward-facing Accomplish More child seat.
You could put two Infasecure Versatile Folding Booster Seats (4 to 8 years) in the third-row seats, as they do not require a top tether anchorage.
The captain's chairs in the second row provide a walk-through to the third-row seats.
The Mahindra Scorpio keeps second-row passengers comfortable with air vents in the back of the central console box. These vents are great for keeping little passengers at the right temperature while driving along and there is a separate fan speed control too. There is also a USB-C socket for charging rear passenger devices while driving.
On the back of both front seats are map pockets that will hold but not conceal your kids' iPads or books.
There are no cup holders in either of the rear rows of seats, and third-row passengers only get a phone slot.
The rear door bins will hold a refillable water bottle.
The storage in the front of the Scorpio is also minimal, with a single cup holder in the central console. We did argue over this! The central console box is a shallow tray and there's a phone charging pad in front of the gear lever.
The glove box will hold a wallet and there is a cooling vent in there too.
Front door bins will hold a water bottle and iPad fit too.
It's also good to see a lined glasses case in the ceiling of the 2024 Mahindra Scorpio as a lot of manufacturers are no longer including them, leaving drivers with nowhere to keep their glasses where they won't get damaged.
The Mahindra Scorpio's boot space is limited with the third-row seats up; it fits just three shopping bags.
Or you can fit two 40L Thule Chasm Duffel Bags in the boot.
Because the third-row seats do not fold completely out of the way, just ten shopping bags will fit in the boot of the 2024 Mahindra Scoprio when using the first two rows of seats. This is comparable to much smaller SUVs such as the Hyundai Kona which fits 11.
The Thule Sleek, future-proof, multi-configuration pram with a single seat…
…will fit in the boot of the 2024 Mahindra Scorpio with two shopping bags.
The Thule Sleek, future-proof, multi-configuration pram with two sibling seats…
…will fit in the boot of the 2024 Mahindra Scorpio with two shopping bags.
The Thule Sleek, future-proof, multi-configuration pram with seat and bassinet…
…will fit in the boot of the 2024 Mahindra Scorpio side-by-side with two shopping bags.
The Thule Urban Glide 2 is the ultimate all-terrain stroller…
… with the back wheels removed, it will fit in the boot of the Mahindra Scorpio with one shopping bag.
The Thule Spring, lightweight and one-handed folding stroller…
… fits in the boot of the 2024 Mahindra Scorpio with three shopping bags.
The 2024 Mahindra Scorpio's boot can also hold two 70L and one 40L Thule Chasm duffle bag.
Or a medium/large-sized dog.
The third-row seats fold up into the back of the second-row seats and are held in place with a strap and hook. Â All the folding mechanisms of the third-row seats are exposed in the boot which we found a consideration if you have dogs with delicate legs, like greyhounds, for example, or if you are cramming it full of camping gear. The central part is flat for an emergency nappy change, too!
The rear door of the 2024 Mahindra Scorpio opens outwards, which is a consideration when parking so you can still access your boot. It also provides great privacy and screening when at the beach or camping and you need to get changed! We discovered this on our recent trip to Moreton Island with the Mahindra Adventure Club where we found the Scorpio is excellent off-road.
Talking of which, I found the Scorpio a surprise to drive! It's really nice! In fact, it's one of my favourite things about it. It feels light, agile and easily maneuverable in a way four-wheel drive SUVs usually aren't. Its small footprint makes parking easy, and the visibility is fantastic. Especially with the walkthrough in the middle, you get great visibility out the back.
Off-road, the 2024 Mahindra Scorpio is fantastic! For the same reasons, its lightweight and small footprint make it skip over the sand where heavier vehicles sink in..
The interior of the 2024 Mahindra Scorpio feels a little old school, but that's part of the Scorpio's charm! It's a workhorse first and a family SUV second. When I met the Scorpio owners during the Mahindra Adventure trip that's what they love about it, and the fact that it's not overly complicated.
The media system is basic and easy to use. It's quite refreshing not to have the car beeping and wailing at you for everything! However, that comes at a cost. The Mahindra Scorpio scored a zero-star ANCAP safety rating, with a decent 80% rating for child occupancy but just 44% for adult occupancy (sacrificial parents!). It does not have the crash-preventing safety systems most other modern cars have.
The 2024 Mahindra Scorpio has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can access your phone's navigation, communication and listening apps while driving.
When you put it in reverse, the rearview camera image is a little pixellated. You can easily turn the parking sensors off using a button by the driver's knee.
The front camera is excellent when off-roading, so you can see any obstacles in front of you.
The 2024 Mahindra Scorpio is a very affordable 4×4 SUV that's great for everyday family use, too. With a towing capacity of 2.5 tonnes, it's also practical for families wanting to tow small caravans and camper trailers for holidays. Safety is obviously a high priority for families, and the ANCAP score is a huge consideration. On the other hand, when speaking with Mahindra owners, the lack of safety system beeps and alarms is one of the things they love about the car.
Overall, the 2024 Mahindra Scorpio works for our family of four because we didn't need the third-row seats, so we could have the larger boot. Some of the customers we met had removed their third row completely, which looks easy with just a couple of bolts. For those needing all three rows of seats, the boot space is minimal. We had a lot of fun off-road in the Scorpio, and it's an affordable BabyDrive considering how much you can do with it. It fits two Infasecure child seats in the second row, and when using only two rows of seats, the boot can hold a double Thule pram.
The 2024 Mahindra Scorpio has six airbags as standard, that do not extend to cover third-row passengers.
Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting (first and second rows only) airbags are standard. The side head-protecting airbags do not extend to protect occupants seated in the third row.
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