Mahindra Scorpio with Intelli-Hybrid technology launched in India at Rs 12.84 lakh (ex- showroom Navi Mumbai)
With the Delhi Government coming down hard on diesel engines larger than 2-litres, it was Mahindra’s Scorpio and XUV500 that were among the many top selling SUVs to be affected. After countering the ban with the provision of a 1997cc engine mHawk diesel engine for the Scorpio in the Delhi NCR region, now the Indian carmaker has stepped into the mild hybrid space.
What is a mild hybrid?
The Mahindra Scorpio’s 2.2-litre mHawk engine can now be specced with their Intelli-Hybrid technology. While it’s now a full-blown hybrid like the BMW i8, this system employs an electric motor to assist the engine during acceleration. To further save fuel in stop and go traffic, the system shuts down the engine every time the car is not moving. The system also re-uses braking energy to charge the battery powering the motor. The three operations combined are claimed to bring down fuel consumption by a reasonable 7 per cent. “By reducing fuel consumption, Intelli-Hybrid helps Scorpio owners contribute towards a cleaner and greener tomorrow,” says Pravin Shah, president and chief executive (automotive), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd .
The price of FAME
The incentives from Government’s FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid/Electric Vehicles) scheme have also allowed Mahindra to launch the Scorpio Intelli-Hybrid at an attractive Rs 12.84 lakh (ex-showroom Navi Mumbai) for the 2WD manual transmission S10 variant. Other variants that can be specced with the mild hybrid tech are the S4, S4+, S4+ 4Wd, S6+, S8 and the S10 4WD (with manual transmission). The engines will be BS4 compliant as well.
Another model that successfully applies mild hybrid tech is the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz with SHVS (Smart Hybrid Vehicle System). But the Scorpio is the first SUV to be offered with the eco-friendly technology. With this move, Mahindra hopes to combat the NGT’s current bias against diesel power and large-engined SUVs.
On the outside, the only feature to help distinguish the mild hybrid variants of the Scorpio from the regular ones is the ‘Intelli-Hybrid’ badge on the rear. The 2.2-litre mHawk engine will continue to churn out the same 120PS as the regular variants.