Mahindra Scorpio-N vs Mahindra XUV700: Which SUV To Buy?

Does it make sense to switch from the waiting period queue of one SUV for the other?

The Mahindra Scorpio N has upgraded from its utilitarian roots to something that can also deliver a premium experience. However, going family-friendly doesn’t mean it can’t handle the rough stuff. If anything, it’s more competent at the task than before. No need to look at the Mahindra XUV700 anymore then?

Looks

• Both offer strong road presence. If you like a more ‘urban’ look, you’d gravitate towards the XUV700 because of its more modern styling, curves and flashier design elements like the pop-out door handles and headlights-bearing plus-sized DRL signatures.

• The Scorpio-N looks more modern than its predecessor but still sticks with the theme of an old school SUV. The body panels are flat with a simpler selection of character lines, amplifying the Scorpio’s size. 

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• What lends the Scorpio N a burly edge is its height. It is noticeably taller than the XUV700 which has a lower, sportier stance. This is also reflected in how the same set of 18-inch alloys wheels look bigger under the XUV700 than the Scorpio-N.

Ingress And Egress

• It’s not just the overall height, the XUV700’s floor height is lower as well. This makes it much easier to get in and out of. While the Scorpio-N does have a side-step to get in/out more easily, you still have to climb into the cabin even if you’re a tall person.

Driver’s Seating Position

• The differing personalities of these SUVs can also be experienced from the driver’s seat. While you do sit above most other road users in both, they give you a very different feeling from behind the wheel.

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• In the XUV700, the dashboard cocoons around you and you feel tucked into the cockpit, like you would be in a sedan. You do have a view of the bonnet and you see it swooping downward.

• In the Scorpio-N, you sit closer to the windshield as the dashboard is more vertically stacked and you can see the bonnet right to its edges. This driving position is more truck-like than car-like.

• While the XUV700 feels like a natural progression from the XUV300, the Scorpio-N will feel more familiar for those moving up from the Bolero Neo/TUV300.

• The XUV700 offers better adjustment. Fully-loaded, both offer powered driver’s seat adjustment but the XUV700 gets a memory setting as well. Additionally, the Scorpio-N’s steering only gets tilt adjustment while the XUV700 gets reach adjustment too. It’s a strange miss in the Scorpio-N, especially now that the top-spec models cost over Rs 25 lakh on-road.

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• You’ll also find the Scorpio-N’s lowest seat-height setting is still quite high up but some drivers may find the steering doesn’t adjust high enough.

In-Cabin Storage And Boot

• The XUV700’s cabin feels more practical. While both get door pockets, the Scorpio-N’s are rather narrow. A 1-litre bottle will fit in both but the storage for knick-knacks is more accommodating in the XUV.

• Even the glovebox of the Scorpio-N is much smaller and is finished in a flimsier grade of plastic.

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• Under the XUV700’s front armrest, there’s not only much more storage space but it’s cooled as well.

• With all the seat rows up, both offer limited boot space. With the third row folded, the XUV700 offers more than enough space for the family’s weekend trip luggage.

• While the Scorpio-N’s last row folds ahead, it still doesn’t liberate as much room as the XUV700 does and doesn’t have a completely flat loading area either. As a result, it’s harder to stack bags on top of each other.

2nd And 3rd Row Comfort

• Both offer amenities like rear AC vents, a USB type-C phone charger and a rear armrest with cupholders. The XUV700 also gets a phone slot which is a thoughtful touch.

• The main advantage of the Scorpio-N’s second-row is the seat cushioning which feels thicker and comfier. You also get the added benefit of rear AC blower speed control which the XUV700 misses out on.

• Where the XUV700 feels better is in the cabin’s general experience. It feels richer inside with the lighter cabin colours making the cabin feel airier. Opt for a higher variant and you also get a panoramic sunroof, compared to the Scorpio-N’s regular sunroof.

• For the better third-row experience, we’d choose the XUV700. Not only is accessing the last row easier, the seats also feel more comfortable and you get AC vents here, which are surprisingly missing in the Scorpio-N!

• Both have a one-touch tumble forward middle-row seat (co-driver’s side only) to get into the back but sadly, neither gets a sliding second-row seat.

• Only the Scorpio-N comes with an optional 6-seater package with middle-row captain seats. With the XUV700, you can omit the last row altogether by purchasing it as a 5-seater.

Features

Safety

Ride Comfort

• Both are proper SUVs, in that they deal with broken roads quite well. However, if you have to deal with bad/no roads more often, it’s the Scorpio-N that you’d want. It dusts off even the biggest of ruts as if they’re pebbles and feels truly punishment-friendly.

• Suspension setup and ladder-frame construction aside, this capability is also down to the tyres. The Scorpio-N gets 255/60 R18 tyres vs the XUV700’s 235/60 R18’s, equating to a sidewall that’s larger by 12mm, enabling more bump absorption from the tyres.

• The XUV700’s setup is slightly sportier, making it more fun to drive and easier to control through corners. You’ll also feel less vertical bobbing at high speeds, especially in the rear rows.

Verdict

The XUV700 is the more family-friendly pick of these two. It offers more cabin space, a richer and more practical interior, and better boot space as well. Combined with its appreciable road manners, it’s a great pick for the family and is a reliable road-trip machine too.

The Scorpio-N is for those who put toughness above all else. If you use your SUV where there are no roads, perhaps you work on construction sites/undertake government projects in remote areas, then it’s the Scorpio-N you want. It’s also a great choice for extreme adventure seekers as it is the more thoroughbred off-roader here too.

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